Formed in 1969, Los Van Van is the world's premier Latin dance band. Unafraid to experiment, they have added trombones, synthesizers and drum machines to their rhythms and charanga based sound with use of rock chord progressions and bass lines, inventing what is now known throughout the world as the "songo" rhythm . Since its inception, Los Van Van's objective has been to make people dance. Several generations have already danced to their beat, thanks to Juan Formell's (the Bassist-founder-virtuoso, composer, and arranger of los Van Van) perspicacity and ability to draw inspiration from new colloquial developments, colorful characters, and current social events.

Feet accustomed to the suave sounds of romantic salsa may not know where to begin with Van Van. But the hips will. "In Cuba, people want to dance," says Van Van mastermind Juan Formell. "If they don't dance, forget it, they're not going to listen to you." The sound of Havana baking in the sun is so propulsive, so percussive, that the rhythms seem to hit from all directions at once. Not just the congas, timbales, cowbells, either... the bass is always in your face, the horns blaze and even the violins -- Van Van's got two of them -- attack with a relentless rhythm that can't just be contained by the clave. The neck-snapping, lower-level rumble of "Permiso Que Llegó Van Van" (Juan Formell)the to-the-death-duel of soneros, "Eso Damelo A Mi" (Juan Formell)the sticky-sweaty timba funk of "Temba Tumba Timba" (Cesar Pedroso)the rocking history lesson "Somos Cubanos" (Samuel Formell) -- this is Latin music on a rampage.

Where did this incredible music come from? Credit Juan Formell, Van Van's founder and the musical director. Back in 1967, the guitar prodigy was doing time in Elio Reve's orquesta, a classic charanga band of flutes, violins, piano, string bass and percussion. Under Formell's direction (and bass playing), Reve's charanga was reborn as Changui '68 -- with electric guitar and bass augmenting the orchestra. The dainty sounds of the charanga yielded to a new era in Cuban music, and Juan Formell's next move was to ride that wave with a new group, Van Van.

And that was it, really. Because Van Van has become synonymous with Cuban music. They've continued to grow with the tastes of this music-obsessed people -- no matter how heavy, psychedelic, jazzy, sweet, romantic or synthesized Cubans have desired their dance music to be, Van Van have delivered. They were the first Cuban band to incorporate trombones, synthesizers, drum machines, and the now-standard vocal trio into their ever-adapting sound. First the new beat was called songo, the Afro-fusion of Cuban son with ritual Yoruba rhythms and American pop. Then it was called timba, the sound of Havana in the '90s -- where salsa would have gone if Beny More met up with George Clinton. Whatever the name, it's always been the music of Van Van.

As a 30-year-old musical institution, Van Van has seen Cuba's finest musicians rise through its ranks. And that's saying something, in this country where "musician" is a 24-hour job. Much has been made of Cuba's master musicians, the elder generation who live and breathe the very foundation of Latin music. But Van Van is an intergenerational summit, a unique orchestra where masters and disciples share a stage, each sparking off one another's creativity. Pounding the piano with Van Van since their inception, Cesar "Pupi" Pedroso is every bit the master musician. Imposing, fedora-crowned baritone Pedro Calvo has dazzled audiences since the '70sat his side is Mario "Mayito" Rivera, all of 24 years old and a heartthrob, to boot. While maestro Formell powers Van Van with his mighty bass lines, his son Samuel answers from the afro-fitted drum kit. "The young musicians are very good, and they have a had big influence on me and on the group," says Formell.

Now, with all things Cuban at the height of international chic, the time is ripe for modern Latin tropical music to get back to Cuba. Llegó Van Van. Says Juan Formell, "Salsa has a lot of Cuban influences, but the salsa groups are more standardized, they follow more or less the same lines, the same tunes and sounds. The Cuban style is more open." Poised as they are for international domination, Formell and Van Van are ready to take their formidable sound to the next level. "It's a fact that Cuban music has exploded worldwide," says Formell. "Cuba is a powerhouse in the development of popular music, and it was about time that it was recognized as such." Like Formell's super-orchestra, its name -- "Van Van"-- the group has continued to go, go, and go. On and on, innovating and expanding the power, scope, and future of Latin music.

In December of 2000, singer Pedro Calvo left the band to join the Afro Cuban All Stars. Pedro Calvo was the singer of some Los Van Van's most popular songs such as Chirrín Chirrán, El negro está cocinando, La Habana no aguanta más, El buey cansao, and Sandunguera.

A movie about Los Van Van was made in 2001. The documentary, directed by Aaron Vega (Cuba) and Liliana Mazure (Argentina), describes the history of the band throughout the years. 

Clave Cubana
Ana Pujol
Calle 190 No.1103 e/ 11 y 13, Siboney, Playa
Ciudad de la Habana
Cuba
Phone: +(537) 273 0384 and 273 0389
Fax: + (537) 273 0385
E-mail: ggneral@artex.cu & ana@artex.cu.