The Cuban Institute of Music (ICM) reported that the young Cuban musician José Alberto Reyes Luis, 26 years old, passed away this Saturday in the province of Villa Clara following a traffic accident.
Reyes Luis, affectionately known as Cosonga among his friends, was a trombonist of the urban music group led by Velito el Bufón and was traveling to his hometown Camagüey along with his companions to fulfill an artistic performance, according to the official statement.
The group shared a heart-wrenching message on their social media to announce the young man's passing.
"Cosonga has passed away, the best Chamaco that anyone could know. Healthy, full of good vibes and with a huge heart… Rest in peace, my brother. We love you and will be with you until the end as the family we are," they wrote on Instagram.
One of the members, on behalf of Velito, confirmed that he and the group leader were traveling in one car, while the rest of the band, including Reyes Luis, were in another.
With tears, he said: "It's real, we had an accident at kilometer 265 involving the musicians from the Velito band, and Cosonga, the trombonist, has died."
According to the statement, in the incident several artists were injured and are receiving medical attention in health facilities in Villa Clara.
The ICM, the Ministry of Culture, and the National Center for Popular Music expressed condolences to the family and friends of the musician.
The tragic incident occurred on the morning of January 17 at kilometer 249 of the National Highway, when a minibus transporting the musical group veered off the road and overturned, resulting in one fatality and 14 injuries.
The injured were initially taken to a polyclinic in Ranchuelo and then referred to the Arnaldo Milián Castro Hospital in Santa Clara; authorities classified the incident as a "mass accident" due to the number of victims and the response mobilization, according to the collected information.
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