University of the Arts Opens Honorary Chair Juan Formell

September 4, 2018

A tribute to Cuban musician Juan Formell, founder of the orchestra Los Van Van, took place today here at the Superior Institute of Art (ISA) with the inauguration of the chair that bears his name.

As an old saying goes, honor to whom honor is due, the honorary venue pays tribute to the man who directed the distinguished and popular Cuban musical group for more than 40 years.

The dean of the music faculty at ISA, María del Rosario Hernández, expressed that the space represents a challenge, but it is a way to bring much closer those who cultivate the most widespread genres in this Caribbean nation, such as son and guaracha.

This new site, defender of the most authentic of our roots, as far as more lively rhythms are concerned, gives us the measure of the importance of the chair, from which students will expand their musical knowledge and receive specialized workshops, said Hernández.

From here, students will also take repertoire classes and participate in competitions and colloquia, added the specialist.

The honorary chair Juan Formell is part of a dream of several years, she said, since more than four decades ago we inaugurated the classroom named after Benny Moré and today, in this new stage, we have an innovative room for the teaching and learning of dance genres, she added.

As the current director of the group, son and heir to that sound, Samuel Formell recognized and thanked the tribute to his father.

I feel part of this center and I appreciate the recognition of my dad's legacy and the work of the orchestra, he expressed.

Whenever time allows us, we will come by to explain how he wrote the arrangements, the harmony, how Los Van Van came about, how they got started and all that spirit of Formell, as a true revolutionary of Cuban popular music, concluded the director and drummer of the orchestra.

(Information from Prensa Latina)