Jackeline Rago is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator focused on her native Venezuelan folk music and diverse Latin American and Caribbean traditions. Holding a BA in music and certified as an Orff music teacher, Jackeline serves as the musical director for two prominent Bay Area bands, the “Venezuelan Music Project” and the “VNote Ensemble.” Additionally, she plays an essential role in shaping musical education as the head of the lower school music program at Park Day School in Oakland, California. With over 25 years of experience as a performer and workshop leader, Jackeline has left her musical imprint nationally and internationally, having conducted workshops and performances in countries such as the USA, Canada, Costa Rica, Japan, Spain, Finland, Thailand, Venezuela, Brazil, St Croix, Barbados, and Ghana. A significant milestone in her career was the honor of participating in Jon Batiste’s premiere of the American Symphony at Carnegie Hall in New York in September 2022.

Alejo Cordero, was born on April 25, 1995, in Cali, Colombia. At the age of four, he moved to San Martin de Los Llanos. It was there, at the age of ten, that he discovered the bandola guitar, an instrument that has since become his life’s passion. While he is the only musician in his family, his father, who was the director of the house of culture at the time, played a significant role in shaping his musical interests.

Alejo quickly became a highly skilled bandola player and started participating in national festivals, consistently achieving first place. His talent caught the attention of Carlos “Cuco” Rojas, the director of the Cimarron band. From 2012 to 2016, Alejo played the Cuatro Venezolano and the bandola in the band, taking part in 11 international tours to France, India, the USA, Mexico, Nicaragua, San Salvador, Uruguay, Argentina, and Colombia.

After his Cimarrón’s experience, Alejo enrolled at the Francisco José de Caldas District University to study music at the ASAB arts faculty. In early 2017, he joined Palo Cruzao, winners of the Latin Grammy 2016, and toured various regions of Colombia, including Valle del Cauca, Tolima, Cundinamarca, and Meta. He also performed at international festivals such as the Harp Festival in Veracruz Mexico, and the Sunfest Festival in Canada.

Throughout his musical career, Alejo has worked as a music theory and instrumental language pedagogue, facilitated Llanero music workshops, provided musical advice, and worked as a session musician. He has performed at prestigious venues like the Movistar Arena (Bogotá, Colombia), the Julio Mario Santo Domingo Theater, the Colón Theater, and the Sergio Arboleda University Auditorium.

In 2017, Alejo received his first academic scholarship to study contemporary music technique at the School of Music, Media, Audio, and Technology (EMMAT). During his academic program, he obtained a second scholarship to study at Berklee Latino in Bogotá, where he later won a third scholarship to attend the Summer Program Guitar Session at Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2019. In 2020, Alejo took an admission exam to earn a Professional Diploma at Berklee College of Music and was awarded a $23,000 scholarship.

In the same year, Alejo collaborated on a song that received a nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the Latin Grammy Awards. This album (“Fonseca and Andres Cepeda, Compadres.”) later won the Latin Grammy Award. Additionally, in 2020, he founded his own music school called Chamarreo, which aims to train new bandola players with a more universal concept of the instrument, preserving its native sound while exploring world music.

Alejo Cordero is the author of the book “Acordes y Escalas para Bandola Llanera,” which contains 1104 chord diagrams and 840 scale diagrams.

As a soloist, Alejo Cordero drew inspiration from great guitarists such as Yamandu Costa and Tommy Emmanuel. With his dream of pursuing a solo career, he relocated to California US, where he currently resides.

Alejo Cordero dedicates his days to developing new sounds and offering his listeners a world music experience. He incorporates various genres into his performances, including classical and South American music. Continually inspired, he creates new music in the hopes of opening doors and introducing the world to a unique and different musical concept of the bandola llanera.