Los Van Van

Grammy Award Winning, Los Van Van will make their debut at The Belmont, Austin on Friday, June 17 at 8:30 PM.  Tickets go on-sale Friday, May 20 at 10:00 AM through Ticketfly.com.

Los Van Van are one of the most important and influential bands in the history of 20th century Cuban pop music. Though the 1990s were pervaded by groups that mixed folkloric and traditional music with the musical trends of the day, and the beginning of the 21st century saw that process go even further, in the 1960s and '70s that Latino fusion sensibility was scarce at best. There were primarily two Cuban groups experimenting with mixing pop, funk, rock, and soul with their native traditions. One of those two was Irakere, and the other, far more long-lasting band was Los Van Van.

The band's key players -- Juan Formell (bandleader, bass player, and songwriter), César "Pupy" Pedroso (piano, songwriter), and José Luis "Changuito" Quintana (drumset/timbales) were fascinated with the soul, go-go, and disco music that dominated U.S. radio waves. They named their dance band Los Van Van after the go-go fad, meaning literally "they go-go!"

The style that the band pioneered took its name from the cross of son and go-go music that the band had created. The style "songo" can now be found throughout the Latin jazz, pop, and fusion world. Los Van Van's debut disc bore the name, solidifying its place in musical history forever. Shortly after the band's formation, they became the island's favorite dance band, a title they held for years.

With the support of the Cuban government, Los Van Van toured and recorded and toured tirelessly throughout the '80s and '90s. They became the best-known Cuban group in the world, maintaining a loyal fan base throughout Europe. U.S. interest grew throughout the '90s, peaking with Los Van Van's Grammy Award in 1999 for their 15th original album, Llegó Van Van.

Los Van Van have been playing major festivals and amphitheaters around the world, and are widely recognized as a genre-creating band. Alongside artists like the Beatles, Aretha Franklin, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, Los Van Van are distinguished as a band that changed the course of popular music for an entire generation.