Artist.......: Los Van Van
Album........: Live au ZΘnith de Paris
Label........: n/a
Genre........: Salsa
Catnr........: n/a
Source.......: DVBS
Rip.date.....: 2011-03-14
Str.date.....: 2010-07-13
Quality......: 150kbps/48.0kHz/Joint Stereo
Url..........: http://www.myspace.com/losvanvan
track title time
1. Live au ZΘnith de Paris 52:14
Runtime 52:14
Size 56.33
Release Notes:
Los Van Van are one of the most important and influential bands in the history
of 20th century Cuban pop music. Though the 1990s were pervaded by groups that
mixed folkloric and traditional music with the musical trends of the day, and
the beginning of the 21st century saw that process go even further, in the 1960s
and '70s that Latino fusion sensibility was scarce at best. There were primarily
two Cuban groups experimenting with mixing pop, funk, rock, and soul with their
native traditions. One of those two was Irakere, and the other, far more
long-lasting band was Los Van Van.
Following the revolution, Cuban youth were profiled for talents and
predispositions. Children showing potential in athletics were streamlined into
sports. Academics, visual arts, and music followed suit. The young musicians who
formed Los Van Van had enjoyed conservatory educations from their earliest
years, and were experts in theory and performance by their early twenties. The
band's key players -- Juan Formell (bandleader, bass player, and songwriter),
CΘsar "Pupy" Pedroso (piano, songwriter), and JosΘ Luis "Changuito" Quintana
(drumset/timbales) were fascinated with the soul, go-go, and disco music that
dominated U.S. radio waves. They named their dance band Los Van Van after the
go-go fad, meaning literally "they go-go!"
The style that the band pioneered took its name from the cross of son and go-go
music that the band had created. The style "songo" can now be found throughout
the Latin jazz, pop, and fusion world. Los Van Van's debut disc bore the name,
solidifying its place in musical history forever. Shortly after the band's
formation, they became the island's favorite dance band, a title they held for
years.
With the support of the Cuban government, Los Van Van toured and recorded and
toured tirelessly throughout the '80s and '90s. They became the best-known Cuban
group in the world, maintaining a loyal fan base throughout Europe. Though there
was some U.S. interest in the band and their innovations, the politics of the
days hedged their ability to break into the U.S. market. While Irakere defected
to States, Los Van Van never left Cuba. U.S. interest grew throughout the '90s,
peaking with Los Van Van's Grammy Award in 1999 for their 15th original album,
Lleg≤ Van Van.
Many founding members have gone on to become successful bandleaders in their own
right. CΘsar "Pupy" Pedroso formed his own group, Los Que Son, Son, at the turn
of the century. L·is "Changuito" Quintana left the band in 1993 to pursue a
Latin jazz career. Many lesser-known members went on to become some of the most
influential players in the timba revolution that came in the early '90s.
Los Van Van are widely recognized as a genre-creating band. Alongside artists
like the Beatles, Aretha Franklin, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, Los Van Van
are distinguished as a band that changed the course of popular music for an
entire generation.