Juan Formell 2008 at home with the Grammy from Llegó...Van Van

Today marks what would have been the 72nd birthday of one of the most iconic and widely loved figures of Cuban contemporary dance music. A musical pioneer and innovator, Juan Formell enjoyed the challenge of experimentation and creation and the interplay between the dancer and the musician. This is well summed up in "A ver que sale" from the 1974 Areito release known today as Volume III: 
Eh, te voy a cantar y tú vas a bailar a ver qué sale / Eh, tú muévete que yo cantaré a ver qué sale / Pontele atención al de violín, te cantaremos hasta el fin / Y tú serás el bailarin a ver qué sale / Que si sale o si no sale la cosa de aprendizaje.

Over time Juan Formell and Los Van Van became the international symbol of the excellence of contemporary Cuban dance music. It remains to be seen how the younger generation will step up to meet the challenges that Cuban dance music faces today.

Below is the beautiful musical tribute that the Cuban musicians put together for Formell. I invite you all to post your own tribute to Formell in the comments. Felicidades Maestro y que pases tu cumpleaños de fiesta con Arsenio, El Beny y todos los grandes.

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Maykel Blanco has just uploaded a beautiful video from the concert at the Latinoamericando Expo in Milan. It is "Bembé" from the CD "A toda máquina", with Yordys Larrazabal on lead and Maykel Fonts dancing. The song ends at 5 minutes during a drum solo by Alain Miguel Reboredo, but you get a feel for the quality of the performance and the professionalism of the festival, which is now in its 24th year. Enjoy!

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So I was having a conversation at Facebook with timba DJs Melao and Jack El Calvo about the exciting Lima-based band Bun Bun Mezcla'o when they pointed out that we don't have anything about the band here at Timba.com...yet. I currently have three other groups to finish before I can get started on their section, but we can always begin with a little introduction to the band here in Primera Plana.

Photo courtesy of Bun Bun Mezcla'o Facebook page

Bun Bun Mezcla'o is one of Lima's youngest orchestras having been formed in 2013 under the direction of Leo Herrera Lugo. Leo studied percussion at Alejandro García Caturla and worked with a number of bands in Lima before ending up as keyboardist and musical director in the group of the late Rafael Labarrera.

Bun Bun Mezcla'o began recording their debut CD "Así soy yo" within months of their formation. The album has not yet been released, but you can find singles at YouTube. Compositions are by Leo and singer Caridad Plaza, while the arrangements are by Leo and pianist Susana Alberte. Both Caridad and Susana came to Lima with the group Son Ladies. We will be updating Timba.com with a section for Bun Bun Mezcla'o as soon as time permits.

Without more ado I will let the music speak for itself: "Silence Please!" originally performed by Rafael Labarrera and now recorded for the album "Así soy yo" by Bun Bun Mezcla'o. 

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The summer reggaeton invasion of Europe begins tonight with Gente D'Zona's presentation at Fiesta in Rome. Alexander and Randy are riding a wave of unprecedented international recognition as a result of their collaboration with Descemer Bueno and Enrique Iglesias on the hit "Bailando". The first version was all-Cuban with Descemer and Gente D'Zona, and the song was an instant hit in Cuba supported by a breathtakingly beautiful video. When I was there in January they were just going to the Dominican Republic to shoot the video for a new version with Enrique. This second version became an overnight worldwide sensation and has been recorded with Sean Paul in Spanglish and with Luan Santana in Spantugese (Portuspan?).

The success of "Bailando" has given Gente D'Zona major publicity in the US where they have been on CBS, UniVision, Telemundo and where they have performed at the Billboard Awards and the Premios Juventud and given countless interviews and many performances. Just before leaving for Europe, they filmed the official video for the #1 hit "Tú Me Quemas" with Chino y Nacho and Los Cadillacs.

As a fan of Cuban music it is a joy to see Cuban artists getting exposure to international audiences. The tour is only two weeks long and with their busy schedule in the US we may be seeing less of them in Europe so click here to find a concert near you!

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