Berklee Latino’s mission is to promote the education and preservation of Latin music and raise awareness of its global impact.

The program was originally launched in 2014 at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, and has been spreading appreciation for Latin music ever since. 

Its executive director is Grammy Award-winning Peruvian bassist Oscar Stagnaro, and the acting artistic director is Latin Grammy-winning musician Javier Limón, a record producer / songwriter from Madrid.

After arriving in Boston, Stagnaro got his footing by performing Western country music. After a position opened for a bass player at Berklee, Stagnaro got a teaching job at the college in 1987.

Limón began his musical career composing for various flamenco artists, and later relocated from Madrid to New York City at an early age to train in American arts schools.

A comprehensive Berklee initiative, the program supports young talent from the Americas, Spain, and other Latin countries, and seeks to provide affordable access to course contents.

The Berklee Latino program offers students an opportunity to explore Latin music, and offers two areas of focus: performance or songwriting and music production.

Although established in 2014, Berklee Latino only extends its impact as the program continues to grow.

Chronicle — an “insider’s guide” to New England that airs on WCVB-TV Channel 5 Boston — recently took a closer look at the inner workings of Berklee Latino, interviewing Stagnaro and Puerto Rican musician Fabiola Mendéz:

Taught bilingually, Berklee Latino meets its mission through workshops, concerts, events, and alumni engagement.

The college utilizes their Berklee on the Road outreach programs to recruit prospective music students from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia and Spain.

A list of Berklee Latino’s mission, goals and objectives can be read here, in both Spanish and English.