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Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Juanito Márquez, a legend of Cuban music, visionary and innovator, dies in Miami
When lovers in Latin America sing or dance together Alma con alma, one of the emblematic themes of filin, an unforgettable bolero, they are repeating the love story of Cuban musician Juanito Márquez and his wife Mirta, which began in Holguín in eastern Cuba, when she was 16 years old. Juanito Marquez, internationally renowned guitarist, arranger, producer, and creator of one of the Cuban rhythms that took over his island in the 1960s, Pa-Cá, said goodbye to his great love Mirta and his beloved family in Miami on Saturday, June 21, at a Kendall hospital, surrounded by his friends. He was 95. With him went a part of the golden age of Cuban music, which he took beyond the borders of the island when he became an exile, first in Spain and then in Miami, where he was one of the pioneers of a unique sound. His magic hand is in the arrangements of one of the most beautiful albums of Cuban music, made in Miami, Mi Tierra by Gloria Estefan, which also includes two songs written by Márquez, Ayer and Sí Señor! During his long career, he collaborated with Cuban musicians such as Bebo Valdés, Israel López Cachao, Generoso Jiménez, the Riverside Orchestra, Tito Gómez, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Paquito Hechavarría, Roberto Torres, Israel Kantor, and Luis García. When the Cuban government forced him to work in agriculture for trying to leave the country, it was Guillermo Alvarez Guedes who sent him the money for his ticket to Spain, and there Márquez became part of a golden age of Spanish music, from the Hispavox record label, where he was behind hits by Julio Iglesias, Massiel, José Luis Perales, Mari Trini, Mocedades, and Jeanette. 'There is no limit to his greatness,' says Miami radio personality Viviám María López, who came to know and admire Juanito for his art, his great generosity, his sense of humor, and his elegance for several decades. She was present with his family at Kendall Hospital, where they prayed and accompanied him until his last moment, after a cardiac arrest that kept him from living until his 96th birthday on July 4. 'I saw in him a tender human being, with a giant heart, such a brilliant person, so ahead of his time,' Viviám told el Nuevo Herald. 'Studying his arrangements is a master class, many musicians tell me.' From Holguín to Havana, at the call of Bebo Valdés Márquez had a classical musical training, which began in his native Holguín, under the tutelage of his father, classical guitarist and conductor Juan Márquez Gómez. 'Juanito's father was the director of the Holguín band that played in the retreat. From a very young age, he became an idol of ours,' music producer and promoter Recaredo Gutiérrez told el Nuevo Herald. He formed an orchestra in Miami in 2003, the Tropicana All Stars, in homage to Beny Moré, which included the most important Cuban musicians of the moment, under the direction of Juanito Márquez. Márquez was a member of the Avilés Brothers' orchestra, which played in what had been the Holguín Tennis Club, said Recadero. From Holguín, Márquez made arrangements that he sent to Havana, and it was Bebo Valdés who urged him to travel to the capital, a project supported by Márquez's wife, Mirta, who was staying in Holguín for the time being with the couple's young daughter. The musician became an idol with the crowds with the creation of Pa-Cá in 1964, at a time of vibrant rhythms. 'The Pa-Cá rhythm, despite being popular, is subtle,' Recaredo notes, emphasizing that its lyrics were never 'vulgar.' He learned from the greats, Recaredo notes, recalling Márquez's speed in making arrangements during live programs on stations like Radio Progreso, where they would tell you that an arrangement had to be done in just a few hours. Márquez, elegant and grateful Journalist Arturo Arias-Polo remembers Márquez from a 1993 interview at Emilio Estefan's Crescent Moon Studios, when the success of Mi tierra was still fresh. 'Personally, he was a gentleman. He was from the era when musicians strove to be different,' says Arias-Polo, recalling that he still spoke with the oriental accent of his homeland, which connected him more with the journalist, born in Manzanillo. 'Pituka la bella was a huge hit, a Pa-cá anthem,' recalls Arias-Polo, who was 10 years old at the time and also enjoyed a version of the song by the Aragón orchestra. Another of Márquez's iconic songs, Como un milagro, is remembered in a version by Omara Portuondo, and in a more recent one that he heard at an Ivette Cepeda concert in Miami. Six of the songs on the album Esta es Omara (1967) are by Márquez, notes Viviám Maria. Márquez's success prevented him from leaving Cuba, and as a result, he was sent to work in agriculture as punishment. With money sent to him by Alvarez Guedes, he managed to leave Cuba in 1969 and began a new life in Spain, encouraged in his career by Cuban musician Ernesto Duarte Brito, author of the bolero Cómo fue, popularized by Beny Moré. With the first money he earned, he repaid Alvarez Guedes's generosity, both Recaredo and Viviám María recall. In 1976 he began his life in Miami, where he became part of and co-created the city's sound. 'He joined Armando Terrón, Pablo Cano, who lent him his guitar, Nelson 'El Flaco' Padrón, Luis de la Torre, Orlando 'Papito' Hernández, and Manuel Ribera [of Los Chavales de España] at the Climax studio, where they recorded everyone,' says Viviám María. 'They had Latin, North American, and African-American artists, and they recorded countless albums.' she adds about the studio that operated until 1995. 'A king, a source of pride for everyone, what an honor to work on so many albums. Many blessings. We love you,' wrote Emilio Estefan in the memorial post on Albita's Instagram profile for Márquez's death. His song Alma con alma is also part of the soundtrack of the film Carlito's Way (1993), starring Ray Barretto and Adalberto Santiago. At the Tropigala cabaret at the Fontainebleau Hotel, he conducted the Tropicana All Stars orchestra in a series of historic concerts, which were captured in the documentary Al Bárbaro del ritmo, directed by Sergio Giral. He also recorded at the historic Criteria Studios in North Miami, where Juanito would always drive through the streets because he didn't take the expressway, Recaredo recalls. After the recordings, which were at night, a group of musicians would go to La Carreta for lunch, and Márquez would always ask him how they could eat those Cuban dishes at that time of the morning. 'You could talk about any topic with Juanito Márquez; you had an admirable interlocutor in him,' says Recaredo, recalling that he was also 'humble' and collaborated with all the musicians. Márquez is survived by his wife Mirta, his daughter Mirthica, his son Juan Carlos, his grandson Luisi, his nephews Ernesto, also a musician, and Alina. There will be no funeral service, but a mass is planned, and details will be shared with the public at a later date.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Yahoo
Police say they have solved a 1980 cold-case murder — after the first suspect wrongly spent 20 years in prison
More than 40 years after a woman was stabbed 30 times in her home and killed, cops say they have identified a suspect. The announcement comes after another man wrongly served 20 years behind bars for the killing. This week, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office in Massachusetts announced the developments into the 1980 murder of Katharina Reitz Brow. Authorities now say Joseph Leo Boudreau was the killer. He was 37 years old at the time of the murder and died in 2004. Brow, 48, was found murdered in her Ayer, Massachusetts, home on May 21, 1980. She was killed between 7 a.m. when her husband left for work and 10:45 a.m. when she was found. Brow was stabbed 30 times and had been struck with a blunt object. Her home showed signs of a struggle with her purse and a 'large sum' of money missing. Investigators found the knife in a wastebasket. Kenneth Waters was arrested a year after the killing and was convicted in 1983. However, he was exonerated in 2001 when it was determined his DNA was not in a bloodstain at the scene. At the time of his arrest, his blood type matched the bloodstain. However, technology developments led to better DNA testing and proved Waters was not at the scene. In 2022, investigators again looked at the case. They were able to test DNA and link it to relatives of a suspect. That led to Boudreau being identified as the killer, prosecutors said. He was convicted of armed robbery in 1975, six years before the murder. Police say there is no link between Boudreau and Walters. 'No matter how much time passes, our priority remains the same, to seek answers. In this case, that meant identifying the person responsible for Mrs. Brow's death, even though they could no longer be held accountable through the criminal system. Today, we are able to name her killer and provide long-overdue clarity to her family,' District Attorney Marian Ryan said. Ayer Police Chief Brian Gill added: 'The investigative breakthrough came when forensic investigative genetic genealogy DNA testing was applied to evidence recovered at the scene. This ultimately led us to today's announcement. I am thankful, that we may be able to finally bring some closure to the Brow family and a measure of justice for Katharina.'
Time of India
12-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
'Struggle with English, speak loudly, litter': Texas-based Indian entrepreneur's viral post on Gujaratis ignites heated debate
In a bizarre incident, an Indian founder in the United States has sparked a heated debate online after making comments on Gujaratis. In a statement, Sriram Ayer, an entrepreneur and photographer who is based in Texas, took to his X (formerly called Twitter) and said Gujaratis 'bring shame to India' with their behaviour. Further making major claims, the entrepreneur said, 'In the US and Canada, a vast majority of Gujjus are causing havoc and bringing shame to India.' Ayer went on to call out the behaviour of Gujaratis, which reflects poorly on India, but the same cannot be said for South Indians. His X post instantly grabbed eyeballs and went viral, gathering over 4 lakh views in just a matter of hours. 'Gujaratis struggle with English, engage in problematic public behaviours' In a lengthy post, Ayer went on to mention that many Gujaratis do not attempt integration in the United States and Canada. Rather, they struggle to speak English or speak too loudly. They often engage in problematic public behaviour such as cutting lines, jumping queues, and littering everywhere, said Ayer. Sharing an example, Ayer said, 'I've witnessed their outrageous and entitled behaviour firsthand." 'Unacceptable behaviour' In another example, the Texas-based entrepreneur recalled a Gujarati wedding in Canada which included a noisy celebration late into the night, inconveniencing neighbours and 'creating chaos'. These behaviours, according to Ayer, are 'unacceptable' across the world, including in India. He said it should not be tolerated, especially when it happens abroad; it reflects poorly on all Indians. Viral post sparks debate online, netizens react As soon as the post surfaced on social media, it quickly grabbed the eyeballs and attention of netizens. The post went viral with about 4 lakh views on it. Reacting to the post, one X user wrote, "You cannot expect civilized behaviour from uncouth people. There are such people all over the country, but a greater preponderance amongst Gujjus and Punjabis." You cannot expect civilized behaviour from uncouth people. There are such people all over the country, but a greater preponderance amongst Gujjus and Punjabis. While another said, "I think this whole discussion is highly unwarranted. To link anything to a particular community is not at all right. Some people may create a nuisance, but that does not mean we tag a community as such. Comments should be restrictive in nature." I think this whole discussion is highly unwarranted. To link anything to a particular community, is not at all right. Some people may create nuisance but that does not mean we tag a community as such. Comments should be restrictive in nature. "I don't believe that's true Gujjus are generally humble, warm, and grounded people. They're progressive in their thinking, yet deeply connected to their culture and traditions. You'll rarely find a community that balances business acumen, family values, and cultural pride as effortlessly as they do," another added. I don't believe that's true Gujjus are generally humble, warm, and grounded people. They're progressive in their thinking, yet deeply connected to their culture and traditions. You'll rarely find a community that balances business acumen, family values, and cultural pride as… However, one said, "Travelled internationally. Gujjus made the flight resemble a local train. Was so ashamed I had to share the same country name as they do." One asked, "Why are you spreading hate for a community?" Why are you spreading hate for a community? To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.
