La Fantasía: New Los Van Van orchestra CD

This is the first record of the orchestra with Samuel Formell as its director, who made its presentation for the press at the Hotel Panorama in Havana.

“La fantasía is homage to my father Juan Formell (1942-2014), his history and his music”, affirmed Samuel, who has been the drummer of Los Van Van for some years.

The song that names the record was sung by Juan Formell, who had composed it for the young singer Luna Manzanares, although she never recorded it.

Samuel explained that after his father died he found the demo with this song the maestro played with the piano “and as it talks about fantasies, I thought it was a fine pretext to include it”.

He precised that “this record is entitled La fantasía because when my father went to the 2011 Latin Grammy in Las Vegas for the nomination of La maquinaria CD, he saw some shows with special effects he enjoyed very much and when he told me he said it was like living in a fantasy”.

In La fantasía, Samuel added the voices of the children of the Coro Diminuto, directed by Carmen Rosa López to his father's, thus achieving a strong and emotive piece.

Referring to the record in general, he said there are 14 themes that Formell had already selected “so his presence will be intensely felt in this production”.

The CD includes some themes by Formell: Me basta con pensar, Se vende, Es mucho, El aparecido and La fantasía.       

Formell surname is present in the record with one theme, Bótalo y guárdalo,  by Juan Carlos, another of his sons and two by Samuel, Todo se acabó and Soy Van Van, the last track, with  Alexander Abreu in the trumpet, as guest artist.

The CD also includes Soy añejo, “la historia del songo”, by Armando Cantero (Mandy), one of the orchestra singers and which is his first composition as member of the band.

There are two compositions of other of the singers, Roberto (Roberton) Hernández: Somos diferentes, which he sings and that “reflects the spirit of the Cubans, especially of the Havana born people”. Formell and Los Van Van were born in Havana.    

“The fact to work with the richest orchestra of Cuba made you do many things. This is a compromise with the Cuban people from a musical point of view and specially to continue the way that Maestro Juan Formell started in 1969. This is a very serious challenge for us and we are placing the name of Van Van very high”, declared Roberton for this publication.

The second number composed by Roberton is La moda, sang by Yeny (Yenisel Valdés) “with a touch of humor and present time about beauty and preferences”.

Yeny has been a member of the so called “train of the Cuban music” for 14 years and she told G I: “Being part of Los Van Van is a renewing experience, one of the things that fills my life. The orchestra is my daily challenge, my school, even my philosophy of life. It's a very big orchestra, Cubans’, so we have to care and to love it very much”.

Yeny improvises a lot between chorus, and although she has not composed for the orchestra, it's something she is thinking of for the next record. “I am very demanding with the lyrics. The maestro Juan (Formell) was very concerned about it”.  

Tracks four and thirteen are La mujer que quiero ser and Voy a decirte cosas by Jorge Leliebre (orchestra flute and choirs) while number twelve, No me digas hello, belonged to Juan Ballestero.

The CD was recorded in the EGREM studio, but the mix and the mastering were done in GML Recording Studios, United States, “with high technology equipments we lack in the Island”.

Samuell Formell was in charge with the CD general production; musical production, Samuel, Jorge Leliebre, Boris Luna and Efraín Chibás; the cover was created by visual artist Ernesto Rancaño, the design was made by Alberto Medina, and photography by Ivan Soca.

La fantasía continues the huge legacy of Juan Formell, 2003 National prize of Music. No doubt, a difficult task they do with humility and an immense compromise.

Translation: Liana Fleitas (Cubarte)