Toté la Momposina

Totd la Momposina’s entire life has been dedicated to representing the music
of Colombia‘s Caribbean coastline. As a child, the conflict of la Violencia
forced her family to flee their home and move to Bogota. La Momposina
emerged as a promising singer in the 1950s and formed her own band in the
1960s. She began touring internationally a decade later and cemented her
global fame in the 1990s with a WOMAD tour across three continents, the
release of La Candela Viva, and the many international shows and recordings that followed.

La Momposina continues to work tirelessly to promote the music of her homeland, driven by
passion and the simple joy of performance. She has received the Latin Recording Academy'’s Lifetime
Achievement Award and the WOMEX Lifetime Achievement Award. Her latest album, Tambolero, is
a re-creation of La Candela Viva.

 

Ménica Giraldo

Ménica Giraldo walks two paths: one takes her deeper into the heart of
Colombian music's traditional rhythms, and the other leads away, following
melodies and harmonies from around the world. Giraldo was nominated
for Best New Artist at the 2008 Latin Grammy Awards after releasing two
independent albums, Muy Cerca and Todo da Vueltas. Her latest aloum is
2014's Que Venga la Vida. In addition to her Berklee degree, Giraldo has an
architecture degree from Universidad de los Andes in Bogoté4, Colombia.

 

Marco Vinicio Oyaga

Marco Vinicio Oyaga Basanta is a percussionist who was born in Bogota,
Colombia, and is the son of Sonia Bazanta “Toté la Momposina.” He has
worked as a professional musician for more than 35 years and is the current
musical director and arranger for Toté la Momposina y sus Tambores. In 2002,
he was nominated for the Latin Grammy for his arrangement of “La Cumbia
Herida"” from the album PACANTO.

 

Oscar Stagnaro, Academic Director for Berklee Latino and the Artistic
Director for ALAEMUS
Oscar Stagnaro, originally from Peru, studied at the Conservatory of Music in
Lima, Peru. He worked extensively doing studio work and live performances
with many international artists and local bands before moving to the United
States in 1979.

Since then, Stagnaro has been an active performer and one of the most
versatile bass players on the East Coast. His mastery of playing different music styles from jazz and

 

fusion to Latin jazz, Brazilian jazz, and South American music has helped him travel the world
performing with the very best Latin jazz artists. Stagnaro has been performing with Paquito D'Rivera
since 1992 and is the winner of four Grammys.

Stagnaro has been an professor at Berklee since 1988, where he teaches privates lessons,
workshops, and ensembles. He's been largely responsible for the school’s development of Latin
education, instituting several courses on Latin and world bass styles. He is also the advisor for Latin
Studies minor at Berklee; coordinator for the Latin Music and Culture Celebration at Berklee;
director of Berklee's Association of Latin Faculty; and author of the Latin Bass Book (Sher Music).