This Free Zoom Presentation will be hosted and led by percussionist John Santos, one of the foremost exponents of Afro-Latin music in the world today, with guest artist Grammy Award winner David Sánchez, one of the greatest tenor saxophonists in jazz today.

Puerto Rican musicians have played a crucial role in jazz since long before the word jazz became common. From the orchestras of James Reese Europe, Duke Ellington, Tito Puente, and Eddie Palmieri, to the Ft. Apache Band, Batacumbele, Papo Vazquez, David Sánchez, Miguel Zenón, and many others, groundbreaking Puerto Rican musicians have made an indelible mark in the evolution of US popular music. In this presentation, we will take an illuminating look at some of the pioneers, roots, and milestones of the past century through discussion, photos, video clips, and audio examples.