He shaped the history of the Buena Vista Social Club, and as bandleader of the Afro Cuban All Stars, Juan de Marco now gathers Cuba's young elite.
Who knows if the Buena Vista Social Club would have existed without him. It was Juan de Marcos González who introduced the combo's future producer Ry Cooder to the then completely unknown Ibrahim Ferrer, helped Omara Portuondo make a late comeback, brought Ruben Gonzalez into the studio and Compay Segundo out of obscurity. And in doing so, laid the foundation of the Buena Vista Social Club.
Even before his encounter with Ry Cooder eventually resulted in the Buena Vista Social Club, he gathered the Afro Cuban All Stars around him in 1995. For the gifted tres player and singer, this was the fulfillment of a dream he had long cherished and still realizes today: "To unite all the great and still living stars of the 1940s and 50s with young musicians in an orchestra to play Cuban music that shows the continuity of tradition." For this ensemble's repertoire, the bandleader meticulously studied old big band arrangements to capture the spirit of the music once written and then give it newer, modern expressions. Danzon, Son Montuno, Guaguanco, Mambo and Gujira were given a contemporary guise - the sound is acoustic, but the atmosphere is electric. And to ensure that Cuban music remains young, González specifically enlists Cuba's musical elite of the next generation for his All Stars, in addition to old hands.
Even before his encounter with Ry Cooder eventually resulted in the Buena Vista Social Club, he gathered the Afro Cuban All Stars around him in 1995. For the gifted tres player and singer, this was the fulfillment of a dream he had long cherished and still realizes today: "To unite all the great and still living stars of the 1940s and 50s with young musicians in an orchestra to play Cuban music that shows the continuity of tradition." For this ensemble's repertoire, the bandleader meticulously studied old big band arrangements to capture the spirit of the music once written and then give it newer, modern expressions. Danzon, Son Montuno, Guaguanco, Mambo and Gujira were given a contemporary guise - the sound is acoustic, but the atmosphere is electric. And to ensure that Cuban music remains young, González specifically enlists Cuba's musical elite of the next generation for his All Stars, in addition to old hands.
Further information: https://www.centralstation-darmstadt.de/event/8131001/juan-de-marcos-afro-cuban-all-stars/
