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Life, Career, and death of Juan Carlos Formell

Juan Carlos Formell

Latin entertainment is in mourning the departure of one of its most talented figures, who leaves a very big void in all his followers and fans. We are talking about former composer, bassist, guitarist and member of Los Van Van Juan Carlos Formell, who sadly departed from this world on Friday, May 26th after a live performance in New York City.

In view of such an unfortunate loss for those of us who have spent years of experience promoting Latin music in all four corners of the world, we consider it appropriate to recall the most important moments in the life and career of this extraordinary artist and all that he contributed to the salsa movement during his lifetime.

Juan Carlos Formell died on May 26th — Juan Carlos Formell died on Friday, May 26th after a live performance in New York City

Story of Juan Carlos Formell

Juan Carlos Formell was born in the city of Havana on February 18, 1964 and was the son of Juan Formell and Natalia Alfonso. He was the oldest of three brothers who would also dedicate themselves to music.

Contrary to what people might think, the fact of belonging to the fourth generation of a musical family and being the son of world famous bassist Juan Formell did not make things easier for him on the path with music. When he was barely three weeks old, he was sent to live with his grandparents in the outskirts of the Havana city.

They were through many financial needs and Juan Carlos himself would admit in an interview years later that other children used to make fun of him for having holes in his shoes, but that did not make him desist from his dreams, far from it. He became interested in music at a very young age, which led him to train professionally at the Alejandro García Cartula Conservatory and the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory.

In the 1990s, he concluded his studies at the National School of Arts in Cuba with almost three decades of life, so he made the decision to move to New York City to fully exercise his career as a musician. Before this, Juan Carlos had already accompanied several jazz orchestras on stage, but Cuban authorities banned him from traveling due to his regular yoga practice (considered subversive in his native country).

Since he could not leave Cuba directly, he had to use a tour with the Rumbavana orchestra in Mexico to cross the Rio Grande in Texas and later settle in New York. His process of adapting to this new country was not easy from any point of view, but it was all so worth it.

From then on, what came was success for the artist. During the course of his solo career, he recorded some five solo albums, one of which earned him a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Traditional Tropical Latin Performance in 2000.

Juan Carlos Formell at PiPiKi Studios — Juan Carlos Formell recording at PiPiKi Studios

Entry into Los Van Van

Los Van Van is one of the most important Cuban musical groups of recent times, which was founded by Cuban bassist Juan Formell, Juan Carlos Formell’s father. After having participated in several son and jazz groups, the musician decided it was time to innovate and change the style he was using until now.

It was then that he decided to incorporate new instruments and voices, which gave rise to a completely different concept baptized as Los Van Van and that gave much to talk about among critics of the time, and for the better.

After a very successful career in the group, Juan Formell died on May 1, 2014 at the age of 71 as a result of a heart attack during a concert in his hometown, Havana.

This unfortunate event is what led his son, Juan Carlos Formell, to join Los Van Van as a bassist. His brother Samuel was on the drum kit and his sister Vanessa was on backing vocals, so it can be said that this was a bit of a family business.

Since that moment, the intense activity that he had together with the rest of the group in performances, concerts and new songs earned him the recognition of the public in a very short time.

In spite of carrying the fame of his father on his shoulders, he did not let this stop him or be a limiting factor for him. On the contrary, he always left his family name and his father’s legacy high.

Unfortunately, 10 years passed before the artist left a huge void among those who respected and loved him.

Juan Carlos Formell on stage — Juan Carlos Formell performing on stage

Death

On May 26 of this year, Los Van Van was performing at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in New York. About 40 minutes after the start of the concert, Juan collapsed on stage in front of all the attendants.

Minutes later, he was aided by ambulances and a fire truck. He was then taken to the nearest health-care center, but unfortunately the doctors could do nothing for him. This is how his bandmates announced the sad news through their social networks.

At the end of the concert, Eduardo Livia himself confirmed the death when he walked off the stage and greatly regretted what happened. The cause of death was determined to be a heart attack and his life came to an end at the age of 59.

After this, the group continued with the rest of the tour they had planned and the performances they had outstanding were in honor of the great Juan Carlos Formell and all that he gave to music during his life.

Fausto Cuevas Y La Moderna in International Salsa Magazine

Who is Fausto Cuevas

Fausto Cuevas is a bandleader and percussionist from the state of Texas who is currently leading the orchestra Fausto Cuevas Y La Moderna, which has been playing in a large number of nightclubs located in the state of California, where Fausto currently resides.

