Staff, Faculty, Board Members

Hugo Arroyo: Guitar, Guitarron, Jarana, Voice, Tuba.

Hugo, who began studying guitar with Director Eugene Rodriguez at the age of eight, is now a highly accomplished guitarist, vocalist, jaranero, and tuba player among other things. Hugo has been teaching, Guitar, Jarana and voice since 1995. He was featured at age 14 on Los Lobos' Grammy nominated record Papa's dream with Lalo Guerrero (produced by Eugene Rodriguez). Hugo is also LCMAC Production Manager and recording engineer of Los Cenzontles' recording studio.

Marie-Astrid Do Rodriguez: Artesania and Jewelry.

Marie-Astrid is largely responsible for making the Center the creative space that it is. During the renovation of LCMAC she created the color scheme and tile design and painted the walls herself. Marie-Astrid has early childhood education training and works well with children of all ages. Along with her mother France Do, she created most of Los Cenzontles costumes.

Don Gardner: Clarinet, Saxophone.

Raised in Richmond, California, Don began his musical education with the clarinet and plays flute and saxophone as well. He is accomplished jazz musician playing with various bay area ensembles. Don is an integral part of the Cuban Orquesta la Moderna Tradicion as well as the Los Cenzontles Touring Group.

Julian Gonzalez: Traditional Mariachi, Violin, and Zapateado.

Born in Camichines, Jalisco, and raised in a rural hacienda, don Julian plays violin, sings, and dances. He learned music from his father and the music elders of the ranch in an environment of the parties, which followed long harvests in the cane fields. In 1997 he, along with other rural musicians formed Mariachi Los Centenarios in order to compete in the 5th Encuentro Mundial de Mariachi, Guadalajara, Mex. There they took 2nd place in the category of the traditional mariachi, which plays without trumpets, a modern addition to the mariachi. He was recently awarded a Master/Apprenticeship grant by the California Traditional Arts Advancement Program to work with members of Los Cenzontles.

Jose Roberto Hernandez is a much sought after guitarist in the Bay Area. He is a virtuoso in many Latin American guitar styles.

Celeste Jimenez: Piano.

Celeste has years of experience in teaching the piano and has worked wonderfully with our young students.

Sandy Poindexter: Violin.

From Oakland, California, Sandy has played violin from a very young age. She is a versatile musician who plays jazz and classical music as well as other genres. Sandy has toured the U.S. and abroad with John Handy playing concerts and festivals. She is an integral member of Orquesta la Moderna Tradicion.

Lucina Rodriguez: Dance.

Lucina began studying at LCMAC when she was 15. Since childhood she has been involved in dance and competed in banda dance tournaments in her early teens. At Los Cenzontles she has intensively studied the traditional zapateado in various styles. In addition, Lucina sings and dances with Los Cenzontles Touring Group.

Fabiola Trujillo: Fabiola, our Youth Coordinator, began studying at Los Cenzontles when she was 15. She sings and dances with Los Cenzontles Touring group.

© Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center