Juan Carlos Alfonso y su Dan Den

Pianist Juan Carlos Alfonso blends American R&B with Cuba’s musical heritage. Formerly serving as arranger for Orquestra Revea, he has pursued a modern vision of Latin music through his ensemble Dan Den, which he formed in 1988. Born in the modest town of Bejucal south of Havana, Alfonso began piano lessons at seven or eight years old. Early on he gravitated toward American pop and rock acts such as Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, yet his focus gradually shifted toward the island’s own traditional repertoire. Following his training at the Alejandro Garcia Caturla Music School, he entered Conjunto Colonial at seventeen and subsequently performed with several groups under the management of Beny More Enterprises. Dan Den issued its first recording, Siempre Hay Un Ojo Que Te Va, in 1990; the album contained the synth-laden single “No Me Carezcas.” The following releases, Rollo Que Pelicula (1991) and Dale Al Que No Te Dio (1993), adopted a stronger funk orientation. By the third album, Salsa En Atar (1998), the band had turned toward urban, horn-led, jazz-tinged dance music.