Juan Formell. Photo from On Cuba.
The founder and director of the legendary Cuban ensemble Los Van Van, the bassist Juan Formell, died in Havana, Cuba, on May 1st. He was 71 years-old. For the last 45 years, Formell and Los Van Van have been inspiring people to dance with their Cuban rhythm. Los Van Van, and Formell, are some of the most beloved Cuban musicians in the world. Blogger, journalist and Global Voices author, Rafael González Escalona, says in an article for “On Cuba”:
There are bad, mediocre and magnificent musicians. And there's a tiny club of musicians destined to radically change the soundscape of a country. And if anyone in Cuba is a member of the VIP club, that is Juan Formell.
Perhaps the best way to celebrate the life and legacy of Juan Formell is dancing. With this in mind, let's see if you can remain seated during the 2004 Los Van Van concert in the Karl Marx theater in Havana:
