Our band in Havana: Los Van Van

When the Cuban supergroup Los Van Van delivered one of its first American performances in Miami in the late 1990s, protesters outnumbered concertgoers, and rocks and bottles were thrown. But as relations between the U.S. and Cuba have thawed over the years, Los Van Van has increasingly exposed American concertgoers to what the band’s fans in Europe, Asia, and Latin America have experienced for decades — epic dance concerts of Afro-Cuban salsa inflected by funk, jazz, and rock sounds. The 47-year-old party band took a serious hit in 2014 when Juan Formell, the group’s founder, leader, and principal songwriter died. The reins have since been passed on to his son Samuel, who will ably lead the band when it performs on at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, at The Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing Company (37 Fire Place, 505-424-3333). Tickets are $30 and are available from www.holdmyticket; it’s $35 at the door. — Casey Sanchez