Juan-Carlos Formell

About Juan-Carlos Formell

Cuban musician (bass, guitar), songwriter and singer, born in La Havana in 1964, died in New York May 26, 2023. Juan-Carlos is a fourth generation musician, son of Los Van Van founder [a833463], brother of [a6637882]. In 1993 he moved to the United States, to make his own music, his way. He went to New York where he established a band, and in 1998 he was signed to the world music label Wicklow Records. His years of struggle in exile were vindicated when his debut CD, Songs From A Little Blue House, received a nomination for a Grammy in 2000. His next release, in 2002, was the critically-acclaimed Las Calles Del Paraiso (EMI Latin). Then, after several years of touring with his band and some major concerts – with Buena Vista Social Club veteran Eliades Ochoa, and world music stars Cesaria Evora, Milton Nascimento and Susana Baca – Juan-Carlos decided to take on the challenge of a solo guitar project. Inspired by a sojourn in New Orleans, Juan-Carlos returned to the Crescent City in May of 2005 to record Cemeteries & Desire, which was released by Narada Records in August 2005. In the mid-2000s he launched his trio [a1690130], and in 2014 he returned to Cuba, after the death of his father, in order to become the leader and bassist role in [a19593]. He died onstage during a performance at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in the Bronx from a heart attack.