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North America / USA / New York
For this special concert the Cuban legendary orchestra will join with the most popular lead Los Van Van vocalists: Mario “Mayito” Rivera and Pedro Calvo
Date: Saturday, June 1st
Show: 8:00PM
Cost: $50 – $100
Venue: 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West Bronx, New York 10468
Low cost onsite parking available for $5!
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts presents the return of Grammy-winning dance orchestra, Formell y Los Van Van, who bring direct from Cuba their blend of Afro-Cuban, disco and funk back to Lehman Center to celebrate their 50th Anniversary on Saturday, June 1st at 8PM.
Heralded as Cuba’s greatest dance orchestra known worldwide for their iconic live performances, Formell y Los Van Van features three of the late founder Juan Formell‘s children: Samuel Formell (Leader and Drummer/Timbalero) , Juan-Carlos Formell (Bassist) and the family’s youngest daughter, Vanessa Formell (lead vocalist).
BIO: Formell y Los Van Van, nicknamed the “Cuban Music Train,” is regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of 20th century Cuban popular music. Founded in 1969 by Juan Formell when he was 27 years old, the band pioneered Songo, a hybrid rhythm that blended Cuba’s native folkloric son music with the go-go of the 1970s and has electrified dance floors in Havana for over forty-five years.
The band’s original members were: Juan Formell (bandleader, bass player, and songwriter), Cesar “Pupy” Pedroso (piano, songwriter), and Jose Luis “Changuito” Quintana (drums and timbales). Each one were music conservatory trained from a young age and were fascinated with the soul, go-go and disco music that dominated U.S. radio.
They named their dance band “Los Van Van” (which literally means “they go-go”) after the go-go fad, and pioneered the hybrid of son and go-go music – Songo – which can now be found throughout Latin jazz, pop, and world fusion.
And if the genius of Songo wasn’t enough, they also developed the complex rhythmic style that became known as Timba that was adapted by other bands in the ‘90s. Los Van Van soon became one of the best-known Cuban groups in the world, maintaining a loyal fan base throughout Latin America, Europe and Japan propelled by hits such as: “La Sandunguera,” “Anda, Ven y Muévete,” “Te Traigo” and “Yuya Martinez.”
In 1993, Changuito left the band and was replaced by Formell’s son Samuel who also proved to be an outstanding composer as evidenced by the song: “Te Pone La Cabeza Mala”, the title track of one of their best albums. Although American politics hindered their ability to break into the U.S. market, their popularity in the U.S. grew throughout the ’90s, and the band toured the U.S. for the first time in 1997, including a memorable concert at Lehman Center.
Two years later, Los Van Van was honored with the GRAMMY® Award for Best Salsa Performance for their fifteenth album, Llegó…Van Van — Van Van is Here and in 2013, the Latin Recording Academy awarded Juan Formell with a special Grammy for a Lifetime Achievement of Artistic Excellence.
With over 40 albums to their credit, Formell y Los Van Van’s 2015 album Homenaje A Juan Formell: La Fantasia, was 80% completed at the time of Juan Formell’s death in 2014 and was finished under the direction of his son Samuel with another son, Juan-Carlos Formell.
The album’s release on Reyes Records in December, 2014 was on the 45th anniversary of the band’s founding and it features several of the band’s hit dance tracks refreshed with contemporary arrangements as well as many new songs including the widely popular: “Somos Diferentes”, “Todo se Acabó” and “La Moda”. Sony Music released it worldwide in 2016 and it earned a 2017 Grammy nomination for the Best Tropical Latin Album.
The group’s most recent album “Los Van Van son La Patria” is scheduled to be released on Cuba’s Engrem label later this summer.
BIO: Mario “Mayito” Rivera is nicknamed “El Poeta de La Rumba” for his ability to vocally interpret all forms of Cuban music in both modern and traditional styles with a colorful range that can be powerfully dynamic or tender and soft.
He was born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, and has degrees from both the Escuela Nacional de Arte and the Instituto Superior de Arte. After college, he joined the band of Cuban singer Albita Rodríguez and played bass in Grupo Moncada.
From 1992 to 2011, Mayito was the characteristic voice and face of the extremely successful Cuban band, Los Van Van. He sang many of the band’s salsa hits, for which he was rewarded with a Latin GRAMMY® and two nominations.
Bio: Pedro “Pedrito” Calvo is a popular Cuban-born vocalist known for his charismatic and unique singing style which often includes clever word play and expressive rhythmic vocal sounds. Pedrito started his professional career singing with his father’s orchestra and years after with several Cuban orchestras including:
La Riviera, La Orquesta de Julio Valdés, and La Ritmo Oriental with hits such as: “Mi Socio Manolo” and “Aquí el que Manda es Mulé”. He was the most famous for his time (1974-2001) with Los Van Van, where he was part of the infamous lead singing trio of Los Van Van along with Mayito Rivera and Roberto Hernández.
