Rosario Monachino
A renowned Grammy-nominated singer has died aged 59.
Juan Carlos Formell is an acclaimed Cuban singer and songwriter who is best known for his debut album ‘Songs from a Little Blue House’ – which earned him a Grammy nomination in 2000.
He is the son of an iconic Cuban bassist Juan Formell, who was part of the band Los Van Van.
While performing with the group, Formell was sadly involved in a tragic incident.
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He was playing at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in the Bronx, New York, on May 26 when he reportedly suffered a heart attack on stage.
Formell suddenly wandered off while the band was playing and collapsed near a curtain at the back of the stage.
The group reportedly took a half an hour’s break before informing the audience that he was suffering from health problems.
They then played the rest of their set for those in attendance.
Formell’s partner and bandmate Danae Blanco confirmed he had had hypertension and arteriosclerosis, via the New York Times.
According to WebMD, this is plaque that has built up in the arteries which can be an impact of high blood pressure.
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In a tribute to their bandmate, Los Van Van penned a statement on their Facebook page.
It reads: “Dear Fans, It is with great sadness that we inform you that our brother and bass player has passed away.
“Everyone who ever met him knows how special he was as a human being, as a professional and as a musician. We are all devastated with this news.
“We have the joy that his last moments were on stage giving everything for our music, for our family, for Los Van Van and for their fans.
“We wish you eternal light together with our father and all the great Vanvaneros who watch over us from Heaven.
“We will miss you so much Juanca.”
They end the statement by confirming that their tour will continue and they will be paying tribute to Formell with ‘every note’ they play.
Formell fled from Cuba and moved to New York in 1993 where he pursued his own solo career.
This includes five albums and he was nominated for the Best Traditional Tropical Latin Performance at Grammy Awards in the year 2000.
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Following his father’s death in 2014, he took over as the bassist in his Afro-Cuban band, Los Van Van and carried on his legacy.
His dad found the band in 1969 alongside fellow Cuban musicians such as César Pedroso, known as Pupy, and José Luis Quintana, who was known as Changuito,
Los Van Van’s current drummer is his brother, Samuel, while his sister Vanessa is on vocals.
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