Andrés Henry de la Cruz, artistically known as Andy’s Val Gourmetwas a Panamanian musician, DJ, producer and singer who achieved internationalization in 2003 after releasing the hit “El Chacarrón”.
Before becoming a singer, Andy’s Val worked at various radio stations in his country until he founded the group Comando Tiburón in 1995, composed of the DJs Rolo, Flecha and Magnético.
Over the course of his career, Andy’s Val, who died of a heart attack in his native Panama on September 11, 2023, also collaborated with Daddy Yankee on several hits such as “Impacto” in 2007, but they ended their working relationship in 2015.
Although “El Chacarrón”, which he co-created with El Chombo, was undoubtedly his introductory letter, it became a worldwide hit two years after its publication. It climbed into the top 20 in Latin America and the United Kingdom.
During the Los Gordos podcast on YouTube in November 2019, DJ Mckoy shared how the song “El Chacarrón” was created in the radio booth where Andy was animating and playing music.
DJ Mckoy explained that both he and Andys Val hummed the lyrics to the English songs that were played on the radio station where they worked, as neither of them spoke that language. This is how “El Chacarrón” was born.
DJ Mckoy was the one who confirmed his friend’s death at the age of 47.
“He went to the other neighborhood. We deeply regret the loss of a brother. Rest in peace brother and a hug to your family,” wrote Dj Mckoy on his social networks.
According to DJ Mckoy’s statements, Andy’s Val’s death occurred after he arrived home after a musical performance and decided to sleep for a while. Hours later, his wife tried to wake him up but discovered he had died in his sleep.
On the other hand, El Chombo, who was responsible for the musicalization of the song and created a second version of it, assured that the name came from the fact that the word shark sounded like chacarrón in the environment.