Event Details:
www.LEHMANCENTER.org
There have been many legends of whom we have spoken in this section of International Salsa Magazine and today it is the turn of the bandleader, composer, clarinetist, and saxophonist born in Havana, Cuba, Paquito D’Rivera.
Today, we want to dedicate the following lines to one of the main references in Cuban music and everything he has contributed to the Latin music scene, which is growing every day in the United States.
Francisco de Jesús Rivera Figueras, who is artistically known as Paquito D’Rivera, was born in the city of Havana, Cuba and is the son of orchestra director and saxophonist Tito D’Rivera, from whom he inherited his great artistic vein and love for music.
At just five years old, Paquito began studying music formally and, two years later, he was already performing on stage in front of large audiences, which prepared him for what he would do as an adult. That same year, Selmer (a musical instrument company) hired him, which was a very important step in the boy’s path to becoming an artist.
A few years later, he performed at the National Theater of La Habana, which was a very important moment for the young man, who shortly after began studying at the Havana Conservatory, where he specialized in areas of music such as clarinet, composition and harmony.
His first media appearance was during his debut in the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, an event that was nationally televised so that the whole country could appreciate the talent of the young choir boys.
A year later, when he was only 18 years old, Paquito and Chucho Valdés founded the Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna, while working for the Orquesta Nacional and the Banda del Ejército Cubano.
Some time later, he founded the Orquesta de Música Moderna with some of his colleagues at the time, and then created the group Irakere, which integrated jazz, traditional Cuban music, classical music and rock in ways never seen before. Together with Irakere, he toured Europe and the United States and earned several Grammy Award nominations.
Like so many Cubans, Paquito became tired of the situation experienced by the island and knew he had to make a final decision on the subject. He took advantage of a stop in Spain and sought asylum at the American embassy in the European country. Once in the United States, his process of adaptation to his new country of residence was not easy, but there were artists who gave him a lot of support such as Mario Bauza, Dizzy Gallespie, David Amram, among others.
It did not take him too long before he earned the love and respect of many members of the jazz music community. His place in the Latin music scene was consolidated thanks to his first two solo albums called ”Paquito Blowin” and ”Mariel”. His popularity was also benefited from a Time magazine article that talked about his great work and his appearance on the famous ”Sunday Morning” show.
He also collaborated with artists such as Artur Sandoval, Michel Camilo, Bebo Valdés, Claudio Roditi, among others. He also participated in the founding of the United Nations Orchestra, Paquito D’Rivera Big Band, Paquito D’Rivera Quinquet and many other groups.
More recently, in 2027, he was in Europe with the Orquesta de Valencia at the Palau de La Música promoting ”The Elephant and The Clown” of his own.
In December 2023, Paquito visited the Spaha Harlem Salsa Museum to see the huge collection of personal items belonging to world-renowned Latin artists and, once there, he expressed his surprise at the large number of items that both stars and their families have donated to the famous museum.
In a post by Johnny Cruz, the museum’s president, on his Facebook account, Paquito said he was very impressed by all the items housed in the institution while supporting the work done by the museum’s staff and expressing his admiration for the effort devoted to the collection.
His five albums as a leader, two as co-leader (MOZART’s BLUE FANTASIES and BACH’s SECRET FILES) as well as his work on over a hundred albums, scores for five feature films, three Broadway Musicals and multiple other projects, showcase his wide-ranging area of expertise.
After several nominations as a sideman, two of his five solo CDs were nominated for a GRAMMY Award (REFUGEE, 2008, and SECOND CHANCE, 2010).
He arranged and performed parts of the score of Ang Lee’s OSCAR-nominated movie EAT, DRINK, MAN, WOMAN.
His first professional recording was at age 18 (Mikis Theodorakis’s “Canto General”) while one of the most recent was on legendary rock band CHICAGO’s latest production, the Latin-tinged “EXITOS”.
He has written symphonic orchestrations, performed and recorded by the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra and compositions like ABRE LOS OJOS, CIERRA LOS OJOS, commissioned and premiered by the MUSICA DE CAMARA STRING ORCHESTRA at St Patrick’s Cathedral in April 2011.
As a requested sideman he has toured the world with such greats as Paquito D’Rivera, Ray Barretto, Gato Barbieri, Steve Turre, Don Byron, Tito Puente and was featured pianist with Max Roach’s PROJECT AMERICA at the 92 St Y.
His joy of teaching has made him a requested guest-lecturer and performance teacher in music faculties and academies in several countries of Europe, Japan, North- and South America.
