THE CAST AND CREW

The Cast

Benny (born Bayardo) Velarde (percussion, bandleader)((September 6, 1929 - August 31, 2015) was born in Panama City, Panama. He hit the San Francisco music scene in 1945 and was a founding member the Cal Tjader Quintet.  He  recorded six albums with the Tjader Quintet. In the 1960’s he lead  Benny Velarde Y Su Panchangeros  which delighted mambo dancers at hotspots such as Oakland’s California Hotel and San Francisco’s Copacabana. His last ensemble Benny Velarde Y Su Supercombo rolled out cha cha   and mambos at Bay Area clubs for over 40 years. Yolanda Pachanga appears on Salsa De La Bahia Vol 1, the two CD anthology which is a companion to The Last Mambo.

Bobi Céspedes (singer, percussionist) Cuban-born performer  and Yoruba-Lucumi priestess carries on a centuries-old tradition of Afro-Cuban singing and drumming.  In the 1980s she settled in the Bay Area and co-founded Conjunto Céspedes, a 12 piece, ground breaking Latin band. Her work with Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum & Bembé Orisha bands introduced her to an even wider audience. Céspedes  went on to record several solo albums.  Her composition Un Mensaje A Lola appears on Salsa De La Bahia Vol 2, the two CD anthology which is a companion to The Last Mambo.

Celicia “Ceci” Chevere (November 22, 1934-March 10, 2012)  was born to a large working class family in Carpenteria, California and moved to the Bay Area in the mid-1940s. Ms. Chevere was an avid dancer from the time  she snuck into Oakland’s Sweet’s Ballroom in 1948. During the 1990’s she hosted “LTV”, a cable television show which highlighted Bay Area Latin dance, music and culture. Her boundless energy and optimism prompted her grandchildren to nickname her “Granny Go-Go.”

Cesar Ascarrunz (pianist, bandleader,  producer) Bolivian born Cesar Ascarrunz was the granddaddy of the Bay Area Latin music scene. For over 20 years he ran Cesar’s Latin Palace, San Francisco’s mecca for Salsa and Latin Jazz.  The club had a stellar house band of local musicians and attracted  a who’s who of Afro Cuban music titans. “I hosted some great bands like Tito Puente, who played 10 times, Ray Barretto, Jose Fajardo, Celia Cruz, Hector Lavoe and others,” Ascarrunz says. “The capacity of the place was 500 people, but I used to pack 1,000 in there.”

Chata Gutierrez (historian, radio host)[March 4, 1953- December 17, 2013] was born and raised in San Francisco. For nearly 40 years, Gutierrez hosted “Con Clave” the Bay Area’s longest running salsa music show on independent radio station KPOO 89.5 FM. Chata’s weekly broadcasts (now called “En Clave”) showcased her extensive knowledge of Latin ethnomusicology, culture and politics. Gutierrez garnered the renowned Tom Donahue Radio Award for best program in 1997. In 2001 she landed a Special Recognition Award from the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. In 2015 a dynamic mural dedicated to Chata was unveiled on a wall facing west at the corner of 24th and South Van Ness in San Francisco’s Mission District—a posthumous tribute to her passion and spirit.

Chuy Varela (music director, radio host, musicologist, journalist) Bay area native attended Cal State Hayward where he studied music and later mass communications, including  print, TV and radio. He launched his professional career by working  at the college’s cafeteria radio station with KCSM’s Clifford Brown Jr. and Keith Hines.  Since 1980, Chuy has worked at numerous radio stations including KBBF in Santa Rosa,  KPFA (music director) and KJAZ ( production assistant, recording engineer.) In the mid-80’s, Chuy came to KCSM  91.1FM and has continuously hosted ‘Latin Jazz,” a popular Sunday afternoon program which features vintage and contemporary Salsa and Afro Cuban music. In 2000, he became KCSM’s Music Director and began co-hosting Jazz in the Afternoon with KCSM Program Director Melanie Berzon He also overseeing the incorporation of the KJAZ library and the digitization of its vinyl LPs. As a journalist, he has contributed liner notes to many albums (including Salsa De La Bahia) and reviews to various publications including the San Francisco Chronicle, Latin Beat and JazzTimes. chuyvarela.com

