Cuban bassist and guitarist Juan Carlos Formell died

Havana, May 27 (RHC) Cuban bassist and guitarist Juan Carlos Formell, son of maestro Juan Formell, founder of the Los Van Van orchestra, died this Friday in New York, at the age of 59 and as the result of a heart attack.

Born in Havana in 1964 and living in New York since 1993, Juan Carlos Formell studied music at the Alejandro García Caturla and Amadeo Roldán conservatories in the Cuban capital.

He completed his training at the National Art School of Cuba and stood out for his peculiar style as an instrumentalist accompanying various figures of Cuban jazz such as Emiliano Salvador, Guillermo Fragoso and Joseíto González, director of the emblematic Rumbavana Orchestra.

In 1999 Formell conceived and recorded his debut album Songs from a Little Blue House, for the American record label Wicklow Records, a production that was nominated for the Granmy Awards.

Throughout his career, he recorded five record productions and later, he joined Los Van Van, where he served as bassist until his death.

During his work with this famous orchestra of Cuban popular music, he developed commendable work, especially in recent years, under the direction of his brother Samuel Formell, and contributed decisively to keeping his father's musical legacy alive. (Source: PL)