{"id":3783,"date":"2013-03-06T21:51:29","date_gmt":"2013-03-07T01:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/latinomusiccafe.com\/?p=3783"},"modified":"2022-06-27T12:06:58","modified_gmt":"2022-06-27T16:06:58","slug":"juan-de-marcos-the-cuban-music-archeologist-back-in-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinomusiccafe.com\/2013\/03\/06\/juan-de-marcos-the-cuban-music-archeologist-back-in-the-u-s\/","title":{"rendered":"Juan de Marcos: the Cuban Music Archeologist Back in the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"

The musical mastermind of the Buena Vista Social Club is still driving Cuban music to the forefront. Juan de Marcos Gonzalez<\/a>, is back in the U.S. delighting audiences with anything from Afro-Cuban jazz to the traditional Cuban \u201cson\u201d.<\/p>\n

The maestro Juan de Marcos has been a key contributor to the revival and internationalization of Cuban music. His is working on 3 new Cuban music projects, as he revealed in an exclusive interview with Latino Music Caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Afro-Cuban All Stars Tours the U.S.<\/h3>\n

Cuban maestro Juan de Marcos is back in the U.S. after 2 years away. His intention is to delight audience in concert halls from coast to coast, in towns with both large and discrete populations. With his Afro-Cuban All Stars, Juan de Marcos started his 2013 U.S. tour in Seattle\u2019s Jazz Alley.<\/p>\n

\"Juan<\/a>
Juan de Marcos Gonzalez is the musical director of the Afro Cuban All Stars<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Afro Cuban All Stars can play anything the audience wants to listen. During the tour, there have been instances where Juan de Marcos has had to change the musical plan for the evening because audiences opted to convert concert halls into dancing halls. Their music can range from being intriguingly mesmerizing for listening to being rhythmically enticing for dancing.<\/p>\n

Many stars of Cuban music have passed through Juan De Marco\u2019s Afro Cuban All Stars. The alumni of the Buena Vista Social Club where the first to pass through the band.<\/p>\n

That iconic project of Cuban music and the 1st recording of the Afro-Cuban All Stars, which was nominated for a Grammy in 1998, were done simultaneously. However, they purposely had different musical formats. The former with a more traditional Cuban sound, and the latter with a \u201cbig-band\u201d line-up.<\/p>\n

Juan de Marcos Looking to Resurrect More Cuban Legends<\/h3>\n

The maestro plans to release 3 recordings in the near future. Among them is one for resurrecting more Cuban musical careers. Juan de Marcos has made a career of resurrecting Cuban music and artists. His 1st revival was the rescue of the decadent Cuban traditional \u201cson\u201d, when he formed the band \u201cSierra Maestra\u201d back in 1976.<\/p>\n

The band dressed like a rock band (Juan de Marcos had been an avid fan of American and British rock before forming \u201cSierra Maestra\u201d). However, they still played traditional \u201cson\u201d. With their young appearance, and superb sound, the band became very popular. It earned several awards while recording 14 albums.<\/p>\n

The concurrent musical projects of the Buena Vista Social Club and the Afro-Cuban All Stars resurrected the career of legends of Cuban music. Among them are Ibrahim Ferrer, Compay Segundo, \u201cfilin queen\u201d Omara Portuondo, Ruben Gonzalez, Orlando \u201cCachaito\u201d Lopez, and others.<\/p>\n

Video of Juan de Marcos Explaining Buena Vista in 60 Minutes<\/p>\n