Juan Climaco Formell Cortina

National Music Prize Juan Formell, one of the most important figures in Cuban musical culture of the 20th and 21st centuries. He carries with him the broadest rainbow of our genres in a foundational style that grew from the Orquesta Revé to his "home," the renowned Orquesta Los Van Van, a group that he created and from which great successes were born that he took all over the world, and which in 2014 celebrated its 45 years.

Bassist, arranger, composer, singer and recording producer

He began his first music studies with his father Francisco Formell, flautist, pianist and arranger, and continued them afterwards in a self-taught manner. In his training as a composer and electric bass guitarist, he could count on the guidance of prestigious Cuban musicians such as Félix Guerrero, Rafael Somavilla, Armando Romeu, Antonio Taño and Orestes Urfé. He began his professional activity in 1957, at 15 years of age, as a musician in cabaret, radio and television orchestras. In 1959 he worked as a bassist for the Revolutionary National Police music band.

In his professional career he worked in various musical groups, including those of Pedro Jústiz (Peruchín), Guillermo Rubalcaba and Carlos Faxas's orchestra, where he began as an orchestrator and composer with titles such as "Y ya lo sé", "De mis recuerdos", "Lo material" and "Yo soy tu luz", which were performed by Cuban singer Elena Burke.

Very important in his artistic development was his incorporation into the Orquesta Revé in 1967, where he made valuable stylistic and structural contributions to Cuban charangas orchestras, such as the incorporation of the electric bass and the organ (keyboard) replacing the upright bass and acoustic piano, the rhythmic treatment and acoustic amplification of the violins, the use of the system flute and drums that replaced the five-key flute and the kettledrums, three-part vocal work instead of unison, among others.

Creations such as "El martes", "Yuya Martínez", "Qué bolá, qué bollón", "La flaca", "Te lo gastaste todo" and "El jueves", are some of the most representative of this stage. During these years he maintained his work with Elena Burke and resumed the practice of performing his works solo with the guitar, as he had done in his first artistic presentations when he was still an amateur trovador.

At the end of 1969, he formed his own orchestra, Los Van Van, which he directed from then on and which is recognized as "The train of Cuban music".
With Los Van Van he continued and expanded his creative work, relying now, fundamentally, on the maximum use of the expressive resources of the Son. From this approach came the Songo, a denomination that he and José Luis Quintana (Changuito) gave to a new rhythm, which has proved decisive in his subsequent creation. In 1981 he included trombones in his charanga to reinforce the central register of his orchestra.

In 1970 he invented the songo genre, with which he recorded a large number of long-playing records that expanded his presence throughout the island for several years. In 1982, Formell invented the equally successful "buey cansado" genre, as a fusion of songo with the syncopation of salon conga and the rhythmic sway of various Caribbean rhythms.

"Te traigo", "Chirrín chirrán", "Llegué, llegué", "Que no, que no", "El baile del buey cansao", "Por encima del nivel", "La Habana no aguanta más", "Anda ven y muévete", "Artesanos del espacio", "La titilaría", "El negro no tiene ná", among many others have been hits of these years.

The orchestra has given the dancers of the Island more than 25 multi-awarded records in national and international competitions. Thanks to his skill as a composer, emblematic themes remain in the musical memory of Cubans, as no one like him knew how to capture popular wisdom in our contemporary dance music.

Together with his creative work within dance music, Formell maintained his creative work within the song line and set to music poems by Nicolás Guillén such as "Cuando yo vine a este mundo", belonging to the series Mi son entero; he wrote music for the theater (La barbacoa, directed by Abraham Rodríguez, 1984 and Vivir en Santa Fe, by playwright Nicolás Dorr, 1986); for cinema he composed the soundtrack for Los pájaros tirándole a la escopeta, by director Rolando Díaz, 1984; and for television La rueda de casino, by José Milián, 1992.

For his long and successful artistic career and his recognized contributions to our culture, he received numerous decorations, including the National Music Prize and the Félix Varela Order granted by the Cuban Institute of Music and the Ministry of Culture respectively.

In 1999, Juan Formell received the Latin Grammy Award (for best salsa performance) for his album Llegó... Van Van (Van Van está aquí), recorded at the Abdala Studios.

In March 2010 he received the Honoris Causa Doctorate from the Higher Institute of Art, in recognition of his contributions to Cuban culture and in particular for his work at the head of the leading orchestra of popular dance music on the Island. The formal presentation of the title took place at the Teatro Auditorio Amadeo Roldán, usually reserved for classical music and the most relevant events of this manifestation, a decision that was interpreted as a confirmation of this high professional recognition for a musician who throughout his career tried to merge the classical with the most authentically popular, consolidating a privileged position among the dancing public and also among those who know chords and sheet music.

Furthermore, in 2013 the Latin Recording Academy decided to recognize him with the Special Prize for Musical Excellence, an award that honors "artists who have made important creative contributions in their careers". Of him, the Academy then said: "Juan Formell is the true definition of an innovator of music".

Upon receiving the award, Formell stated:

"My life has been entirely devoted to music and it only makes sense when people make it their own and enjoy it. In the artistic order I have received several awards, including the National Music Prize, which fills me with pride. I thank the Latin Academy for the gesture of distinguishing me, particularly because recognition of this kind not only enhances my work and that of Los Van Van in this hemisphere, but also the vanguard of Cuban music".

He passed away on May 1st, 2014 in Havana, Cuba, due to complications from a liver condition that kept him hospitalized for a week in a hospital in the Cuban capital. Formell is survived by six children.

His ashes were displayed in the lobby of the Teatro Nacional de Cuba, a place where Cubans paid him a well-deserved tribute.

Discography

Album Chapeando (2006).

Los Van Van vol. I (1969)
Los Van Van vol. II (1974)
Los Van Van vol. III (1974)
Los Van Van vol. IV (1976)
Los Van Van vol. V (1979)
Los Van Van vol. VI (1980)
Báilalo eh! ah! (1982)
Qué pista (1983)
Anda, ven y muévete (1984)
25 años... y seguimos ahí, vol. I (compilation, 1994)
La Habana sí (1985)
Eso que anda (1986)
La titimanía (1987)
Songo (1988)
El negro no tiene na' (1988)
Rico son (1989)
Aqui... el que baila gana (1990)
Esto está bueno (compilation, 1991)
Bailando mojao (compilation 1993)
Azúcar (1993)
Lo último en vivo (1994)
De Cuba. Los Van Van. Caribe Productions (1995)
¡Ay Dios, ampárame! (1996)
Llegó Van Van (2000)
En el malecón de La Habana, Unicornio, Cuba (2002)
Chapeando, Unicornio, Cuba (2004)
Arrasando, EGREM (2009)
Eso que anda, (DVD), Abdala, EGREM (2010)
La Maquinaria (2011)

Members of Los Van Van (2014)
Juan C. Formell Cortina
Artistic name: Juan Formell

Samuel Formell Alfonso
Artistic name: Samuel Formell

Abdel Rasalps
Artistic name: LELE

Hugo Morejón

Jorge Leliebre

Boris Luna

Alvaro Collado

Roberto Hernández
Artistic name: Guayacán

Yenisel Valdés
Artistic name: Yenny

Edmundo Pina
Artistic name: Mundo

Pedro Fajardo

Irving Frontela

Julio Noroña

Armando Ihosvany Cantero
Artistic name: Mandy

Arnaldo Jiménez

Roberto Carlos Rodriguez
Artistic name: Cucurucho

Yoel Cuesta,

Source: Juan Formell y los Van Van. El tren de la música cubana.
Available at: https://www.vanvandef