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A sculpture of the famous musician, bass player, songwriter and arranger Juan Formell (Havana 1942-2014), founder of the Cuban Orchestra Los Van Van was recently unveiled at the Wax Museum in Bayamo.
The figure was sculptured at natural size with model technique in polychrome wax by Barrios family that shows the relevant musician standing in front of the microphone, with his hand stretched as if he were singing to the audience. The teacher of several generations of musicians is wearing a red suit, jeans and sport shoes, which belonged to him and were donated to the Museum by his widow Yaimara Gonzalez, who donated to the entity some personal articles from the beloved musician that were received by the director Ismary Lopez.
Formel, who asserted the Cuban Revolution had taught him a lot, was one of the most applauded creators of the popular dancing music, which he contributed with original variants while introducing electronic instrumentation in the Cuban music. He was also popular with another genre of his authorship that of the buey cansado, a fusion of songo with the syncope of the hall conga and the rhythmic swinging movement of several Caribbean rhythms. In 1999, Formell received the Latin Grammy Award for the best performance of salsa in favor to his album Llegó… Van Van (Van Van está aquí) (Van Van arrived, and Van Van in here) recorded in Abdala Studios. He was also granted the Latin Grammy for his Excellence Music 2013 among other national and international prizes.
