Juan de Marcos Gonzalez Biography

Fast Facts

• His signature group, the Afro-Cuban All Stars, released a Grammy-nominated album called "A toda Cuba le gusta․"
• In the 1970s, he earned his B․S․ and Ph․D․ in agricultural engineering at the Water Resources Management Institute in Russia
• Though he was originally drawn to American and British Rock, he formed a traditional Cuban band called Sierra Maestra in 1978
• Quote: "The only place in the Caribbean, in the New World, where the spirit of Africa is truly alive is Cuba․"
• Quote: "We have to use all the heritage of Cuban music to create a sound of the future․ It's important to have that continuity and to fight for our identity․"
• Attempting to keep Cuban folk music alive for a younger generation, he recorded over a dozen albums in Cuba and performed around the world
• Directed the Buena Vista Social Club concerts in Amsterdam and Carnegie Hall