Carlos Formell, bassist of the Cuban group Los Van Van, died after suffering a heart attack during a show in New York

Los Van Van bassist died of a heart attack

The presentation on Friday in New York of the Cuban group Los Van Van had to be stopped when the bassist, Juan Carlos Formell, collapsed on stage about 45 minutes after the show began.

All the musicians left the stage of the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, in The Bronx, shortly after the bass player, but after about ten minutes the curtain came down, creating expectations in the public about whether the show would be cancelled.

Moments later, it was confirmed that the 59-year-old musician and composer had died of a heart attack.

The bassist was the son of the famous founder of the group, Juan Formell.

“Once again death snatches one of our musicians from us. The bassist, guitarist and composer Juan Carlos Formell, in full concert of the Los Van Van tour in New York, says goodbye to life”, said the members of the group.

“The band was playing at the Lehman Center in New York. During the show, broadcast on Facebook, Formell felt bad, left the bass and left the stage to be treated. He unfortunately passed away. QDEP, ”said Eduardo Livia with a video of the moment he leaves the stage.

Juan-Carlos Formell

Until that moment the public, mostly Puerto Ricans and Cubans, had given themselves over to the dance and sang with the group despite the fact that the sound was not the best in the room.

The Cuban group started their tour of the United States on Friday in New York that would take them to the San Francisco carnival and on Sunday in San Diego (California), to then continue the tour in Europe.

After half an hour, the so-called “Rolling Stone of Cuban music” returned to the stage to continue the show without the bass player who was taken to the nearest hospital, according to EFE.

Four ambulances and two fire trucks arrived at the theater.

Without commenting, they immediately began with “Sandunguera”, one of the audience’s favorite songs, who, standing up, went back to dancing and singing with the band, which then performed “Me mantengo”, songs composed by the founder of the group, Juan Formell, father of the late bassist (1942-2014).

It was then that Robertón, one of the singers, introduced Sebastián, who he said is a Uruguayan bassist, based in New York and who came in to play while Carlos Formell was being attended to. Lele, another of the singers, indicated that the musician “came to dance with Van Van and ended up playing with us”, without even knowing the tragic news.

(With information from EFE)

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