Juan Carlos Formell

Juan-Carlos Formell's Work Has Been Defined As "the Magical Realism Of Music". Born In Havana Cuba In 1964 Juan-Carlos Is A Fourth Generation Musician Singer Songwriter Guitarist And Bassist. However Life Was Difficult. "While Still In My Twenties At A Time When Most Musicians Are Full Of Hope I Was Resigned To A Future Of Marginalization " Juan-Carlos Recalls. In 1993 He Fled To The United States To Make His Own Music. He Went To New York Where He Established A Band Cubalibre. In 1998 He Was Signed To The World Music Label Wicklow Records. Juan-Carlos Teamed Up With The Legendary Producer And Engineer John Fischbach To Make His Debut CD Songs From A Little Blue House. His Years Of Struggle In Exile Were Vindicated When The Album Received A Nomination For The Grammy 2000. His Next Release In 2002 Also Produced By John Fischbach 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. The Album Features Powerful Original Ballads -- Songs Now Haunted By The Devastation Of The City. His Recent Project "son Radical" Is The Spontaneous Combustion Of Rock Enclave That Came Out Of Jam Sessions With Fellow Habaneros Jimmy Branly Former Drummer Of NG La Banda And Carlitos Del Peurto Bassist For Emiliano Salvador . Channeling The African Roots Of The Caribbean Experience "son Radical" Creates A Lyrical Politically-Charged Dimension Of Contemporary Cuban Music. "Son Radical" Also Features Frmell's Compositions For The Writing Of Cuban Negrista Poet Nicolas Guillen And Cuban Patriot Jose Marti. "The Son Is The Root Of Everything " Says Juan Carlos. Working From That Base We Have The Credentials To Break The Rules Of Cuban Music And The Clichés Of The Latin Music Establishment. We Broke Away From Cuba Because We Couldn't Accept The Restrictions And Censorship -- We're A New Generation Of Musicians Who Have Come Out Of Cuba With Something To Say With A Mission To Expand The Definition Of What Cuban Music Is And Can Be." Juan-Carlos Formell Has Performed In New York At Jazz Standard The Knitting Factory The Bowery Ballroom And The Living Room In New Orleans At Snug Harbor In Los Angeles At The Hollywood Bowl McCabe's And Temple Bar In Chicago At HotHouse And At Jazz Festivals Throughout The United States. read less