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THURSDAY
An intriguing companion piece to Buena Vista Social Club, Sonia Herman Dolz’s Black Tears follows a troupe of Cuban performers on tour in Europe (with a stop at Karl Marx’s grave) and then back home. Like the musicians in Wim Wenders’ film, the five members of La Vieja Trova Santiaguera are veterans (the youngest is 62, the oldest 84) whose Afro-Latin style evokes the carefree Caribbean of pre-Castro days. Except, of course, that their music is suffused with cares: The film’s title refers to the sufferings of the African slaves brought to the region and their descendants. The sound these players make is a forerunner of salsa, but Dolz’s 1997 documentary makes it clear that Cuban son is more than party music. At 8 p.m. at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 7th & Independence Ave. SW. Free. (202) 357-2700. (MJ)