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Since 1986 they have presented the who's who of the what’s what of Latin music.
Como No have covered every Buena Vista angle from Omara to Compay, Ibrahim to Eliades, many times over, rolled out Nu Yorica’s finest from Celia Cruz and Wilie Colon to Spanish Harlem Orchestra and they’ve sharpened the cutting edge with the UK debut’s for the likes of Gotan Project, Kinky and Orishas.
Como No have worked with the traditional from Veracruz’s Mono Blanco to Colombia’s Toto La Momposina and Peru’s Susan Baca and still there’s more to do.
They habitually promotes in a number of major London venues: Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Centre, Royal Albert Hall, Shepherds Bush Empire and most recently the slendour of The Round House in Camden.
But they also work in clubs, theatres, outdoors and indeed they’ll put anything on anywhere if it seems like a good idea at the time.
In the past year Como No's definitions of Latin music have extended to shows or tours by Jane Birkin’s Arabesque and Blind Boys of Alabama
NEW EVENTS
LOS VAN VAN LIVE IN CONCERT
+ Dj Jim + Dj Javier de la Rosa ComoNo!!! Clave y Son Events Present:
20 Piece Cuban Band Saturday 7th March 2009 8.30PM The Roundhouse | London
"The best dance band in Cuba!" New York Times
"The undisputed king of Cuban dance orchestras and one of the most influential forces ever in Afro-Cuban music" Los Angeles Times
Cuba's biggest, funkiest dance orchestra returns to London following their last storming show two years ago which literally closed Hammersmith Palais. Van Van will be supported and followed by sets from London’s finest Cuban music djs - Javier and Dr. Jim playing for the dancers.
Tonight's show celebrates the band's fortieth anniversary. Formed in 1969 in Havana, Cuba, this 20-piece orchestra plays an irresistible brand of dance groove they created called 'songo' - a solid and invigorating fusion of rich Caribbean rhythms, Afro-Cuban drumming, salsa & rock/pop elements. This new sound became the rage of Havana and one of the most influential Cuban rhythms since the cha-cha-cha.
Featuring a fearsome collection of virtuoso musicians, their live shows are all about the relationship between the band and the dance-floor, with call-and-response Afro-Cuban conga, sharp horns and violin riffs, vocal improvisations drifting in and out between this solid groove. A dance groove that has made generations of people dance to their unmistakable dance beat. If George Clinton was Cuban then Los Van Van would be his band.
Cuba is a powerhouse in the development of popular music, and Los Van Van, the world's premier Latin dance band, continues to rock the Cuban soul and ram dance-floors worldwide.
THE VENUE
THE ROUNDHOUSE
The Roundhouse is located in Camden, in the heart of fashionable London, with excellent transport links for London and the UK. The Roundhouse will once again take its place as one of London's key cultural landmarks, hosting a unique Creative Centre for young people and an exceptional programme of international performance. The Roundhouse is available for occasional private and corporate hire. The Main Space can host receptions and parties for 200 to 2,000 guests, meetings for up to 1,700 or from 200 to 1,200 guests at banquets. Outside space is also available to be used in conjunction with the Main Space. The Roundhouse has a heritage of legendary performances, and has held some of the most dazzling private events in London. This is where the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd made their names, and where The Doors played their only UK gig. The Roundhouse renovation means that the venue is accessible and fully equipped, while its Main Space remains uniquely adaptable.
Songwriter/bass player Juan Formell (b. Havana, Cuba) formed Cuba's enigmatic Los Van Van in 1969 after a year of tutelage under renowned band leader Elio Reve in Orquesta Reve. Often credited with the invention of "songo", a new Cuban sound influenced by rock, jazz and Brazilian music, Los Van Van became one of the Cuba's most influential and progressive dance bands of the post-revolutionary era.
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), Cesar "Pupy" Pedroso (piano, songwriter), and Jose 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.
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.
THE VIDEO
PICTURES
JUAN FORMELL Y LOS VAN VAN CONCERT DETAILS & BOOKING
PRICES
Tickets: £ 22 (Saturday 7th March 2009 8.30PM) The Roundhouse | London
