''Azúcar'' is an album by the Cuban band

Los Van Van Los Van Van is one of the leading musical groups of post-revolutionary Cuba. It was founded in 1969 by bassist Juan Formell, who directed the band until his death in 2014. Formell and former band members Changuito and Pupy are some of the most i ...

. It was released in the United States in 1994, the band's first album in eight years to be widely distributed. Due to the U.S. embargo, the band did not tour behind the album until 1996.

Production

The album was recorded in 1992. Los Van Van constituted 15 members, including three trombonists and three violinists. Piano player César Pedroso contributed to the songwriting.

Critical reception

'' The Gazette'' called the album "vibrant dance music, a furious stew of trombones and violins, timbales, congas, keyboards and rousing vocals." ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' deemed it "old-fashioned, high class, salsa from Cuba's foremost band." ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' praised the "bright, hot dance tunes, played with extraordinary verve, punchy horns jumping out from a powerhouse rhythm section." ''

The Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.'' Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sin ...

'' determined that Los Van Van "takes the humble son into another dimension through splashes of modem influences and highly charged, energetic performances." The ''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American conservative daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarde ...

'' stated that the sound "hinges on the interplay between charismatic singer Pedro Clavo and the chorus, an explosive percussion battery and the driving electric bass lines of band founder Juan Formell." ''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...

'' included the album in its article on 1994's notable releases.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

wrote that "most of the CD consists of straight-ahead Afro-Cuban salsa; however, it also contains a few cuts that are essentially Latin pop with Afro-Cuban elements."

Track listing

References

{{authority control Los Van Van albums 1992 albums