the Arts Centre in association with Multicultural Arts Victoria presents as part of MIX IT UP!

Mix It Up: Los Van Van
Wednesday 11 August, 8.30pm 2010
The Arts Centre, State Theatre

"The best dance band in Cuba" - The New York Times

Recognised as one of the most important post-revolution Cuban bands, Los Van Van return to the Arts Centre after the highly successful 2006 show.

Lead Juan Formell's son, Samuel, will join the band in a fusion of changui and son monturo with various types of music, including Afro-Cuban rhythms, rock, funk, disco and hip-hop.

Reviews in the Press

Review: Los Van Van (The Age & Sydney Morning Herald, 13 August 2010). There was no standing ovation at Los Van Van's Melbourne show on Wednesday night. No one in the packed stalls rose from their seats. They didn't need to - they had already been standing, or more precisely, dancing non-stop for two hours. writes Jessica Nicholas... more

Previews in the Press

Preview: Fuelled by sound blend, Van Van goes like a train (Sydney Morning Herald, 10 August 2010). THE train, that's what they call Los Van Van in Cuba. It's an apt nickname: for 40 years, the band have been at the forefront of popular music on the island and they show no sign of slowing down, writes Gabriel Wilder... more

Preview: Four decades of Cuban musicality (The Australian, 20 July 2010). At the Karl Marx Theatre in downtown Havana, 5000 vanvaneros are dancing as if on castors writes Jane Cornwell ... more

Download Flyer

Four decards of Cuban musicality Preview, The Australian, 20 July, by Jane Cornwell

Movie trailer of Los Van Van @ The Arts Centre site

Tickets

Pricing: $37 - $69. Dance area, premium and groups tickets also available.
theartscentre.com.au* 1300 182 183*
the Arts Centre Box Office
*transaction fees apply

Free fiesta from 10pm

Join us in the foyer for a fiesta from 10pm, hosted by the Latin Connection (PBS FM) with special guest musicians and dancers!

Los Van Van

Los Van Van was founded by bassist Juan Formell who has arguably been the most important figure in contemporary Cuban music.

Using a charanga line-up as its base, Los Van Van added trombones and vocals, and is the first Cuban group to use synthesizers and drum machines.

Their sound was a fusion of changui and son montuno with various types of music, including Afro-Cuban rhythms, rock, funk, disco, and hip hop.

Los Van Van has consistently managed to adapt its style to the times, and remains, after 40 years, Cuba's most popular dance band.

The band has a Latin Grammy Award for Van Van is Here (Llegó Van Van).

the Arts Centre Event Page

www.theartscentre.com.au

Mix It Up - a partnership program

   

MIX IT UP is a unique partnership project of Multicultural Arts Victoria and the Arts Centre designed to stimulate new work.

Read about the MIX IT UP program between the Arts Centre and Multicultural Arts Victoria.

MIX IT UP reaches potential new audiences in non English speaking background communities and attracts existing mainstream Arts Centre audiences to quality culturally diverse product.

Mix It Up is proudly supported by the Australia Council for the Arts (Community partnerships) and Arts Victoria.