For its part, Fausto Cuevas Y La Moderna is a salsa group whose purpose is to take the old Latin genres and provide a modern twist to them. While it is true that their main genre is and has been salsa, its members also experiment a lot with Cuban guaguancó, yambú, cumbia, son, cha cha chá, among others.

We are proud to have such an artist in our June edition and hope that this conversation will grace all our readers.

Fausto’s beginnings in music

Fausto grew up in Brownsville, a village in Texas very close to the southern border with Matamoros, Tamaulipas, where his father is from. Due to this territorial proximity to Mexico, the artist was always exposed to ranchera instruments and, in particular, drums. The latter would be very important in what would become his professional future.

At the age of 11, he entered the public school system and was assigned to play a snare drum in a symphonic style. It can be said that this is when his fascination for this type of instrument began and continues till this very day.

In fact, Fausto claimed to have not been interested in guitar, piano or bass. He was always very clear that his aspirations were focused on drums, and percussion.

These first steps led him to specialize in playing American music, rock and jazz. Until then, he had not had any contact with Latin or Afro-Cuban music, but that would eventually change.

Moving from Boston to California

Fausto tells us that his biggest dream was always to go to New York, since the music scene was vibrant there at that time, but he could never do it due to some personal issues he encountered, such as the birth of his daughter. This is what made him move to Los Angeles and give up on that dream.

When we asked him if he still wanted to live in ”The Big Apple”, he told us that he had already found his place in California and his career had already taken root in this part of the United States.

Fausto Cuevas Y La Moderna

Fausto Cuevas Y La Moderna was created in a very particular way. One day, Fausto received a call from the department at Berkeley that does concerts for the Boston community and was asked if he had a salsa band to play at the Tito Puente Latin Music Series. He said yes to everything, although he had nothing prepared at the time.

What he did have was a group of friends who were related to music and happened to live in Boston. They were all so well-suited and had so many plans that things worked out in an extraordinary way. That was 25 years ago and they have stayed together to this day despite the obstacles.

Relationships with other artists and genres

Fausto Cuevas Y La Moderna have performed and toured with stars such as Marc Anthony, Jose Alberto ”El Canario”, Celia Cruz, Julio Iglesias, Santana, Tito Nieves, Tito Puente Jr., Stavie Wonder Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, among others.

One thing that Fausto feels he has learned from these artists is to be identifiable as a Latino in American genres. He says it is very interesting to create things, always identifying with Latin rhythms when playing soul, R&B or pop.

Having had so much contact with all these musical luminaries has helped him to rediscover himself and be much more creative when mixing Latin and American elements. In this sense, knowing the roots of the genres he plays has helped him a lot to know how to link both worlds.

It is precisely the knowledge of these roots which has made Fausto Y la Moderna stand out among other Californian groups.

Future projects

As to future projects, Fausto Y la Moderna plans to release a few singles this year and record the rest of the album in order to release the whole album in 2024.

He also pointed out that he is about to release an album with Gonzalo Grau Y La Clave Secreta, another group in which he is also involved, so he invites everyone to listen to his music through networks and digital platforms.

Allyson Briggs ”La Rubia de La Salsa”

A little of her story

Allyson Briggs ”La Rubia de La Salsa” is a bandleader and singer who has earned a lot of recognition in recent years. Currently, this talented woman leads the Fleur Seule orchestra, whose main musical genres are salsa, jazz, swing and ballroom dancing.

Also known as ”The Glamorous Girl of Jazz” is able to sing in seven different languages and several of her covers have been written by artists such as Edith Piaf, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Marc Anthony, Héctor Lavoe, among others.

We feel very fortunate to have been able to interview Allyson, who has kindly agreed to tell us about her life and career so that readers of International Salsa Magazine can get to know her better.

Allyson Briggs ''La Rubia de La Salsa'' performing on stage — Allyson Briggs ”La Rubia de La Salsa” performing on stage

How she became interested in music

When we hit the subject of her childhood, Allyson told us that her parents always played classical music. ”We listened to a lot of the classics, big bands, swing, blues, rock and roll, jazz, opera, among other genres,” she said. That’s how her love for these styles began, but the case of Latin music was different.

Her taste for Latin music is because she is married to a Puerto Rican, so she feels her husband and her in-laws have influenced her to end up falling in love with salsa, Puerto Rican music and its culture in general.

This inclusion of Latin rhythms has made her Fleur Seule orchestra collect a lot of fans who simply want to dance to these genres and, some of them, remember their roots.

How she learned to sing in Spanish

Long before she learned Spanish, Allyson began to learn German, which she considers her second language. This interest came from the German roots in her family, whose past always seemed very interesting to her. The same happened with French, as the artist also has French ancestors.