David Belove (bass) a native of Kansas City,  moved to the Bay Area in the 1980s. Belove’s hard rocking bass has performed with  a numerous Latin and mainstream Jazz artists including Benny Velarde, Pete Escovedo, Machete Ensemble, Claudia Villlela, Joe Henderson and Max Roach. Belove currently conducts the Salsa Ensemble music class at the Berkeley’s Jazzschool(now known as the California Jazz Conservatory). Belove continues to perform regularly with Edgardo Cambon Y Su Candela and the Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet.

Elena Pinderhughes (flute, saxophone, piano, vocals) Berkeley native surrounded by the Latin music since she was a baby. When it became clear that Elena was a gifted musical talent, her parents, university professors, arranged for her to study with some of the East Bay’s most talented Latin jazz, jazz, and classical musicians have taught the siblings, including Jackeline Rago, Guillermo Cespedes and Josh Jones, among others. They studied music at La Peña, were members of the Young Musicians Program practiced and performed at the Jazzschool, and had regular gigs at Cheeseboard Pizza. Both Elena and Samora played in Berkeley High’s prestigious jazz program. Elena has also studied classical flute with the San Francisco Jazz Program. She recorded numerous albums including The Transformations Suite composed and produced by her equally talented brother Samora.

Edgardo Cambon (percussion, vocals, composer, bandleader, producer) was born in Montevideo, Uruguay and moved to the Bay Area in 1987. Cambon, largely self-taught has performed and toured throughout South America, Europe and Africa. He has appeared at the Havana Jazz and Benny Moré Festivals. Cambon has performed and/or recorded with artists such as “Chucho” Valdes (Irakere), Carlos Santana, Joan Baez, Claudia Gomez, Keith Terry), Omar Sosa, Mark Levine, Jeff Narell, Andy Narell, Sovosó, Michael Spiro, Rebeca Mauleon, Johnny Rodriguez and Armando Peraza. Cambon currently leads three salsa/Latin jazz ensembles including Candela, Latido and Montuno Swing,. His compositions Yo Vino A Bailar La Salsa and Madre Rumba, Padre Son appear on Salsa De La Bahia Vol 1, the  two CD anthology which is a companion to The Last Mambo. musicandela.com

Emiliano Echeverria (music scholar, radio host, historian, author) is a renowned Cuban music historian.  His collection of vintage vinyl recordings of Afro-Latin music, history and culture is legendary. He has produced hundreds of radio programs featuring Cuban and other Latin American music, and these programs continue on KPFA-FM, KPOO-FM, and online with Radio Cuba Canta.

Francesca Rivera ( ethnomusicologist, instructor ) has written and  lectured about  music, cultural Aathropology and Latin American Studies. Her research areas have included: genre labeling in expressive cultures, culture bearers, post-colonial nationalist movements, mestiz@/mixed-race identity formations, and alternative music pedagogies that maximize the agency of young musicians. She received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, M.A. from UC Berkeley,. She is currently program and curriculum co-ordinator  at U.C. Berkeley.

Herman Bosset (historian, producer and dancer.) a California native grew up in Berkeley. He spent his youth hanging out with his uncle Saunders King, Blues guitarist and bandleader, soaking up the music at Fillmore District night spots. "As a young man  growing up in the Bay Area, I learned very quick from my Grandmother the importance of the consciousness from the soil... "Ritmo Para La Vida". (Rhythm For Life). “My knowledge and spirit came from two very important people in my life, Carlos Federico and Pete Escovedo. They inspired me not only with their music but their spirit. When you dance to their music, any negative emotions or experiences melted away.”

