Juan Formell y Los Van Van (Van Van. 30 Aniversario Vol.1-2)

Juan Formell`s first music professor was his own father and then Odifio Urfé and Orestes López. Since he was 13 years old he performed pop music in a youth septet. In 1960, he began his career as soloist in the Rubalcaba, Peruchín and Carlos Faxas orchestras. The Cuban son was not far from the music he used to compose, but the twist, the go-go and the shake rhythms which came to Cuba from the Anglo-Saxon America influenced the young composer. Later on, he joined the Revé Orchestra, as bass player, composer and orchestrator, with whom he popularized the "Changüi 68" theme. In 1969, he founded his own group, Los Van Van orchestra.

With Los Van Van orchestra, Juan Formell launched an avant-garde line thus creating the Songo as a musical form which stemmed out from the fusion of different influences such as the jazz and the rock based on the Cuban son rhythm. This new rhythm is characterized by a constant percussion polyrhythm, a bass improvising with the piano harmony, the electronic timbre of strings and the use of non-schematic vocal arrangements. Since its inception, this rhythm has characterized the music played by Juan Formell and his orchestra.

Juan Formell, during his professional career, has performed in both the movie and the theater by composing music for musical comedies and films. He masters the creation of humorist and popular themes. Likewise, his music has been present in the discography of well-known international musicians and interpreters as Rubén Blades, Harry Belafonte, Rey Barreto, the Gran Combo from Puerto Rico, Roberto Roena, Vicentico Valdés, Latin Fever and others.

Curiously enough, Los Van Van have never used the word salsa when defining their music, since they have always performed avant-garde Caribbean music, even well before it was defined as salsa by the Anglo-American industry.

After more than 30 years of artistic life, countless awards, including the Grammy for their CD "Van Van is Here", this orchestra is still the most popular orchestra in Cuba.

Con el sello cubano EGREM, realizaron cinco volúmenes entre los años 1969 y 1981, además de los siguientes:

Bailao He ha, 1982

Qué pista, 1983

Anda, ven y muévete, 1984

La Habana sí, 1985

Eso que anda, 1986

Al son del Caribe, 1987

El negro no tiene na, 1988

Crónicas, 1989

Aquí el que baila gana, 1990

Con otras casas discográficas:

Songo, Island Record, 1988

Azúcar, ARTex, 1993

Lo ultimo en vivo, Caribe Productions, 1994

Ay Dios, Ampárame, Caribe Productions, 1995

Te pone la cabeza mala, Caribe Productions, 1997

25 años y seguimos ahí, Caribe Productions, 1998

The best of Van Van, Caribe Productions, 1998

Van Van 30 Aniversario, Caribe Productions, 1998

Van Van is Here, Caliente Caliente, 2000

En el malecón de La Habana, Unicornio, 2002

Chapeando, Unicornio, 2004