Juan Formell

One of the most influential Cuban musicians of the Castro era, Juan Formell formed Los Van Van in 1969 after developing Afro-Cuban meldings with the changui sound of Elio Reve's Orchestra. From there he did more to influence the sound of Cuban music more than anyone else during the 1970s and '80s. Born in Havana in 1942, Formell was taught both by his father and the bassist Orestes Urfe. By the ...more