Jesus Diaz (multi-instumentalist, singer, bandleader, educator)Cuban born percussionist and vocalist Jesus Diaz arrived in the Bay Area music scene from Habana in the 1980s. Díaz has established himself as one of the most in-demand performers and studio musicians worldwide. He  has performed or recorded with numerous artists including Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, Andy Narrell, Dizzy Gillespie, Bobbie Womack, Caribbean Jazz Project, Planet Drum, Pete Escovedo / Sheila E, José Luis Quintana "Changuito", Giovanni Hidalgo, Rebecca Mauleón & Round Trip, Omar Sosa,  John Calloway, and Conjunto Céspedes. In the late ’90s Mr. Diaz became a bandleader and founder of QBA, a powerhouse dance band which specializes in the hard-grooving Havana style known as timba. As an educator, he has conducted numerous  clinics and workshops at  Berklee College of Music, SFJAZZ, Stanford Jazz Workshop, Drummers Collective NY, and Jazz Camp West. He has contributed to various Warner Brothers instructional books and videos. For more instructional videos, please visit congamasterclass.com.  His compositions   Jardinero and Dormido En El Metro appear on Salsa De La Bahia Vol 1, the two CD anthology which is a companion to The Last Mambo.

John Calloway Ph.D.(multi-instrumentalist, bandleader,, composer, educator) John Calloway, a Bay Area native,  is a multi-talented artist who has over 40 years of experience as a professional musician. He has performed with renowned jazz artists Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Max Roach, and Omar Sosa. He has lead  his own ensembles and projects as well as collaborated and performed with John Santos, Marcus Shelby, Wayne Wallace and many others. ​His recording credits as a performer and composer include his two CD projects, Diaspora and The Code, and longtime collaborations with John Santos, Jesus Diaz, and Omar Sosa. Calloway has taught in the San Francisco Unified School District and  San Francisco State University. He is the music director and co-founder of the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco.   Mr. Calloway holds a M.A. in music education from San Francisco State University and a Doctorate in Education from the University of San Francisco. His composition Velero Sin Timon appear on Salsa De La Bahia Vol 1, the two CD anthology which is a companion to The Last Mambo. johncalloway.com

John Santos (percussionist, bandleader, composer, educator) Multi-time Grammy-nominated percussionist and US Artists Fontanals Fellow, John Santos, is one of the foremost exponents of Afro-Latin music in the world today.  Born in San Francisco, John was raised in the Puerto Rican and Cape Verdean musical traditions of his family. The culturally rich artistic environment of the Mission District shaped his career and lead to his studies of Afro-Latin music in New York, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Brazil and Colombia. Over the years his bands (Tipica Cienfuegos, Batahchanga, Machete Ensemble and his current quintet) embody his innovative use of traditional forms and instruments in combination with contemporary music. Renowned as a composer, teacher, writer and musicologist, John has been consultant to the Smithsonian and regularly holds workshops at The Jazzschool, Museum of the African Diaspora and Jazz Camp West.His compositions Ponme A Gozar and Café Con Leche appear on Salsa De La Bahia Vol 1, the two CD anthology which is a companion to The Last Mambo. johnsantos.com

José Francisco Barroso (dancer, choreographer, educator), is regarded as among the foremost authorities on Afro-Cuban dance, music, and folklore.  He was  born in Havana, enveloped in Cuba’s rich artistic and spiritual environment. As a youngster Mr.Barroso danced popular Cuban styles( son, casino, rueda,rumba), folkloric styles as well as hip-hop and break dance.  Discovered dancing on Havana streets, Barroso was mentored by director of Cuba’s Compania Folklorica Raices Profundas, Juan de Dios Ramos, and rapidly began his professional career in Afro-Cuban dance.  Mr. Barroso has been honored with numerous awards and grants including the Isadora Duncan Dance Award (2006),  California Arts Council Artist-In-Residence Grant (1995-2001)and ACTA Living Cultures Grant Program (2006). Mr.Barroso has taught at several universities and colleges such as Stanford University, California State University Sacramento, San Jose State University, Humboldt State University, San Francisco State University, New College of San Francisco, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Laney College, and Mills College and continues teaching extremely popular classes for children and adults. obakoso.org

