John Santos, percussion and historical/cultural perspectives – http://johnsantos.com

Seven-time Grammy-nominated percussionist John Santos is one of the foremost bandleaders, composers, percussionists, and educators in Jazz and Afro-Latin music. He is known for his innovative use of traditional forms and instruments in combination with contemporary music, and has earned much respect and recognition as a prolific performer, composer, and teacher. He illuminates and illustrates the historical and evolving intersection of Jazz and traditional Afro-Latin music. Santos was founder and director of the Grammy-nominated Machete Ensemble, which released nine critically acclaimed CDs, and he currently directs The John Santos Sextet, which garnered a 4.5 star review in Downbeat Magazine. He is currently part of the faculty at San Francisco State University.

Doug Beavers, brass and arranging – http://www.dougbeavers.com

Multiple Grammy Award winner Doug Beavers has been hailed by critics and fellow musicians as a leading trombonist of his generation and “an arranger of the first-class” (JazzTimes). In 2002, Beavers was asked by Jazz Master Eddie Palmieri to transcribe and arrange the complete repertoire from Palmieri’s historic La Perfecta group of the 1960s. He won a Grammy with Palmieri for the album Listen Here, and just won again with the Spanish Harlem Orchestra at the 2019 ceremony. Beavers has performed, arranged, and recorded for Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Willie Colón, Mingus Big Band, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Paul Simon, and countless others. He currents leads a multi-faceted and active career touring, recording, producing, and engineering for top New York City and world artists. Always a strong advocate for music education, he teaches an extensive number of annual masterclasses and workshops in Mexico and Colombia, and at his studio in New York City with the New York Jazz Workshop.

Brian Andres, drums and percussion – https://www.brianandres.com

Percussionist Brian Andres has performed throughout the US with such artists as Faith Prince, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Leroy "Sugar" Bonner from The Ohio Players, and blues greats Sam Myers and Lonnie Mack. Andres’ interest in Latin music and culture brought him to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he has worked with numerous local Salsa, Afro-Cuban, Latin funk, Latin jazz, and Tex-Mex groups. Andres conducts clinics and lectures on the history and culture of the drum set and percussion in Afro-Cuban music. After spending his career as a sideman, learning and honing his craft, Brian stepped into the role as bandleader of the Afro-Cuban Jazz Cartel, which incorporates the rich harmonic and improvisational elements of jazz with irresistible rhythms from the Caribbean.

Ernesto Mazar Kindelán, bass

Upright bassist Ernesto Mazar Kindelán was born and raised in Santiago de Cuba, where he began to study music at eight years old. In 2004, Ernesto moved to Havana to attend the prestigious University Instituto Superior de Arte, where he graduated with a degree in Classical Double Bass. Since then, Ernesto has traveled the world performing in the Grammy nominated salsa and timba group David Calzado y su Charanga. He has recorded several albums, two of which have won Cubadisco’s Best in Latin Music Album and Most Popular Danceable Album awards.

Carlos Caro, percussion – http://www.carloscaro.net

Percussionist and composer Carlos Caro was born in Havana, Cuba, where he was strongly drawn to Cuban music, and, in particular, to percussion. He began his professional musical career with the group Clave, where he experimented with using a third bongo head, or the "Tri-bongo." He has lived in the Bay Area since 1996 and has become a much sought-after percussionist, working with established Bay Area musicians such as Rebeca Mauleón, Anthony Blea y su Charanga, Jorge Santana, and Orquesta La Moderna Tradicion among many others. Caro has released two albums as composer of his own band, Vission Latina as well as an instructional CD featuring many acclaimed musicians.

Miguelito Martinez, flutist – http://www.miguelitomartinez.com

Composer, flutist, and producer Miguelito Martinez is a vital part of the San Francisco Bay Area's Latin music scene, where he plays salsa and Latin Jazz music. He is the founding director of Corazon Sur, a Mexican-Caribbean fusion ensemble, and co-director of Balamcoatl, a collaborative project focused on diffusing the rich music and dance traditions of the indigenous people of México. Martinez appeared on the Voces del Cambio show on the Discovery Channel and shared his insights on how to use music to integrate immigrant children into their new communities. He was named Best Latin Jazz Flautist of the Year by the Latin Jazz Corner. Martinez works as a music teacher and multicultural arts educator, and was the composer for the Youth in Arts productions Paper Princess and Photosynthesis the Musical, both supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the San Francisco Foundation.