Los Van Van

Los Van Van is a Cuban musical group created by bassist Juan Formell in 1969, a former member of Elio Reve's orchestra, who was joined by another member of that orchestra, Cesar 'Pupy' Pedroso.

Changuito, the group's percussionist, invented the rhythm called songo which evolved into timba, the main musical style that Los Van Van plays. The basic structure of the group is that of the charanga, but modernized with the addition of trombones, electric guitar and bass, synthesizer and drums.

Los Van Van has always been a leading school of Cuban music. The Argentine press nicknamed them 'the Rolling Stones of salsa'.

They performed with Rubén Blades at the Olympia (Paris) in 1972, participated in the Playboy Jazz Festival in 1997 and 1998.

Musicians

Juan Formell (director and bass): he died on 1 May 2014.

Cesar 'Pupy' Pedroso (piano); he left the group in 2001 to found his own orchestra, Pupy y Los que Son, Son

Jose Luis Quintana 'Changuito' (timbales)

Pedro 'Pedrito' Calvo (vocals): he left the group in 2000.

Mario 'Mayito' Rivera (vocals): he joined the group in 1992

Mario Valdes (vocals)

Miguel 'Lele' Rasalps (vocals)

Abdal 'Lele' Rasalps (vocals)

Roberto Hernandez 'Roberton' (vocals, ex-Pachito Alonso y sus Kini Kini)

Yenisel 'Yenny' Valdes (vocals, ex-NG La Banda): she left the group in 2017

Samuel Formell (drums): he joined the group in 1995 and has directed it since 2004, after his father Juan Formell's death

Vanessa Formell (vocals): she joined the group in 2017, following Yenny's departure

Boris Luna (keyboards)

Roberto Carlo Rodriguez (piano)

Alvaro Collado (trombone)

Hugo Morejon (trombone)

Edmundo Piña (trombone)

Geraldo Miro (violin)

Irvin Frontela (violin)

Jesus Linares (violin)

Pedro Fajardo (violin)

Jorge Leliebre (flute)

Manual Navarrera (congas)

Julio Norona (güiro)

Juan-Carlos Formell (bass): he joined the group in 2014 to replace his late father and died on 26 May 2023

Ángel Bonne sang with the group for a time.