Jose Ruiz (D.J., radio host), born in Matagalpa, Nicaragua,   has immersed himself in music for over 40 years.  Since he arrived in the  Bay Area in the 1980’s, Ruiz has a popular host for long running programs like “Ritmos De Las America” on KPFA 94.1.  FM. He has been a sought after D.J. for a long list of  Bay Area’s Salsa and Latin Jazzs (e.g. Kimball’s Carnival, Mr. E’s,El Rio, The Seahorse). In 2011 Ruiz  came on board as co-host (with Chata Gutierrez) for “En Clave” the Bay Area’s longest running salsa music show on KPOO 89.5 FM. Ruiz’s extensive knowledge and reverence for tonalities and textures  from  the U.S., Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and beyond make him a vibrant music ambassador and educator.

Kat Parra, a long time resident of San Jose, CA , is gifted vocalist and composer.  Since she  quit her job as a graphic designer at Cisco Systems, Inc. to pursue her passion for music and she’s never looked back. Since then the award-winning composer has released four critically acclaimed CDs, has performed in Amsterdam, Brazil and Mexico as well as top-tier venues throughout the United States, earned the designation “Best Latin Jazz Vocalist of 2010 and 2008” by Latin Jazz Corner, and received a 2008 nomination for “Latin Jazz Album of the Year” from the Jazz Journalists Association.In addition to singing fluently in English, Spanish and Portuguese, Kat has the rare ability to sing in the dying language of Ladino, or Judeo-Spanish, which enables her to interpret Sephardic music (Music of the Spanish Jews) faithfully.  Her musical offerings embrace a diverse array of harmonies--from classical music, salsa music, afro-cuban, middle-eastern, afro-peruvian and all the way to the ancient sounds of Sephardic music.  Her composition Dame La Llave appears on Salsa De La Bahia Vol 2, the two CD anthology which is a companion to The Last Mambo.  katparra.com

Louie Romero (percussionist, bandleader, and educator) has appeared on five gold records and two platinum records. Born in Brooklyn, he began playing percussion at the age of seven, inspired by his father and his parents’ extensive record collection. Louie began appearing on the New York salsa scene in the 1960s. His professional career took off when in 1967; famous trombonist and bandleader Willie Colón asked Louie to join his band.  Since then Louie has played with Fania orchestras and shared the stage with Latin music and jazz icons like Hector Lavoe, Ruben Blades and Paquito D’Rivera.  After moving to the Bay Area in the 1980s and Louie formed his own group Mazacote in 1994, which quickly gained a reputation as one of San Francisco’s finest salsa bands.  “Lou’s Afro-Cuban Blues” a selection from Mazacote’s album appears on Salsa De La Bahia Vol 1, the two CD anthology which is a companion to The Last Mambo  mazacote.com

Luis Medina (D.J. radio host, producer, M.C.), raised in San Francisco’s Mission District, Medina is the music director at KPFA Pacifica Radio 98.5 FM. His weekly radio program Con Sabor. Medina keeps the listeners pumped up with a lively mix of salsa, Latin jazz, Afro Cuban and Afro Caribbean music. As a sought after M.C., Medina has worked with the San Francisco Carnival, the San Francisco Jazz Festival, SF Jazz Spring Season and the Stern Grove Festival. His awards include the 1999 Espiritu De La Musica Latina award and the Lifetime Achievement award for radio excellence presented at the 2002 San Francisco Salsa Congress. Medina was a featured interviewer in the music documentary Cachao – Uno Mas produced by Andy Garcia.

