I am a fronterizo master musician, culture bearer, and community organizer who has spent my entire life navigating the U.S.-Mexico border. Born in the binational metroplex of El Paso/Juárez, I studied classical guitar in college—inspired by the legacy of my grandfather, a renowned trumpet player. After moving to San Diego County in the late 1980s, I spent decades working in library science while simultaneously building an acclaimed career as a folkloric, classical, and trova musician. Around 2007, I immersed myself in Son Jarocho, a participatory Afro-Indigenous music tradition of resistance from Veracruz, Mexico. In 2023, I was awarded a Grammy for my participation with the Conga Patria Collective and Arturo O’Farrill and the afro Latin Jazz Orchestra in the album Fandango at the Wall live in New York in the category of Latin Jazz.
Join a team of volunteers and influencers supporting art and artists.