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Juan Carlos Formell

"Six-string poetry of rare sophistication."
-Time Out New York

"A series of melodic short stories that capture something timeless while still commenting on the future of Caribbean music, Cemeteries & Desire” establishes Formell as one of New York’s most innovative Latin musicians."
-Ed Morales, NY Newsday

"A romantic with a heart like a laser beam, Juan-Carlos Formell deftly mines his Cuban musical heritage to create a set of non-trivial love songs inspired by New Orleans' 'cemeteries and desire'. Like what Brazil's Caetano Veloso did for the samba, Formell brings the rumba and bolero forms up to contemporary speed without tarnishing their essence."
-R Gehr, Village Voice

Expect the unexpected from Cuban music rebel Juan-Carlos Formell, whose visionary songs have been compared to the work of Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Neil Young and Jackson Browne.

Born in Havana in 1964, singer/songwriter/guitarist/bassist Juan-Carlos Formell is a fourth generation musician. But the restrictions of the government-controlled music industry in his homeland made it difficult for him to express his new ideas. "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.

He fled to the United States in 1993, to make his own music, his way.

"Music is the combustion created by the impact of a moment on a place. I came to New York as part of an exodus of young Cuban musicians who had no place in their country, because the moment had been cut off. We came looking for legends-- the jazz clubs the jam sessions, the all-night dances -- but we didn't find them. I took my guitar and sang in the subway, looking for the moment."

In 1998 he was signed to his first record deal (Wicklow/BMG). The recording, "songs from a little blue house" produced by the legendary engineer/producer John Fischbach, was a tribute to the house in Oriente province where Juan-Carlos's grandmother had lived as a child. His years of struggle in exile were vindicated when this debut CD received a Grammy nomination in 2000.

His next release, "las calles del paraiso" (EMI Latin 2002), also produced by John Fischbach, was the critically-acclaimed concept album that Formell describes as "the soundtrack of an imaginary movie" about a day and night in the city of Havana.

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 next project, "son radical", was the spontaneous combustion of rock en clave that came out of Los Angeles recording sessions with two other exceptional Cuban musicians -- drummer/producer Jimmy Branly (of NG la Banda) and bassist Carlitos del Puerto (of Caravana Cubana). Channeling the writing of Cuban negrista poet Nicolas Guillen, Cuban patriot Jose Marti, and the African roots of the Caribbean experience, son radical became a lyrical, politically-charged dimension of contemporary Cuban music.

His current project, "Johnny's Dream Club" was just recorded at Piety Street Recording in New Orleans in April 2008, after a weekend at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro. Inspired by the "Feeling" movement in Cuba, it features the participation of CUban jazz pianist Elio Villafranca, Cuban percussionist Jorge Leyva, Argentinian bassist Pedro Giraudo and violinist/trombone player Lewis Kahn. THe album also has a guest appearance from the celebrated New Orleans jazz clarinetist Dr. Michael White.

Juan-Carlos Formell and his ensembles have performed in New York at Jazz Standard, S.O.B.’s, The Living Room and Zinc Bar; in New Orleans at Snug Harbor, in Miami at Hoy Como Ayer; in Los Angeles at Temple Bar, The Lummis Day Festival and at jazz festivals throughout the United States.

Juan-Carlos has performed solo concerts in New York at Joe's Pub, The Knitting Factory, Jazz Standard. Living Room, Makor, and The Bowery Ballroom; in Chicago at HotHouse; in New Orleans at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro; in Seattle a ThetCentury Ballroon; in Portland at The Blue Monk; in Oakland at Yoshi's; in Berkeley at Freight & Salvage; in Los Angeles at McCabe's.