In the case of Spanish, she had some kind of contact with the language at school, but its actual use began when she got married and had to communicate in that way at home. In addition to that, Allyson has a lot of friends in New York, who have helped her a lot to understand certain things about the language.

Allyson learned Spanish thanks to her Puerto Rican husband

Hispanic artists she likes the most are Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades, Celia Cruz and Javier Solis. As for covers, she commented that she always tries very hard to understand what a composer wants to say with his lyrics in order to make the interpretation as faithful as possible.

Why is she called ”La Rubia de La Salsa”?

The name ”La Rubia de La Salsa” was not invented by Allyson herself, but by some concertgoers when she sang at La Marqueta, Spanish Harlem. The point is that no one could pronounce Fleur Seule, so they opted for something that everyone could pronounce with no problem.

Upon hearing it for the first time, she realized that this nickname captured her essence perfectly due to her physique, her costumes and the type of music she makes. For the same reason, she is still called by that name to this day.

Fleur Seule

Allyson revealed that she chose the name ”Fleur Seule” for her orchestra in honor of the French language. In addition to that, it sounds unique and elegant to anyone who hears it.

As for the beginning of her orchestra, she told that she met a guitarist with whom she started doing some musical projects. This same person provided her with certain recommendations in terms of singing and even language, which were taken into account until she was able to assemble a complete group.

She chose the name ''Fleur Seule'' for her orchestra because it sounds elegant and unique — She chose the name ”Fleur Seule” for her orchestra because it sounds elegant and unique

Activity during and after the pandemic

Allyson told us that the pandemic gave her the opportunity to meet multiple people through social networks due to online concerts she offered twice a week. When things began to return to normal, there were many fans who told her that they got to know her music through digital platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

At the moment, she has some performances planned in Puerto Rico and the state of Florida after the success he had the last time she went to those places. He also mentioned that she would like to go to Colombia and Japan, as both countries are big salsa fans.

Caroline Cohen

Latin America / Buenos Aires / Argentina

Carolina Cohen, Singer and percussionist

Percussionist and singer Carolina Cohen was born on November 8, 1982 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

He began his studies in the year 2000 and traveled to Cuba, Peru and New York to perfect himself.

Throughout his career he has accompanied great artists such as Mayito Rivera, Eva Ayllón, Luis Salinas, Nahuel Peennisi, Bomba de Tiempo and prestigious artists at the Teatro Colón in the city of Buenos Aires.

Cohen has participated in highly relevant international festivals; Jazz Festival in Peru and Uruguay, International Cajon Festival in Peru, International Percussion Festivals in Argentina and the Great National Folklore Festival of Cosquín.

Carolina is frequently invited to give percussion master classes, workshops and clinics at universities, colleges and schools in countries such as Colombia, Peru, Chile, Uruguay and the United States.

In 2016, she was invited to appear in a video on CongaHead, a popular YouTube with over 100,000 subscribers.

He currently directs his group “Caro Cohen Cuarteto”, created in 2017.

In the short period of existence, this group was already the opening act for Grupo Pedrito Martínez at Trastienda Club and accompanied Maestro Tito Manrique from Peru.

Highly in demand on recording sessions, she has recorded with many different artists.

Carolina has been a member of the “Grupo De Tal Palo de Música Latinoamericana” for eleven years with two albums released, Música Latinoamericana and La Luna Está Roja.

She is currently an exclusive artist for Gon Bops Percussion in Los Angeles-California.

Veruska Verdu

Latin America / Lima / Peru

Veruska Verdu “The only formula to keep the Salsero genre alive is to give support and credibility to the next generation”

Despite her youth, Veruska Verdu knows where she is going, without forgetting the roots where she comes from, this young woman has an interpretative strength and intensity that made her be considered by Peruvian critics as “The new Voice of Venezuela”, we do not doubt it , sings salsa and bolero very well, in addition to strolling through Afro-Venezuelan rhythms. In Venezuela, we enjoyed many of his presentations with the different orchestras with which he worked, and we witnessed how he left his soul in each one of his presentations and performances.

His greatest musical influence has been Celia Cruz and Oscar de León in terms of the salsa genre, and in the Afro-Venezuelan genre he admires Betsayda Machado and the Experimental group “Vasallos de Venezuela”. She tells us that, “in her family there are no musicians”, her grandmother and grandfather were rumberos and she believes that the musical vein comes from there, thanks to her grandparents, and to have the unconditional support of her parents and relatives, who have helped him get to where he is.

From Afro-Venezuelan music to salsa, from Barlovento to Caracas, from Venezuela to internationalization, this is how her career goes, in constant growth and evolution, nothing stops her from demonstrating her artistic quality and continuing to establish herself in this tough market.

