Ph.D. Ethnomusicology, University of British Columbia (2014)
Juan Diego Díaz is an ethnomusicologist with a geographic
research interest in Africa and its diaspora, particularly Brazil
and West Africa. He explores how African diasporic musics
circulate and transform across the Atlantic and how they serve
individuals and communities in identity formation.
Luis “Tito” Talamantes holds a bachelor of professional
studies in interdisciplinary music studies from Berklee College
of Music and has been a Mariachi educator for Stockton Unified
School District for over six years. His ensembles have been
invited to the White House (2016), performed at the Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts (2018), and have placed in many
national competitions.
Brian Rice is a highly acclaimed performer, educator, and
recording artist and one of the most versatile percussionists in
the Bay Area. Though best known as a specialist in Brazilian and
Cuban music, he can be heard playing a multitude of styles,
and his percussion playing graces over sixty recordings.