Hindustan Times
12-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
‘Struggle with English, cut lines, litter': Texas-based founder slams Gujaratis
An Indian founder in the United States has sparked a heated debate by saying that Gujaratis 'bring shame to India' with their behaviour. Sriram Ayer, an entrepreneur and photographer based in Texas, took to the social media platform X yesterday to claim that 'In the US and Canada, a vast majority of Gujjus are causing havoc and bringing shame to India'. Ayer (@SriramMadras on X) said that the behaviour of Gujaratis reflects poorly on India, but the same cannot be said for South Indians. His post has garnered over 4 lakh views in a matter of hours, sparking a heated debate on regionalism and the behaviour of Indians abroad. Ayer said that in the United States and Canada, many Gujaratis do not attempt integration. Instead, they struggle with English, speak too loudly, engage in problematic public behaviours like cutting lines and jumping queues, and litter everywhere. 'I've witnessed their outrageous and entitled behavior firsthand,' said the Texas-based founder of Purilan Technology. He gave the example of a Gujarati wedding in Canada which included a noisy celebration late into the night, inconveniencing neighbours and 'creating chaos'. Ayer said that such behaviour is 'unacceptable' anywhere in the world. Even within India, it should not be tolerated, he said. But when it happens abroad, it reflects poorly on all Indians. 'Of course, there are both good and bad people in all cultures, but I am referring to a vast majority of Gujjus here. WHY?' he asked, before answering his own question. 'The incidents involving South Indians are very, very rare,' said Ayer. His post proved deeply polarising on X, where many accused him of regional bias and others agreed with his analysis. 'You cannot expect civilized behaviour from uncouth people. There are such people all over the country, but a greater preponderance amongst Gujjus and Punjabis,' wrote one X user. (Also read: 'I'm a Gujju and you guys need to stop': Indian tourists hijack Austria street with loud music and Garba, face backlash) 'I have seen bad behavior from Indians in general — many not taking bath (yes, people from your region as well as from North), people begging foreigner colleagues to bring back leftovers from lunch with sob stories. There is nothing regional about it,' another said. 'Honestly, this kind of post says more about you than the people you're trying to criticise. Every community has its mix, some who embarrass, and many who inspire,' another added.
Globe and Mail
11-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
AMSC Announces Pricing of $115 Million Public Offering of Common Stock
AYER, Mass., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Superconductor Corporation (Nasdaq: AMSC), a leading system provider of megawatt-scale power resiliency solutions that orchestrate the rhythm and harmony of power on the grid™ and protect and expand the capability and resiliency of our Navy's fleet, announced today that it has priced its underwritten public offering of 4,125,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $28.00 per share. AMSC expects the gross proceeds from this offering to be $115,500,000, before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses. AMSC intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes, including potential strategic acquisitions. AMSC has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 618,750 additional shares of its common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. AMSC expects to close the offering, subject to customary conditions, on or about June 12, 2025. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. is acting as the sole book-running manager for the offering. Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC is acting as lead manager and Roth Capital Partners is acting as co-manager for the offering. A shelf registration statement relating to the shares of common stock to be issued in the proposed offering was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is effective. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus describing the terms of the offering has been filed with the SEC and a final prospectus supplement will be filed with the SEC. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the securities being offered may also be obtained, when available, from Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., Attention: Syndicate Prospectus Department, 85 Broad Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004, or by telephone at (212) 667-8563, or by email at EquityProspectus@ Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus will also be available on the SEC's website at This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding the completion of the offering, the expected gross proceeds therefrom, the intended use of net proceeds therefrom, and other statements containing the words 'intends,' "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will" and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements represent management's current expectations and are inherently uncertain. There are a number of important factors that could materially impact the value of AMSC's common stock or cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These important factors include, but are not limited to: the risk and uncertainties associated with market conditions, satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the public offering, as well as risks and uncertainties in AMSC's business, including those risks discussed in the "Risk Factors" section in the preliminary prospectus supplement related to the offering and in Part I, Item 1A of AMSC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025 and AMSC's other reports filed with the SEC. These important factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements made herein and presented elsewhere by management from time to time. Any such forward-looking statements represent management's estimates as of the date of this press release. While AMSC may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, AMSC disclaims any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause its views to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Contacts Nicol Golez Phone: 978-399-8344 Investor Relations Carolyn Capaccio (212) 838-3777 amscIR@ Public Relations RooneyPartners Joe Luongo (914) 906-5903 jluongo@
