On July 23, JAPOLAC successfully held the cultural event “Rhythms of the Caribbean: The Magic of the Dominican Republic” in the heart of Tokyo.

H.E. Robert Takata, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Japan, delivered a warm welcome speech, expressing gratitude for the invaluable role played by JAPOLAC in strengthening the bonds of friendship between Japanese and Latin American and Caribbean
communities.

This event marked the third installment in the “Rhythms of the Caribbean” series, captivating the audience with an array of vibrant dance performances, cheerful music, authentic cuisine, tourist attractions and products from the Dominican Republic.
Through these events, JAPOLAC aims to foster cultural awareness among the Japanese citizens, showcasing the distinctive aspects of various Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Furthermore, JAPOLAC endeavors to create a warm and friendly space for Japanese people and their families to learn about and engage with the people of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Over 130 participants attended the event, including the ambassadors from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, Costa Rica, and the Charge d’Affairs from the embassies of Colombia and Bolivia.

The success of the event was made possible by the generous support of several companies, including Kiyomura Corporation (Sushi Zanmai), Japan Partnership Holdings, Kyodai, Meiji Holdings, Ricoh (31 Country Club), Japan Export Import, Ltd., Noi Enterprise, Hatada Corporation, and Japan Aviation High School.

JAPOLAC remains dedicated to promoting cultural exchange and fostering stronger ties between Japan and Latin American and Caribbean nations.

Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC, delivered a compelling lecture on International Cooperation from a diplomatic perspective to students at Chiba University.

During the lecture, students learned about the remarkable evolution of international cooperation and were provided with concrete examples of collaboration between Japan and Panama, drawing upon Dr. Diaz’s extensive diplomatic experience.

Following the lecture, Dr. Diaz held a productive working meeting with Dr. Hiroaki Ozawa, the Vice President for Education of Chiba University. The purpose of the meeting was to explore prospective academic exchanges with universities in Latin America and the Caribbean, further fostering educational partnerships and enhancing cross-cultural understanding.

Los Van Van, giants of Cuban popular music for more than 50 years, bring their intoxicating Latin rhythms to Japan for the first time in 13 years this summer.

Loosely translated as The Go Gos, the Grammy-winning band continues to set the standard for infusing dance music from Havana with a fresh relevance and identity that stretches far beyond the labels of Cuban salsa or timba.

The 16-member group, known as El Tren (The Train) in Cuba, is a locomotive of irresistible dance grooves for the body and a source of social commentary for the mind that makes the music an essential part of everyday life on the Caribbean island, rather than a distraction from it.

The Los Van Van sound remains as distinctive as ever, even after generational changes in styles and personnel, offering an example for salsa bands across the globe of how to evolve a contemporary style while maintaining an identity that avoids cliches.

Since the last appearance in Japan, hard-hitting drummer Samuel Formell has become the full driving force of the band following the passing away of his father, founder Juan Formell. He’ s reinvigorated the Formell formula by bringing on board sister Vanessa as the feisty female voice in the band and brother Juan-Carlos, a Grammy-nominated guitarist in his own right, to fill the key role as bassist. The latest lineup brings in new blood to power the trombone and violin sections, and put a new twist on the band’ s mesmerizing keyboard riffs. Julio Noroña on guiro flies the flag for the original members that formed the group in 1969.

Recent releases forge a path of fresh compositions, new collaborations and reworkings of classic hits as Formell looks to stretch the possibilities of Los Van Van’ s sound while never forgetting the rich heritage of its back catalogue. While experimenting on one-off tracks with timba and urban pop outfits, the band’ s most impactful full-length releases in recent years are its heavy-hitting “Leyenda” tribute to the deceased Formell and its 50th year anniversary collection “Mi Songo,” featuring re-energized cuts of “Sandunguera,” “Anda, Ven Y Muevete” and “El Baile del Buey Cansao.”

After three years of pandemic-tinged self-restraint, the time has come to leave some sweat and stress on the dancefloor this summer.

MAIN DETAILS

■ EVENT: Juan Formelly LOS VAN VAN – ¡Vívela! Salsa Tour 2023
■ ARTIST: Juan Formell y LOS VAN VAN (From Cuba – Genre: Cuban Salsa, Songo Timba)
■ General Organizer: NPO Tiempo Iberoamericano

Tour Dates
Aug. 31 (Thu.) Zepp Shinjuku (TOKYO)
▶ Fukuoka: Aug. 27 (Sat.) ISLA DE SALSA 2023 / Nagoya: Sep. 1 (Fri.) / Osaka: Sep. 2 (Sat.)

Ticket outlets: Ticket Sales will start on May, 2023. (Play guide information will be announced soon.)

General Information

NPO TIEMPO Iberoamericano – Fukuoka

Press contact: Jun KONDO
Tel: 092-762-4100 / Fax: 092-762-4104
E-mail: vivela@tiempo.jp / https://vivela.jp/en
Dayton Bldg. 3F, 2-4-5 Chuo-ku, Tenjin, Fukuoka

Let’s enjoy Dominican Republic music, dance, food and drink to cheer the human spirit!