Los Van Van
Encyclopedia
Los Van Van is a Cuba
n band led by bass
ist Juan Formell
, it is one of the most recognized post-revolution Cuba
n bands, while Juan Formell has arguably become the most important figure in contemporary Cuban music.
In 2011, they collaborated with Carlinhos Brown
to record the song "Soy Loco por Tí, América" for the Red Hot Organization's
most recent charitable album "Red Hot+Rio 2." The album is a follow-up to the 1996 "Red Hot + Rio
." Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues.
orchestra. He reformatted the group into Changui '68, and then founded his own group, Los Van Van, on December 4, 1969.
line-up as its base, Van Van added trombone
s and vocals, and was the first Cuban group to use synthesizer
s and drum machine
s. Their sound was a fusion of changui
and son montuno
with various types of music, including Afro-Cuban
rhythms, rock
, funk
, disco
, and hip hop
. Juan Formell contributed countless innovations to the Cuban bass and clave
, which paved the way for a radical reconceptualisation of rhythmic arrangements in Cuban music. The Van Van sound came to be known as songo
(based on the son rhythm, and still keeping its syncopation), which laid the base for the later development of timba
, a salsa-like rhythm but lacking syncopation.
Los Van Van has consistently managed to adapt its style to the times, and remains, after 35 years, Cuba's most popular dance band. Along with pianist Cesar "Pupy" Pedroso, Juan Formell has written some of the most intriguing verses in popular dance music, including stories that run over several albums and, contrary to trends in timba, all types of social commentary. Both artists are undisputed masters of double-entendre in a musical culture where multiple meanings in lyrics are pervasive. Indeed, the title of the band is probably meant to evoke the novel and compelling rhythms of the new sound of Formell's band, as "van" in Spanish means "they go" and so the name of the band could be translated as "those they go, they go" (it has also been suggested to translate as their name as something like "the go-goes!"). When Cesar "Pupy" Pedroso, their legendary pianist and founding member, left the band in 2002 he founded his own band "Pupy y los que son son," which is likely a name with a triple-entendre. The word "son" can mean both "they are" and also refers to the traditional rhythm "son," originating in the eastern provinces of Cuba, from which modern "salsa" takes its form. The third meaning, is of course a reference back to his roots in Los Van Van.
to their credit, the 2000 Latin Grammy awarded to the album "Van Van is Here" (Llegó Van Van).
In January 2010 "A Cali," a song from Van Van's latest album was selected as one of the winning songs of the 2009 Cali Fair
held in the Cali (Colombia), a city known as Colombia's "salsa capital". The selection was made through a public poll that registered 30,742 votes. Van Van's "A Cali" received 7,905 of the votes, or 26% of the total.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n band led by bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist Juan Formell
Juan Formell
Juan Formell is a Cuban musician, bassist, composer, and arranger, best known as the director of Los Van Van Orchestra. He is a creator of popular danceable music and credited with bringing electronic instrumentation into the Cuban musical form.His professional activity started in 1957 as musician...
, it is one of the most recognized post-revolution Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n bands, while Juan Formell has arguably become the most important figure in contemporary Cuban music.
In 2011, they collaborated with Carlinhos Brown
Carlinhos Brown
Carlinhos Brown is a Brazilian musician from Salvador, Bahia. He was born in Candeal Pequeno, a small neighbourhood in the Brotas area of Salvador de Bahia...
to record the song "Soy Loco por Tí, América" for the Red Hot Organization's
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
most recent charitable album "Red Hot+Rio 2." The album is a follow-up to the 1996 "Red Hot + Rio
Red Hot + Rio
Red Hot + Rio is a compilation album produced by Paul Heck as part of the Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series intended to promote AIDS awareness. This installment is a contemporary tribute to the Bossa nova sound, especially the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim...
." Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues.
History
In 1967, Formell became musical director of Elio Reve's charangaCharanga
Charanga is a term given to traditional ensembles of Cuban dance music. They made Cuban dance music popular in the 1940s and their music consisted of heavily son-influenced material, performed on European instruments such as violin and flute by a Charanga orchestra....
orchestra. He reformatted the group into Changui '68, and then founded his own group, Los Van Van, on December 4, 1969.
