An all-star homage featuring songs composed by Juan Formell, leader of Los Van Van. These dramatic arrangements by Juan Manuel Ceruto feature Cuba's finest singers like Issac Delgado, Paulito FG, Mayito Rivera, Roberto Guayacán, Hayla Momprie and Tony Calá .
Excerpt from an Interview with Juan Manuel Ceruto - by Kevin Moore of www.TIMBA.com
TIMBA.COM: This is not the first time you've done an entire CD in tribute to a single composer. The first was in 1998 when you released the classic "Gracias Formell" disc. You dramatically re-arranged ten Los Van Van songs and recorded them an all-star band featuring the likes of Iván "Melón" González, Joel Paez, Angá and many of the same great horn players who play on "A Puerto Padre". The songs are sung by nine of the most famous singers in Cuba, including Issac Delgado, Paulito, Mayito Rivera, Roberto Guayacán, Hayla Momprie and Tony Calá. The final track, "Somos Van Van", has all of these singers together, trading phrases of the song and later trading guías. Tell us about the making of "Gracias Formell" and how you first got the idea for the project.
CERUTO: "Gracias Formell" was my first project on my own. Juan Formell is the most important Cuban musician in the last 20 years when it comes to dance music. He's influenced all the dance bands in Cuba. The project started with putting together the band - then we selected the most popular singers in Cuba during the year 1997. Of course no one wanted to be left out since we all owe Juan Formell so much.