Barlovento has a rich folk manifestation, all this mix of rhythms is in Veruska’s blood, therefore, she likes rumba, partying, music.

“What a black rock, how does she get into the rumba”

Veruska Verdu - Photo — Veruska Verdu singing in a concert

How were your musical beginnings?

“In my town of La Balsa, in the Panaquire parish, it was there that I began to sing music of the Afro-Venezuelan genre, thanks to Professor Adrián Méndez, I began to participate in the “Canta Claro” Festivals, in the cultural activities that were held, They invited me and I went, I had great support from my teacher, my school teachers, my family and the residents of the town”.

“I continued with my popular singing training at the high school, I participated in the high school voice representing my municipality Acevedo and the high school where I studied, I met my guide teacher Richard Rivero, who invited me to participate in the Afro-Venezuelan music group “Ritual Negro de Barlovento”, where I had the opportunity to travel and learn more about this beautiful genre that identifies us as Venezuelans”.

After this beginning, how was your evolution?

“I went to Caracas to work with other groups, among them are; Drum Show from Venezuela, Caña y Miel, Autochthonous from La Vega, Freddy Madera, Grupo Cosecha, Grupo la Calenda, among others”. “I received an invitation from some friends whom I love Miroslava Torres and Fernando Mozas very much, they encouraged me to join the Venezuelan Orchestra “Simón Bolívar”, I took them at their word, I auditioned and stayed, I participated for a time with the orchestra, I learned much more of our genre, stepped on stages that I had no idea I could step on”.

“Then my singing teacher Corina Peña motivated me to participate with the “Latino Caribeña Simón Bolívar” Orchestra, thank God I auditioned and I also stayed.”

Tell us about your time with the “Simón Bolívar” Latin Caribbean Orchestra?

“The teacher Alberto Vergara saw my interest in belonging to the orchestra, just that day the Venezuelan lyrical singer Iván García was arriving, who was going to sing in a musical project called “Negrísimo”, the teacher gave me the opportunity to be participated. of this great concert with García”.

“Later came more concerts with the orchestra, many learnings with maestro Vergara, for me he is number one, he is super important in my life, he helped me open my senses towards the music of the Latin Caribbean genre, love it, respect it, I give it thank you for giving me the opportunity to belong to the orchestra, for being part of the row of singers”.

“With the “Latino Caribeña” Orchestra, I stepped on incredible stages just like with the Afro-Venezuelan one, but here it was another level, another feeling, feeling the euphoria of the public that likes salsa, moving so many people, transmitting to so many people, thanks to the orchestra many people have known me and support me”.

So the “Simón Bolívar” Latin Caribbean Orchestra has been a springboard for his career.

“Of course, it has been the showcase to show the gift that God gave me, to all those who value this beautiful feeling and support me, I must thank all the teachers, all those who have been there for my musical growth, the orchestra It will never cease to be present in my career, in my present, in my future, I will always be grateful for it, thanks to it I met the teacher Alfredo Naranjo and his Guajeo, who took me into account to participate in his project”.

How did you feel working alongside Alfredo Naranjo?

“With Maestro Naranjo I got the proposal to do my first concert, which was called “Caminando”, this was in the Experimental room of the “Bod Cultural Center”, he likes things to go well, he left me a great learning to work with his side”. “The concert was super nice, I had as a guest Alfredo, my godfather Rodrigo Mendoza and my great brother musician par excellence and multi percussionist “Patatín” Guacaran, I also had the opportunity to meet Edgar “Dolor” Quijada, Soledad Bravo and Rafael “The “Chicken” Brito”.

Your career has been constantly on the rise, how has your time in the different groups been?

“I participated in a project called “Ellas son Boleros”, with Anais Torrealba, Gisela Guedez, with professor Corina Peña, I was with all those bolero ladies in Venezuela, this was under the production of David Peña “Zancudo”. “On the other hand, Carlos Padrón was there, he called me to participate in the 10th anniversary of Rumberos del Callejón, I feel very happy, because Domingo Quiñones, Maelo Ruiz, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Luis Fernando Borjas, Memo Arroyave, Gonzalo Díaz participated there. , wow!, a lot of people who have years of experience and I am like the puppy of the project, and look, however, Carlos believed in my talent and made me be part of his production”.

“I was with the Sopranos for a while, on the album that won the Pepsi Music Awards (Decade), my choirs are out there, with Sonero Clásico del Caribe, a Son institution in our country.”

How have you felt taking on these challenges?

