Singer Ibrahim Ferrer passes away at 78

Ferrer's colleagues said he suffered from emphysema in recent years and was feeling ill earlier in the week during a flight home from Europe.

Known for his trademark cap and graying mustache, Ferrer was a wiry, animated figure who clearly enjoyed performing Cuba's traditional son music of the 1940s and 1950s for new generations of fans.

Among a group of older Cuban performers recruited by U.S. musician Ry Cooder, Ferrer performed on the Buena Vista Social Club album that won a Grammy in 1999 and was among those appearing in the film of the same name.

Also in 1999 he was featured in one of a string of albums that followed, Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer, and won a Latin Grammy for best new artiste in 2000.

Originally from Cuba's eastern city of Santiago, Ferrer was born on February 20, 1927. He was still a boy when he began singing professionally with Santiago groups in 1941. By the late 1950s he was a well-known singer.