Cuban band Los Van Van to Hit Sydney, Australia

The legendary Cuban Timba band Los Van Van is scheduled to give a two and a half hour concert – including a twenty minutes interval – at the Concert Hall in Sydney, Australia. The concert is part of the Latin Block Party held on August 15, 2010.

Los Van Van was formed 10 years after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. The band has worked and played hard for more than 40 years, resulting in a huge fan base worldwide. The group's relentless desire to innovate and to keep experimenting with different sounds is what kept Los Van Van ahead of the game in their native Cuba. The band just keep rolling on and on. This is the reason Los Van Van is also known as the “Rolling Stones of Latin music”.  

Ned Sublette, author of the book “Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to Mambo” told the Sydney Morning Herald, “In Cuba, usually a band hits a sound and sticks with it and out of popularity,” He continues, “But Van Van's sound changes with time, as new technological possibilities, new instruments and younger personnel come into the band. It keeps them fresh … at their best, they speak to all three elements that most bands only manage two of: head, heart and hips.”

The New York Times once called Los Van Van “the best dance band in Cuba”. Maybe their four decades of continues success had something to do with it. The core of the band is a Charanga line up. A Charanga is the traditional Cuban band formation. This is not to be confused with the Pachanga, which is the way people used to dance on Charanga music in the 50's and the early 60's. Los Van Van's specialty is the fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms with Salsa, Latin Jaz, Hip Hop, Disco, Funk and Rock. This synthesis of sounds has evolved over the years and became the modern Cuban version of Salsa called Timba music.

The Australians will see the same faces they saw when Los Van Van first toured there in 2006. The ensemble will include Mayito Rivera, Lele Rosales, Yeni Valdes and Roberto “Roberton” Hernandez.  This time around the tour will also include a huge concert at the Opera House Concert Hall on August 15. 

Video clip of Juan Formel y Los Van Van's song “TimPop” (Timba with Pop)