Orestes Vilató (percussionist, bandleader, educator) Born in Camagüey, Cuba in 1944, Grammy nominated  Orestes Vilató is one of the most influential figures in the world of Latin percussion. His unique style on the Cuban timbales has graced the stage and recording studios of a diverse array of artists, from Aretha Franklin, Carlos  Santana, Ray Barretto, Rubén Blades to Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco. He was a member of the internationally known Fania All-Stars and is a founding member of Tipica 73 and Los Kimbos. Since relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1981, Orestes has been pivotal force in the evolution of numerous groups such as Batachanga, John Santos and the Machete Ensemble and the John Santos Quintet. As a educator, Mr. Vilató has conducted workshops at  prestigious music institutions such as has Stanford University, UCLA, The Berklee College of Music and the University of Anchorage.  Toca Vilato a selection from his Grammy nominated  album “It’s About Time” appears on Salsa De La Bahia Vol 1, the two CD anthology which is a companion to The Last Mambo. orestesvilato.com 

Pete Escovedo (percussionist, singer, bandleader) born in Pittsburgh, CA,  is the patriarch of Bay Area Latin jazz. His over 60 year career took off in the 1950’s with Carlos Federico’s ensemble and later The Escovedo Brothers Latin Jazz Sextet at the California Hotel in Oakland. In the 70’s he joined Carlos Santana and later founded his own groundbreaking Latin jazz rock ensemble, Azteca. Over the years his ensembles have nurtured generations of Bay Area musicians including his immensely talented family ( daughter Sheila, and sons, Juan and Peter Michael.) He has performed with  countless other notables  including Herbie Hancock, Woody Herman, Cal Tjader and Tito Puente. He continues to lead Pete Escovedo and his Latin Jazz Orchestra  often sharing the stage with his talented children. His composition Muito Obrigado appears on Salsa De La Bahia Vol 2, the two CD anthology which is a companion to The Last Mambo.  Also a talented painter, Escovedo’s artwork graces the CD covers and liner notes of Salsa De La Bahia Vol 1 and 2 peteescovedo.com

Rebeca Mauleón (multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, composer, Grammy-nominated producer, author, and educator) born in Santa Monica, CA, Mauleón grew up in the Bay Area music scene during the 1970’s and brings her more than 30 years of experience to her prolific career.   She has recorded with Grammy-winning legends including Tito Puente, Carlos Santana, Steve Winwood, Joe Henderson and Mickey Hart.  Mauleón’s solo releases Round Trip, Latin Fire and Descarga en California have garnered international critical acclaimed.  Her diverse compositional projects have ranged from symphonic works and Afro-Cuban jazz to music for film, television and computer software companies. In 2008 she was honored by the San Francisco Jazz Festival with its Beacon Award for artistic excellence and dedication to the community. In 2009 Mauleón received a Latin Grammy Nomination for her production of Orestes Vilató’s It’s About Time. She authored the critically acclaimed Salsa Guidebook and 101 Montunos, and is also musicological consultant to National Geographic, Time Life and regular contributor to music industry magazines, including JazzTimes, Keyboard,  Modern Drummer, and Bass Player. In 2011 Mauleon was appointed as Director of Education at SFJAZZ. Mauleon is a tenured professor of Latin American music, composition and Latin jazz piano at City College of San Francisco as well as an internationally sought-after as a lecturer and clinician on the subject of Latin American and Afro-Caribbean music history and performance. rebecamauleon.com

Roger Glenn This New York City born and raised Latin jazz master got his start listening to his father, Tyree Glenn, play trombone and vibraphone with Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong.  Roger was later able to perform with his father to perfect the skills necessary to create his own sound that makes him a great solo artist.   Now living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Roger spends part of his time performing on the West Coast and the rest of his time concertizing in Europe.  Roger’s flute playing is featured on the Grammy Award-winning Cal Tjader CD La Onda Va Bien, as well as many notable CDs by Donald Byrd, Peaches and Herb, Bobby Hutcherson, and Mongo Santamaria.

Today, he works with many different musicians, including Steve Miller, John Handy, Ray Obiedo, Jamie Davis, James Carter, Poncho Sanchez, Lavay Smith, Leon Joyce, Jr. and Pete Escovedo, Cesar’s Latin All-Stars and the Roger Glenn Latin Jazz Ensemble. He is an extremely versatile musician and can  plays sax, flute, vibes, clarinet, oboe, and many Latin hand percussion instruments. He has performed at venues all over the world, and has gained the respect of many musicians, critics, and audiences alike.