Musical style
Using a charangaCharanga
Charanga is a term given to traditional ensembles of Cuban dance music. They made Cuban dance music popular in the 1940s and their music consisted of heavily son-influenced material, performed on European instruments such as violin and flute by a Charanga orchestra....
line-up as its base, Van Van added trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s and vocals, and was the first Cuban group to use synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s and drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
s. Their sound was a fusion of changui
Changui
Changüí is a style of Cuban music which originated in the early 19th century in the eastern region of Guantánamo Province. It arose in the sugar cane refineries and in the rural communities populated by slaves....
and son montuno
Son montuno
The son montuno is a style of the Cuban son, but exactly what it means is not an easy question to answer. The son itself is the most important genre of Cuban popular music. In addition, it is perhaps the most flexible of all forms of Latin-American music...
with various types of music, including Afro-Cuban
Afro-Cuban
The term Afro-Cuban refers to Cubans of Sub Saharan African ancestry, and to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community...
rhythms, rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, and hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
. Juan Formell contributed countless innovations to the Cuban bass and clave
Clave (rhythm)
The clave rhythmic pattern is used as a tool for temporal organization in Afro-Cuban music, such as rumba, conga de comparsa, son, son montuno, mambo, salsa, Latin jazz, songo and timba. The five-stroke clave pattern represents the structural core of many Afro-Cuban rhythms...
, which paved the way for a radical reconceptualisation of rhythmic arrangements in Cuban music. The Van Van sound came to be known as songo
Songo
Songo may refer to:* Songo music, a type of contemporary Cuban music originating in Havana* Songo people, of northern Angola* Songo-salsa, a style of music that blends Spanish rapping and hip hop beats with salsa music and songo- Places :...
(based on the son rhythm, and still keeping its syncopation), which laid the base for the later development of timba
Timba
Timba is a Cuban genre of music sometimes referred as salsa cubana . However, the historical development of timba has been quite independent of the development of salsa in the United States and Puerto Rico and the music has its own trademark aspects due to the Cuban embargo and strong Afro-Cuban...
, a salsa-like rhythm but lacking syncopation.
Los Van Van has consistently managed to adapt its style to the times, and remains, after 35 years, Cuba's most popular dance band. Along with pianist Cesar "Pupy" Pedroso, Juan Formell has written some of the most intriguing verses in popular dance music, including stories that run over several albums and, contrary to trends in timba, all types of social commentary. Both artists are undisputed masters of double-entendre in a musical culture where multiple meanings in lyrics are pervasive. Indeed, the title of the band is probably meant to evoke the novel and compelling rhythms of the new sound of Formell's band, as "van" in Spanish means "they go" and so the name of the band could be translated as "those they go, they go" (it has also been suggested to translate as their name as something like "the go-goes!"). When Cesar "Pupy" Pedroso, their legendary pianist and founding member, left the band in 2002 he founded his own band "Pupy y los que son son," which is likely a name with a triple-entendre. The word "son" can mean both "they are" and also refers to the traditional rhythm "son," originating in the eastern provinces of Cuba, from which modern "salsa" takes its form. The third meaning, is of course a reference back to his roots in Los Van Van.
Awards
The band has a Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
to their credit, the 2000 Latin Grammy awarded to the album "Van Van is Here" (Llegó Van Van).
In January 2010 "A Cali," a song from Van Van's latest album was selected as one of the winning songs of the 2009 Cali Fair
Cali Fair
The Cali's Fair is the most important cultural event in Cali, Colombia. It is a celebration of the region's cultural identity, famous for the Salsa marathon, horse riding parades and dance parties....
held in the Cali (Colombia), a city known as Colombia's "salsa capital". The selection was made through a public poll that registered 30,742 votes. Van Van's "A Cali" received 7,905 of the votes, or 26% of the total.
Notable personnel
Los Van Van has been a school for outstanding singers and musicians. Past members with successful careers as solo artists include Pedro Calvo, Angel Bonne, Changuito, Cesar "Pupy" Pedroso and others. As of 2006, Los Van Van lineup of singers: Mayito Rivera, Roberto Hernandez "Roberton", Yeni Valdes and Lele Rosales.Discography
- Los Van Van Vol I (1969)
- Los Van Van Vol II (1974)
- Los Van Van Vol III (1974)
- Los Van Van Vol IV (1976)
- Los Van Van Vol V (1976)
- Los Van Van Vol VI (1980)
- Báilalo ¡Eh! ¡Ah! (1982)
- Qué Pista (1983)
- Anda, Ven y Muévete (1984)
- La Habana Sí (1985)
- Eso Que Anda (1986)
- La Titimania (1987)
- Songo (1988)
- El Negro No Tiene Na' (1988)
- Songo (Mango, 1989)
- Rico Son (1989)
- Aqui... El Que Baila Gana (1990)
- Esto Está Bueno (1991)
- De Cuba Los Van Van (1991)
- Bailando Mojao - Dancing Wet (1993)
- Azúcar (Xenophile Records, 1993)
- 25 Años... y seguimos ahí! Vol I (1994)
- Lo Ultimo En Vivo (Qbadisc Records, 1994)
- ¡Ay Dios, Ampárame! (1996)
- Live In America (1997)
- Te Pone La Cabeza Mala (1997)
- Llegó Van Van (1999)
- En El Malecón De La Habana (2003)
- Chapeando (2005)
- Sandunguera (Timba Records [Germany], 2005)
- Live From Camagüey (2009)
- Arrasando (2009)