Los Van Van in concert in Karl Marx Theatre in Havana

Los Van Van en concierto en El Teatro Karl Marx en La Habana en Cuba.

Los Van Van are a legendary Cuban salsa group.

Los Van Van are to salsa what The Who, Rolling Stones, Scorpions are to rock.

Typical salsa line-up: percussion, brass, vocals, keyboards, guitar, violin, flute. A dozen or more musicians on stage.

At the carnival in Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife salsa groups play on the main stage in Plaza Charco from evening until 4am in the morning.

One night, in the early hours of the morning, a little girl climbed up on stage and danced, she was good and directed those around in their dancing.

In his delightful book Travels on the Dance Floor Grevel Lindop tells of going to a concert in Havana where Los Van Van were playing. Tickets were $10. Not a lot, but a week’s wages for a white-collar worker in Cuba.

Tags: Cuba, Havana, La Habana, Los Van Van, music, puerto de la Cruz, salsa, Teatro Karl Marx, Tenerfife