Juan Formell y Los Van Van 
EL TREN DE LA MÚSICA CUBANA
- ¡Vívela! Salsa Tour 2023 -Cuba’s musical bullet train brings non-stop dance energy to Japan!
Juan Formell y LOS VAN VAN
Biography
Los Van Van, giants of Cuban popular music for more than 50 years, bring their intoxicating Latin rhythms to Japan for the first time in 13 years this summer.
Loosely translated as The Go Gos, the Grammy-winning band continues to set the standard for infusing dance music from Havana with a fresh relevance and identity that stretches far beyond the labels of Cuban salsa or timba.
The 16-member group, known as El Tren (The Train) in Cuba, is a locomotive of irresistible dance grooves for the body and a source of social commentary for the mind that makes the music an essential part of everyday life on the Caribbean island, rather than a distraction from it.
The Los Van Van sound remains as distinctive as ever, even after generational changes in styles and personnel, offering an example for salsa bands across the globe of how to evolve a contemporary style while maintaining an identity that avoids cliches.
Since the last appearance in Japan, hard-hitting drummer Samuel Formell has become the full driving force of the band following the passing away of his father, founder Juan Formell. He’s reinvigorated the Formell formula by bringing on board sister Vanessa as the feisty female voice in the band and brother Juan-Carlos, a Grammy-nominated guitarist in his own right, to fill the key role as bassist. The latest lineup brings in new blood to power the trombone and violin sections, and put a new twist on the band’s mesmerizing keyboard riffs. Julio Noroña on guiro flies the flag for the original members that formed the group in 1969.
Recent releases forge a path of fresh compositions, new collaborations and reworkings of classic hits as Formell looks to stretch the possibilities of Los Van Van’s sound while never forgetting the rich heritage of its back catalogue. While experimenting on one-off tracks with timba and urban pop outfits, the band’s most impactful full-length releases in recent years are its heavy-hitting “Leyenda” tribute to the deceased Formell and its 50th year anniversary collection “Mi Songo,” featuring re-energized cuts of “Sandunguera,” “Anda, Ven Y Muevete” and “El Baile del Buey Cansao.”
After three years of pandemic-tinged self-restraint, the time has come to leave some sweat and stress on the dancefloor this summer.
2000 GRAMMY Awards
Best Salsa Album "Llegó Van Van"
Grammy Awards Nominations
2017 - Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album "LA FANTASIA"
2019 - Best Tropical Album "LEGADO"
Latin Grammy Awards Nominations
2012 - Best Contemporary Tropical Album "La Maquinaria"
2005 - Best Contemporary Tropical Album "Chapeando"
2004 - Best Salsa Album "Van Van Live at Miami Arena"
2003 - Best Contemporary Tropical Album "En el Malecón de la Habana"
2000 - Best Salsa Album "Llegó Van Va"
¡Vívela! Salsa Tour 2023 supported by
Members
Samuel Formell
Director, Drams
Vanessa Formell
Vocal
"Robertón"
(Roberto Hernández)
Vocal
"Lele"
(Abdel Rasalps)
Vocal
"Mandy"
(Armando Cantero)
Vocal
Âlvaro Collado
Trombone
Hansel Woo
Trombone
"Pipi"
(Ivanovi Garzón)
Trombone
Irving Frontela
Violin
Boris Luna
Keyboard
Ricardo Labrada
Violin
Jorge Leliebre
Fu / E-sax
Julio Noroña
Guiro
Eduardo Silveira
Conga
“Cuchilla”
(Maykel García González)
Piano
"Chino"
(Roberto Vázquez)
Bass
Tour Schedule
Additional performance at Blue Note Tokyo
Tuesday, August 29 th, 2023.
1st Stage: Open 17:00 / Starts: 18:00
2nd Stage: Open: 19:45 / Starts: 20:30Blue Note Tokyo
6-3-16 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo Google mapAdv. Ticket: Starting from 12,000 yen
Ticket Information
Advanced ticket sales will be started on May 12th, 2023.
Admission fees
Advanced ticket:
■ Tokyo: 8,000 yen
■ Nagoya: 7,000 yen
■ Osaka: 7,000 yen
■ Fukuoka (Isla De Salsa): 5,500 yenDoor:
■ Tokyo: 8,000 yen
■ Nagoya: 7,000 yen
■ Osaka: 7,000 yen
■ Fukuoka (Isla De Salsa): 5,500 yen
* On the day of the concert, a drink ticket for ¥600 must be purchased at the entrance. (Except ISLA DE SALSA)
* The number of tickets is limited. If all ticket are sold out with pre-sale, there are no tickets for the day.
* Preschooler are not admitted. (Except ISLA DE SALSA)
Ticket Outlets
- Ticket PIA
Tickets can be purchased at the Pia tickets counter or convenience stores (Seven Eleven).
[ P-code ]
■ Tokyo: 242-853
■ Nagoya: 242-854
■ Osaka: 242-856
■ Fukuoka (Isla De Salsa): 243-188Seven Eleven: You can purchased the ticket at “Multicopy” machine which is both a copy machine as well as a ticket terminal. Please enter the above "P-code" to find our festival.
- Lawson Ticket
Tickets that are handled by Lawson Ticket can be bought using "Loppi" at any Lawson store in Japan.