“It has been tremendous, to have the support of some tremendous musicians who are legends, “Nene” Quintero, the pianist par excellence Pedro Pérez, very cool, in all those groups that I have been thanks to the projection I had with the Latin Caribbean Orchestra and my commitment day by day to all this”.

Apart from singing, do you play any instrument?

“I had a short time at the Bigott Foundation, they taught me certain things to learn to compose, I like to play the guitar, and now I am dabbling in the bass”.

From Afro-Venezuelan music to salsa, how was that transition?

“We are not very far away, remember that Afro music its main root is the drum, just like in the Caribbean genre, in salsa, the root is the percussive, the blows, the leather, the key, the swing, that taste, that sense of enjoying what you do, rather the Afro-Venezuelan genre helped me a lot because of the free way of singing.”

“I feel freedom when singing salsa, because I learned in Afro-Venezuelan music how to improvise, to have that ability, I have enjoyed it, in some shows I remember any verse from some party or ass e` puya and singing salsa I say it, it is “cheveroski” as they say around here”.

Did you ever think that being so young you would be next to many who have years of musical career and are already recognized in this medium?

“I never imagined it, it is a blessing from heaven, I am just starting out on the path of music, I still have a long way to go, God has given me the blessing and joy of being able to share the stage with El “Pollo” Brito, Edgar “Pain” Quijada, Alfredo Naranjo, Francisco Pacheco, meeting Betzayda Machado, being with Sonero Clásico, Canelita Medina, I feel happy that in my short time I have met wonderful people and been able to share the stage with them, just like here in Peru”.

What do you think of the support for national talent in Venezuela?

“It has been excellent, I feel that right now they are giving credibility to the successor generation, it is very important to give support, it is the only formula for the genre to remain alive, credibility must be given to the one who is being born and has the ability to make music”. “In Venezuela they have given the artist great support.”

You continue to be “Enchanted with life” despite the regrets…

“If everything was placed on a silver platter, there would be no achievements, the greatest satisfaction is hard work and discipline, I am living my experience that seems spectacular to me, I am enjoying my moment, I am learning things that I did not know in its entirety, I am maturing as an artist and as a person.

“All things go through a moment of difficulty, we must always highlight the good things.”

Its jump to Peru a market that is in the musical arena, the critics baptized it as “The new Voice of Venezuela”, What do you think of this?

“I am grateful that in Peru they have that appreciation of me, it feels super good, on each platform that I mount I will give my best, my tricolor goes with me upstairs.”

How has the receptivity of the Peruvian public been?

“It is not easy to arrive in a country and start from scratch, however, it is a matter of continuing to work, to continue showing what we are made of and to make good music, to do a job like a ant, things have flowed in a very good way, I have participated in productions of the master Tito Manrique, Manongo Mujica, I met the people of a group that I greatly admire Peru Negro, they play Afro-Peruvian music, I did concerts with Carlos Mosquera, a super singer, incredible, a blessing from heaven.

“The support of the Peruvian public is always present, what should Veruska do, continue working constantly, I must thank you for having been very receptive to the work that I am doing.”

In Peru they also have payola?

“In the whole world there is payola, this market is managed like this, salsa, merengue, joropo, tango, pop, jazz, reggaeton, you have a good product, but many times you have to “encourage” the person to show it.”

How do you see the salsa movement at the moment?

“It is a good time to continue highlighting our genre, we are in the here and now, ah! which is not the same as in the past, those times do not compare, for me this is a super excellent moment, many people are doing their work, Víctor Cardona, Carlitos Padrón, Pumaband, La Latino Caribeña, right here in Peru, how many new artists they have, all these people have been promoting salsa”.

Tell us about your solo career.

“It has not been easy, but I continue to give my all, thanking the people who have supported me even without knowing me, I must thank Mr. Alberto Vale who has joined this Veruska project and tells me; -black let’s go forward, everything will be fine, -let’s do this, that-”.

Your first musical production “Fusion -Venezuela – Mundo”, which musicians participate in it?

“Sabrosito Así”, is the promotional theme, we wanted to make a very cool fusion, which was reflected there, thanks to Juan Carlos Linares who gave us all the support to materialize this single and that people knew it, I had excellent musicians; Mario Pasmiño as Musical Director, in addition to Patatín Guacaran, Gisel Brito, Gray Peña, Aarón Cabrera, Ángel Peña, Jeison Ascanio and Darwin Latan”. “This experience was great, beautiful, in the Velvet studio.”

Define yourself in one sentence

“Feeling and rumba, I like the alegríadera”.

Venezuela in one sentence

“Good people, hardworking, like my people none.”

Translated by: Thisby Ferrara

By Eiling Blanco, Correspondent for Latin American