Hector wrote an instructional book on Latin piano commissioned and published by Hal Leonard, the SALSA PIANO BOOK.
Martignon’s abilities as a pianist have always been enriched by his interest in varied musical genres.
He paid for his studies of classical piano and composition at the prestigious Freiburger Musikhochschule in Germany by performing with the best Afro-Cuban and Brazilian bands of Europe, backing stars like Celia Cruz and Ismael Quintana on their European tours, and recording with Tata Güiness and Arturo Sandoval.
At the same time he was attending seminars of contemporary composition with masters like Gyorgi Ligetti, Luigi Nono and Karl Heinz Stockhausen.
He also performed classical music in recitals and concerts in Germany, Italy and his native Colombia, specializing in Chopin, Bach and Debussy.
Living in Brazil for a one-year love affair with that country and its music, Martignon soon became a requested studio musician and worked for star producer Carlinhos Brown.
Since relocating to New York City, Martignon has been one of the most sought-after pianists on the Latin jazz scene.
He’s toured North and South America, Europe, and Asia with the bands of Mongo Santamaría, Gato Barbieri, Steve Turre and Don Byron, who had him record in his latest CD.
He was featured pianist with the bands of Tito Puente, Mario Bauzá, Chico O’Farrill, Paquito D’Rivera, and Max Roach in his “Project America.” Most notably, Martignon was pianist for the late Ray Barretto’s various ensembles.
During his eight-year association with Barretto, his contributions as pianist, arranger, and composer were fundamental in shaping the sound of the now famous New World Spirit Sextet.
One of his last collaborations with Barretto, “My Summertime,” was a favorite nominee for a Grammy award. Martignon’s versatility has also made him extremely active in the film and television industries.
He is composer of the original music of two feature films, one of which, “Septimo Cielo”, won international awards. He also collaborated in the production of many Broadway musicals (“Chronicle of a Death Foretold”, Paul Simon’s “The Capeman”, “Selena Forever”) as conductor, arranger, and co-composer. In the fall of 2003 Hector visited Slovenia and Russia to collaborate with singer-songwriter Vitaly Osmsçko’s first symphonic CD.
The Russian Philharmonic Orchestra recorded in Moscow the orchestrations written by Hector.
As a composer, producer and arranger of TV and radio music his record is no less impressive. In 2001 he landed two spots for HBO Latino, and one for Coca Cola.
HECTOR” S FOREIGN AFFAIR In 1998 Martignon performed with his quartet “Foreign Affair”at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s famed annual festival “The Next Wave” on a triple bill with Tito Puente’s “Top Percussion” and Don Byron’s “Music for six Musicians”.
This proved to be a turning point for him and his ensemble, which evolved from the strictly acoustic trio sound of the first two CDs to a more eclectic and electric quartet sound.
The new configuration that evolved from that memorable concert started a series of concerts and recordings, with guitarist Mark Whitfield, Cameroonian bassist Richard Bona and Cuban drummer Horacio “Negro” Hernández.
This quartet performed and recorded live during a weeklong stint at New York’s famous Birdland.
The group has also performed on BET television festivals, at jazz clubs in Manhattan, and made various appearances in clubs and open-air festivals in his native Colombia and in Europe.
Martignon’s third solo project, to be released in the fall of 2003, is not only a reflection of the group’s new musical direction but also of his interaction with other world class musicians.
Eddie Gomez, Jeff Watts, Mathew Garrison, John Benitez, Dafnis Prieto, Willard Dyson have all made their unique contribution to this, Martignon’s new sound of Jazz.
Hector Martignon never fails to surprise, challenge and delight us. Stay tuned and get involved in this affair.
Site: Héctor Martignon
Also Read: “El Sol de la Música Latina” el primer premio Grammy para el histórico disco de Salsa Eddie Palmieri
Tom tours frequently throughout the world performing and presenting clinics for the instrument companies he endorses including Yamaha, Vic Firth, Sabian, Remo, Gon Bops and others.
He is the 2012, 2013 and 2014 WAMA (Washington Area Music Award) World Music Instrumentalist of the year. A four-time recipient of a Fulbright-Hayes grant for performances in the Middle East, Tom collaborated with indigenous musicians and gave historic performances in Saudi Arabia, the West Bank and Jerusalem.
He has been an artist-in-residence at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and has collaborated with the National Symphony as both a soloist and composer.
As an international collaborator he has performed by invitation in Europe, South America, New Zealand and Samoa. Tom earned the Artist-of-the-year award from Young Audiences of Virginia for his creative and educational presentations.
His seven CDs have been greeted with international airplay and acclaim.
He has been the subject of feature articles in both “Modern Drummer” and “Drum!” magazines.
Please visit: www.tomteasley.com and for more information.
