In an exclusive interview with Prensa Latina, the orchestra’s director, Samuel Formell, son of its founder, Juan Formell, stated that the name of the album responds to the band’s central idea of always staying in tune with current music trends of Cuban society.
More than a title, it contains a concept based on the connection with the public and the states caused by this dance music in our followers, said Formell, who is also a percussionist.
It is a production with many expectations, with nine songs in the style of social networks in general, but defending the fundamental source from which the orchestra draws on, which is the daily chronicle of a people, a country or the world, he noted.
According to Formell, the “Van Van Mode” is like being in a stress-free state to listen to Los Van Van’s music, and from there the choirs and lyrics come out.
The song is an “opening” and its lyrics invite all dancers to listen to our ‘songo’ genre, he explained.
Here is the story of how the group’s music came to conquer, how everything we do went viral on social networks, it is a journey to invite you to enjoy Los Van Van and get in that mode, he commented.
The director of the so-called Cuban Music Train noted that with this album, they looked for something original and different from what has been produced until now, including a fashionable word at this time; chronicles also come in here.
My father always supported being in the Cuban’s daily life with a phrase that would stick and now everyone chants, “I’m in a Van Van mode,” he pointed out.
Each generation of Cubans identifies with our compositions as if it were a kind of anthem and the orchestra achieves that with a motto created by Juan Formell, “The question is not getting there, but how you stay.”
That was always the concern and teaching of who educated me in this world of sound, he pointed out, it is the most difficult thing; There is no doubt that there are very successful groups and today they do not exist, the musician said.
That is where we are very zealous of what we are going to do, where we are going, what the people want, then trying to find in terms of sound what is most interesting for these new generations, Formell noted.
If someone currently asks “what does Los Van Van have that is still there, there, there?” the answer will lead us directly to reaffirm: Los Van Van continues due to its essence and the way in which for 54 years it has reached all audiences.
Formell stated that with this record linked to new technologies, his father would have been very happy, taking into account how the creator of the ‘songo’ revolutionized the music of a period in Cuba.
He would have congratulated me with this launch, because he always tried to go hand in hand with what was happening, to be updated, to innovate, in fact, he did it. He would have felt proud of the title, of each of the songs, of everyone’s contribution at the time of recording. The album came out like this because my father’s guidance is present, he stressed.
Regarding immediate projects, Formell assured that this CD will give Los Van Van great joy and a lot of international work.
I can tell you that this production was already leaked a little over a week ago, we don’t know how, but from France, at a Cuban music show, they sent us the numbers and there were more than 500 people dancing to the song “Tienes que parar” (You Have to Stop), “Formell told Prensa Latina.
We were amazed, because an album doesn’t become popular in a week, or even in a month, but it is a very digestible album that will hook you very quickly. I have seen children in my family singing the songs, they already know them, he said.
I believe that this phonogram is going to give impressive health to our dance music, Formell concluded.
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