SongRoutes – Veracruz

INSTRUCTORS

Miguel Eduardo Zequeira

Miguel Eduardo Zequeira Palacio is a Cuban-born choral conductor, pedagogue, pianist, and arranger currently based in Mexico, recognized for his solid academic background and multifaceted artistic career. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music with a specialization in Choral Conducting from the University of the Arts (ISA) in Havana, and a Master’s degree in Music from Universidad Veracruzana, establishing a rigorous academic profile.

His training is further enriched by postgraduate studies, international masterclasses, and specialized workshops in choral conducting, vocal technique, and performance practice, shaping a comprehensive and versatile musical perspective. As a performer, he has been an active choral singer since an early stage in his career, including his participation in the prestigious Cuban choir Exaudi under the direction of María Felicia Pérez. He has also engaged in Cuban popular music, an experience that deepens his stylistic awareness and interpretative approach.

Professionally, Zequeira has built an extensive teaching career in renowned institutions across Cuba and Mexico, instructing in choral conducting, vocal technique, repertoire, and piano. His pedagogical work is characterized by a thoughtful and practice-oriented approach, focused on the holistic development of musicians. In addition, his work as a choral arranger—particularly in Cuban popular music—adds a distinctive creative dimension to his artistic profile.

As a conductor, he has led the Coro Juvenil Cantus and the Male Choir of the National School of Music in Cuba, and has established a strong presence in the Mexican choral scene, collaborating as assistant conductor of the Camerata Coral at the Faculty of Music of Universidad Veracruzana. He has also participated in major symphonic-choral productions, including large-scale works such as Carmina Burana and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8. He currently directs Estudio Coral Ayotli, an ensemble through which he promotes musically diverse and expressively rich programs, fostering the choral experience as a meaningful space for human and cultural connection.

Doris Ortiz Barragán

Doris Ortiz Barragán, known as Doris, the Queen of Bolero, is one of the most recognized voices of bolero music in Veracruz. With a career spanning more than 47 years, she began at the age of 14 with the Popular Music Orchestra of the University of Veracruz.

Throughout her career, she has performed on national and international stages, becoming a leading figure in the genre and one of its most passionate advocates. Her work goes beyond simply performing: she embraces bolero as a life's mission, promoting its preservation among new generations through concerts, tributes, and cultural projects. Her work has earned her numerous awards in the field of traditional Mexican music.

Ik'Balam Castillo

Ik'Balam is a musician, composer, and arranger. He is the first person in Mexico to study a jazz program focused on the requinto jarocho at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

He is the author of the book *Musical Identities: Similarities between Jazz and Son Jarocho*, published by the University of Guadalajara Press.

He has released five albums of original material, which he has presented in Mexico, Colombia, Spain, France, Belgium, Italy, and the United States, where he has participated in the visiting artists program of the Latin Jazz Department at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Jesús Bello

Jesús Bello hails from a small village called San Gregorio in the south-central part of Villa Clara province. Born into a farming family, he was always surrounded by musicians. His maternal grandfather played the tres and the button accordion, his great-uncle the marímbula, and his mother sang. It was in this atmosphere of small family gatherings called parrandas that his deep connection to Cuban son and many other genres of traditional music was born, music he has always championed.

In 1976, he began studying music at the "Olga Alonso" Provincial School of Arts. After completing the elementary level specializing in percussion, he enrolled in the School of Art Instructors, specializing in ensemble conducting, and was part of the school's second graduating class in 1983. Jesús has combined his life as a professional musician with teaching. Among his achievements are winning the Cuban national competition "Sonero del Año" as a singer, touring the world several times with the renowned Cuban lute master Barbarito Torres of the Buena Vista Social Club, and serving as lead vocalist for seven years with the acclaimed Cuban son group Sierra Maestra. You can watch Jesús sing HERE.

He has released several albums throughout his various career stages.

While he has achieved fame as a vocalist, Jesús is a talented multi-instrumentalist and has taught music at the Félix Varela Pedagogical University in Villa Clara for over 20 years, as well as at the Samuel Feijoó School of Arts in Santa Clara.

One of his recent projects, which has garnered national recognition, is the formation of a student group in the traditional charanga style. He currently directs Raíces, a son group from Villa Clara.

Rafael Figueroa

Rafael Figueroa holds a PhD in History and Regional Studies from the University of Veracruz. He specializes in the study of Veracruz popular music, focusing on two main aspects: Afro-Caribbean music and son jarocho. He has published over twenty works on popular music from the Caribbean region and son jarocho, and has produced more than twenty CDs dedicated to son jarocho and its verses. He has received research support from various institutions, including the Veracruz Institute of Culture, the National Fund for Culture and the Arts, the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, and the Rockefeller Foundation, among others. He is a radio commentator and producer, and has also produced and written television programs about Caribbean music and son jarocho. His current projects include coordinating the Son Jarocho Studies Network and its ongoing seminar. In 2019, he published the e-book Discografía Jarocha (Jarocho Discography). An audio guide to son jarocho based on its recordings, the result of his research, with support from the Program for the Promotion of Cultural Projects and Conversions of the National Fund for Culture and the Arts. He is the compiler of the book General Discography of Son Jarocho in the United States.