Cuban Orchestra Los Van Van Puts Its Stamp on a Parisian Night

August 6, 2022

Dancing yes or yes, a packed Parisian cabaret Sauvage accepted in Paris the challenge of the Cuban orchestra Los Van Van, which imposed its mark seasoned by more than half a century of good music.

The venue located in Parc de la Villette celebrated its 25 years since opening to the rhythm of the renowned group, before which the space designed for a maximum of 1,200 people proved too small.

The two hours of concert were not enough to satisfy the desire to dance of an audience as seduced as it was diverse, with French and Latin Americans of various origins, among them many Cubans, who with applause and jumping managed to get the talented musicians and singers to continue on stage.

"Permission that Van Van arrived," is how the presentation began and everyone assumed there would not be a minute of rest on the warm Parisian night, in which the orchestra performed This Gets Your Head Messed Up, The Aunt is Dying of Thirst, I Keep Going, El Guararey de Pastora, After Everything and other successful songs.

The presentation at the Sauvage cabaret is part of the group's European tour to celebrate its half century since its founding, a tour planned since 2020, delayed by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

More than 50 years on the stages of the island and the world seem like quite a long time, but when "There's Van Van for a while yet" was heard, applause and shouts accompanied the phrase, a compliment that the new generation of Van Van artists appreciated.

During the evening of celebrations, the orchestra dedicated its performance to emblematic figures of Cuban music who passed away in recent years, such as the founder of Los Van Van, Juan Formell, and the also unforgettable César Pupy Pedroso, Adalberto Álvarez and José Luis Cortés.

The promoter Ysla Production, in charge of the tour, advanced to Prensa Latina that Rome will be the next stop, with performances also planned in Germany, Scandinavian countries and the closing in Pamplona, Spain.

Los Van Van already had successful performances last month in cities in Spain and France, including the well-known festivals of the Villa de Teror, in the Canary Islands, and Tempo Latino (Vic-Fezensac).