Selma Abinader (dancer, teacher) a native of Carmichael, West Virginia moved to the Bay Area in the 1989 and enjoys dancing Lindy Hop, tango and Salsa. She is also the founder of The Abinader Group)  consultation firm which has assisted government agencies, education and funding institutions and non-profit groups for many years.

Sylvia Ramirez is a web producer and social media professional and co-founder and co-director of the Latin Jazz Youth ensemble of San Francisco (LJYE-SF).  Her extensive role with the LJYE-SF includes writing and managing internal and external multimedia communications including CD graphics and liner notes; edit and curate all website content; overseeing all media relations, managing social media marketing, and coordinate the groups performances and events. She has worked at Riera Digital as a consultant on web content, social media marketing, and multimedia content integration for clients. She has also served as web producer for the News at KRON 4 TV.  She is avid supporter of Latin Jazz music performance and education for all ages.

Wayne Wallace (trombone, keyboards, vocals, bandleader, composer, producer, educator), a San Francisco native, is a seven-time Grammy-nominee. He is an accomplished arranger, educator, and composer of numerous compositions for film and television. Wallace has performed, recorded and studied with a stellar array of masters of Afro-Latin and jazz idioms such as Aretha Franklin, Bobby Hutchison, Earth Wind and Fire, Pete Escovedo, Santana, Julian Priester, Conjunto Libre, Whitney Houston, Tito Puente, Steve Turre, John Lee Hooker, Con-funk-shun, Francisco Aguabella, Manny Oquendo and Libre, Max Roach, and Orestes Vilató. Mr. Wallace is widely respected as a teacher and historian who has taught at  San Jose State University, Stanford University and the Jazzschool in Berkeley. He is currently  a professor of practice in jazz studies and jazz trombone at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. In 2006, Wallace launched Patois Records, his own record label and has released numerous  recordings. He  produced  Salsa De La Bahia Volume 1 and Volume 2,  groundbreaking anthologies of Afro-Cuban music from San Francisco Bay Area Salsa and Latin Jazz bands.  Mr. Wallace composed three new songs for these anthologies  which feature Latin music giants Orestes Vilató, John Santos, Jesus Diaz, John Calloway, and Benny Velarde. walacomusic.com

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Anthony Blea Y Su Charanga, Arturo Riera, Avance, Ava Apple, Avotjca, Arturo Riera, Carlos Caro, City College of San Francisco,  Colin Douglas, Eastbay Media Center,  Edgardo Cambon Y Su Candela,  Elena Pinderhughes, Ivette Fuentes, Karl Perazzo,  La Orquesta Moderna Tradicion, Lester Washington, Marco Diaz, Mazacote, Michael Spiro, Murray Low, Pacific Mambo Orchestra, Ryan Mead and Sidney Weaverling (Rueda Con Ritmo), Sandy Cressman, Saul Sierra, Steve Friedman, Triology Recording Studios.

The Crew - About the Filmmakers

Rita Hargrave – Director/Producer/Writer
Rita is dancer, dancer teacher and dance historian and geriatric psychiatrist.  She is the founder of SalsaRoots.com - The Heart and Soul of Salsa,  San Francisco Bay Area based website devoted to the Afro-Cuban, Afro-Puerto Rican and African American roots of salsa dancing. This is her first feature film.

Reginald D. Brown – Co-director, Co-producer/Writer
Reginald D. Brown is a Director member of the Directors Guild of America, Inc. and an accomplished Television Writer in the Writers Guild of America, west. His Reginald Brown Productions is a Signatory Company with the Directors Guild of America, Inc and SAG/AFTRA.

Currently, he is serving as a Co-writer and Co-Director on The Last Mambo, A historical documentary about the evolution of Latin Jazz and Salsa Dance Fanatics in the San Francisco Bay area.

