LEHMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is proud to present the
Exclusive NYC Appearance of Cuba’s legendary, Grammy-winning dance
orchestra, LOS VAN VAN, who bring direct from Cuba their blend of
Afro-Cuban, disco and funk back to LEHMAN CENTER ON SATURDAY, August
26th, 2017 at 8pm. Heralded as Cuba’s greatest dance orchestra known
worldwide for their iconic live performances, LOS VAN VAN features
three of the late founder Juan FORMELL‘s children: leader and
drummer/timbalero Samuel FORMELL, bassist Juan-Carlos FORMELL AND THE
NEWEST ADDITION, the family’s youngest daughter, lead vocalist
Vanessa FORMELL. For this special concert, the orchestra will also be
joined by the legendary and most recognized Los Van Van vocalist
Pedrito Calvo, who sang with the orchestra for their first forty
years. Fans can expect to hear the group’s greatest hits along with
the work from their more current releases including their soon to be
released album Los Van Van son La Patria. Produced by LEHMAN CENTER
AND ERNESTO LAGO AND LEO TIZOL.Lehman Center for the Performing
Arts is on the campus of Lehman College/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park
Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468. Tickets for LOS VAN VAN on
Saturday, August 26th, 2017 at 8pm are $100*VIP, $60, $55, and $45 and
can be purchased by calling the Lehman Center box office
at 718-960-8833 (Monday through Friday, 10am–5pm and beginning at
12 noon on the day of the concert), or through online access at
www.LehmanCenter.org. *VIP Reception: The HAVANA CAFÉ, Havana Club
Rum and Lehman Center special VIP pre-concert wine, beer, Havana Club
Rum & hors d’oeuvres reception will start at 6:30pm. VIP tickets
include the reception and the best seats in the house. At the
reception meet other patrons and the staff of Lehman Center. Sponsored
by Havana Café Restaurant and Havana Club Puerto Rican Rum. Lehman
Center is accessible by #4 or D train to Bedford Park Blvd. and is off
the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway. Low-cost
on-site parking available for $5.
Los Van Van, nicknamed the “Cuban Music Train,” is regarded as one
of the most influential bands in the history of 20th century Cuban
popular music. Founded in 1969 by Juan Formell when he was 27 years
old, the band pioneered Songo, a hybrid rhythm that blended Cuba’s
native folkloric son music with the go-go of the 1970s and has
electrified dance floors in Havana for over forty-five years. The
band’s original members - Juan Formell (bandleader, bass player, and
songwriter), Cesar “Pupy” Pedroso (piano, songwriter), and Jose
Luis “Changuito” Quintana (drums and timbales) – were music
conservatory trained from a young age and were fascinated with the
soul, go-go and disco music that dominated U.S. radio. They named
their dance band Los Van Van (which literally means “they go-go”)
after the go-go fad, and pioneered the hybrid of son and go-go music
– Songo – which can now be found throughout Latin jazz, pop, and
world fusion. Songo also served as the title to their breakthrough
13th album in 1988 which was released internationally on Mango
records.
Shortly after the band's formation, they became the island’s
favorite dance band and came to be known for their sophisticated,
often satirical lyrics chronicling the realities of Cuban life,
electric instrumentation and multi-layered percussion. In addition to
the traditional Cuban charanga band lineup of violins and flutes, Los
Van Van also featured multiple trombones and vocalists that, along
with Changuito’s virtuosity on drums and timbales, really set them
apart. Starting with the song “Pero a Mi Manera“ (1972) which
introduced harmonies and arranging concepts new to Latin music,
Formell and Pedroso wrote dance hit after hit, many of which have
become standards of Cuban music. With the support of the Cuban
government, the band toured tirelessly and recorded throughout the
’80s and ’90s. And if the genius of Songo wasn’t enough, they
also developed the complex rhythmic style that became known as Timba
that was adapted by other bands in the ‘90s. Los Van Van soon became
one of the best-known Cuban groups in the world, maintaining a loyal
fan base throughout Latin America, Europe and Japan propelled by hits
like: “La Sandunguera,” “Anda, Ven y Muévete,” “Te
Traigo” and “Yuya Martinez.”
In 1993 Changuito left the band and was replaced by Formell’s son
Samuel who also proved to be an outstanding composer as evidenced by
songs like “Te Pone La Cabeza Mala”, the title track of one of
their best albums. Although American politics hindered their ability
to break into the U.S. market, their popularity in the U.S. grew
throughout the ’90s, and the band toured the U.S. for the first time
in 1997, including a memorable concert at Lehman Center. In 1999, Los
Van Van was honored with the GRAMMY® Award for Best Salsa Performance
for their fifteenth album, Llegó...Van Van -- Van Van is Here and in
2013, the Latin Recording Academy awarded Juan Formell with a special
Grammy for a Lifetime Achievement of Artistic Excellence. With over 40
albums to their credit, Los Van Van’s 2015 album Homenaje A Juan
Formell: La Fantasia, was 80% completed at the time of Juan
Formell’s death in 2014 and was finished under the direction of his
son Samuel with another son, Juan-Carlos Formell. The album’s
release on Reyes Records in December, 2014 was on the 45th anniversary
of the band’s founding and it features several of the band’s hit
dance tracks refreshed with contemporary arrangements as well as many
new songs including the widely popular “Somos Diferentes”, “Todo
se Acabó” and “La Moda”.. Sony Music released it worldwide in
2016 and it earned a 2017 Grammy nomination for the Best Tropical
Latin Album. The group’s most recent album Los Van Van son La
Patria, is scheduled to be released on Cuba’s Engrem label later
this summer.
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. is supported, in part,
with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural
Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council. The 2017-2018
Season is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with
the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State
Legislature. Additional funding is provided by Con Edison, the New
Yankee Stadium Community Benefits Fund, the Rudin Foundation, the Hyde
and Watson Foundation, and the Friends of Lehman Center.
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28/08/2017 Last update