The "L-code" that are required for buying tickets using Loppi can also be searched on LAWSON TICKET(l-tike.com), so you can check information on the Web and then purchase the tickets at a Lawson store.[ L-code ]
■ Tokyo: 70727
■ Nagoya: 45112
■ Osaka: 56923
■ Fukuoka (Isla De Salsa): 81304- e-plus
You can apply from the PC site / smartphone site and purchase directly from the "Famiport" or "multi-copy machine" (depending on the store) installed at FamilyMart stores.
■ Tokyo
■ Nagoya
■ Osaka
■ Fukuoka (Isla De Salsa)- Peatix (Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka)
■ Tokyo: https://vivelasalsatour.peatix.com/
■ Nagoya: https://vivelasalsatournagoya.peatix.com/
■ Osaka: https://vivelasalsatourosaka.peatix.com/
■ Fukuoka (Isla De Salsa) for foreign residents: https://peatix.com/event/3586553- “Furusato Nozei” only for ISLA DE SALSA
-
General advance tickets can also be purchased with "Furusato Nozei", which is an option to redirect a portion of your tax bill to a specific city or region. If you want to buy two tickets, you will save money with this program!
General Information
| Title: | Juan Formell y LOS VAN VAN - ¡Vívela! Salsa Tour 2023 |
|---|---|
| Artist: | Juan Formell y LOS VAN VAN (Cuba) Music genres: Cuban salsa, songo, timba |
| General Organizer: | NPO Tiempo Iberoamericano (3F Daimyo11511 Bldg., 1-15-11 Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0041) |
| Suponsors: | ■ AEROMEXICO ■ Pilsen Callao Beer (Imported by G & C Corporation) ■ Havana Club |
| Collaboration: | ■ Instituto Cervantes Tokyo ■ Kyodai |
| Support: | ■ Cuban embassy |
¡Vívela! History
Each summer since 2002, Latin culture center NPO Tiempo Iberoamericano based in Fukuoka-Japan, has been organizing a Asia-Pacific tour of the world's top-ranking salsa bands. "Enjoy life through music!" is the tour concept we want to shout out, encouraging people to do just that, and creating a space for genuine communication among people. Also embodied in the idea of a "salsa tour" is not just the musical genre "salsa,"but also the original meaning of the word, "sauce," which in this case implies a cultural mix of nationalities, generations and genders that draws beyond cultural divides to create new values in the heart of Asia-Pacific.
Septeto Santiaguero
Cuba
Sep.20 - Sep. 22, 2022
3 concerts in 3 cities
Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka
Elito Revé y su Charangón
Cuba
Aug.20 - Sep. 1, 2019
10 concerts in 9 cities
Sapporo, Yamagata, Miyagi, Gunma, Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Fukuoka (Isla de Salsa)
Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor
Cuba
Aug. 29 - Sep 2, 2018
4 concerts in 4 cities
Tokyo, Nagoya, Fukuoka (Isla de Salsa) and Okinawa
TROMBORANGA Salsa Orchestra
Spain
Aug 20, 2016 - Aug 28, 2016
6 concerts in 5 cities
Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa) and Okinawa
Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor
Cuba
Aug 8, 2015 - Aug 16, 2015
7 concerts in 6 cities
Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa) and Shanghai
EL GRAN COMBO de Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Aug 30, 2014 - Sep 14, 2014
10 concerts in 9 cities
Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa), Shanghai, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane
HAVANA D'PRIMERA
Cuba
Aug 24, 2013 - Sep 1, 2013
7 concerts in 7 cities
Tokyo, Naogya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa), Sapporo, Sydney and Melbourne.
EL GRAN COMBO de Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Aug 30, 2014 - Sep 14, 2014
10 concerts in 9 cities
Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa), Shanghai, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane
CALLE REAL
Sweden
Aug 06, 2011 - Aug 11, 2011
5 concerts in 5 cuidades
Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa).
Juan Formell y LOS VAN VAN
Cuba
Aug 3, 2010 - Aug 15, 2010
7 concerts in 7 cities
Tokyo, Nagoya, Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa), Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney (Sydney Opera House).
Juan Luis Guerra y 4.40
Dominican Republic
Aug 9, 2009 in Fukuoka (Isla de Salsa)
Aug 11, 2009 in Tokyo
Special guest: YUMURI (Cuba)
LA-33
Colombia
Aug 8, 2008 - Aug 17, 2008
7 concerts in 7 cities
Tokyo, Miyagi, Nagoya, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa).
Oscar D’ Leon
Venezuela
Aug, 9, 2007 - Aug 18, 2007
9 concerts in 8 cities
Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Miyagi, Gunma, Hiroshima and Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa).
Special performance: Aug 17 at Melon Ax, Corea del Sur organized by A & A.
Juan Formell y Los Van Van
Cuba
Aug 10, 2005 - Aug 21, 2005
10 concerts in 8 cities: Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, Miyagi, Gunma, Kanazawa, Hiroshima and Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa).
Aug 3, 2006 - Aug 21, 2006
9 days in 8 cities: Gunma, Tokyo, Miyagi, Kanazawa, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa).
Manolito y su Trabuco
Cuba
Aug 21, 2003 - Aug 31, 2003
8 concerts in 7 cities: Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kitakyushu, Kumamoto and Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa).
Aug 5, 2004 - Aug 22, 2004
10 concerts in 8 cities: Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, Miyagi, Gunma, Kanazawa, Hiroshima and Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa).
David Calzado y su Charanga Habanera
Cuba
Aug 8, 2002 - Aug 18, 2002
6 concerts in 5 cities
Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kumamoto and Fukuoka (2 days at Isla de Salsa).