Reginald is the Writer/Producer/Director of A Profile in Courage: Linda L. Smith, a documentary about the CEO and founder of Four-D College, the only African American owned Vocational Nursing School in the State of California.  It is Based on Ms. Smith’s 3 Volume Journal, “Love Letters To The Lord.” 

Reginald produced and directed the Award Winning Witness to a Dream, a feature documentary about Universal Publishing Music Executive Tom Sturges and the Los Angeles based Foshay Learning Center Choir.

Manuel Tsingaris - Editor
Manuel has been an editor for over twenty years consistently bringing an intuitive sense of story telling and a deft aesthetic style to films that are placed in his hands. A believer in the writer's adage, "you get to the head through the heart", to Manuel, the story is paramount. This was recognized in 2014 after editing the feature documentary Alive Inside when it was honored with the Audience Award for Best Documentary at Sundance.Other recent works include, The Latino Americans, a 6-hour PBS mini-series retelling US history through a Latin lens which won a Peabody Award, and the award winning documentary, Purgatorio, a poetic fable exploring the beauty and brutality of the US/Mexico Border. Most recently, Dogtown Redemption, a film about the homeless recycling community in West Oakland, was featured nationwide on PBS/Independent Lens.

Paul Kealoha Blake – Producer/Videographer/Editor
Paul is  a Hawaiian storyteller, independent producer and co-founder of East Bay Media Center, a 501(c)3 Non-profit Corporation established in Berkeley, California in 1980. The. By providing technical and educational media needs to communities in the East Bay, In 1991, Paul with co-founder Mel Valpour launched the Berkeley Video and Film Festival.  Paul is a tireless educator and Media advocate for community involvement, especially for marginalized youth and minorities. He has an extensive history in the production and promotion of documentary films.

Wayne Wallace – Associate Producer/Trombonist/Composer/Arranger
Five-time Grammy nominee, WAYNE WALLACE, is one of the most respected exponents of African American-Latin music in the world today. He is known for the use of traditional forms and styles in combination with contemporary music, and has earned recognition with his recent placement in the Downbeat Critics Polls under the trombone and producer categories.  Mr. Wallace is an accomplished arranger, educator, and composer with compositions for film and television. He has also received grants from the Creative Work Fund, the National Endowments for the Arts,the Lila Wallace Foundation, and the San Francisco Arts Commission. Mr. Wallace has performed, recorded and studied with acknowledged masters of the Afro-Latin and jazz idioms such as Aretha Franklin, Bobby Hutcherson, Earth Wind and Fire, Pete Escovedo, Santana, Julian Priester, Conjunto Libre, Whitney Houston,Tito Puente, Steve Turre, John Lee Hooker, Con-funk-shun, Francisco Aguabella, Manny Oquendo and Libre, Max Roach, the Count Basie Orchestra and Orestes Vilató.

Jesse “Chuy” Varela – Special Consultant
Chuy is the music director at KCSM FM 91, the Bay Area’s jazz station, and has written for the SF Chronicle, Latin Beat, Jazz Times and numerous other publications.

Michael DeLorenzo – Narrator
Michael DeLorenzo is a multi-talented veteran of the entertainment industry. Born and raised in Bronx, New York, he began performing as a young dancer with Tina Ramirez's Ballet Hispanico. Michael has received scholarships from the School of American Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, and the New York School of Ballet. He danced alongside Rudolph Nureyev with the National Ballet of Canada, as well as with Mikhail Baryshnikov and the American Ballet Theatre. Due to a serious knee injury while dancing, Michael was forced to leave the world of professional ballet. He took the circumstance as an opportunity to jump into the world of acting. Michael is an alumnus of the Lincoln Square Academy and the Manhattan-based High School of the Performing Arts, made famous in the film and television series Fame.

Michael is a multi-talented musician. He is a vocalist, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. Michael’s songs appear in various soundtracks and his debut music album was titled Rescue Me. Michael is currently in the studio creating new music for his next upcoming album. michaeldelorenzo.com