4:48
Llego... Van Van, 1999
Written by Los Van Van?
Los Van Van, a Cuban band founded in 1969, practically minted their own genre with songo, a combustible blend of timba, charanga, salsa, jazz, and rock. This track is a spinning, polyrhythmic cyclone driven by steel drum percussion, darting guitar lines, and those irresistible group vocals that sound like a block party gathering momentum. I love how the lead singer leans into those over-trilled r's; he sounds like a moped weaving through a Havana street festival, which is exactly the energy he’s channeling ("Y en eso llegó el doctorrrrr manejando un cuadrimotorrrrr"). The title refers to three characters in a chaotic love triangle of partner swapping. Naturally, it all detonates: "¡Oye! Y se formó el despelote y se formó la corredera / Cada uno cogió por su lado" (“Hey! And all hell broke loose, and everyone ran off / Each one went their own way"). It's a joyful noise in the best possible way.
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