Based in Mexico and the U.S., Quetzalcóatl is directed by Alfredo López Mondragón (Alfredo López) of Mexico City. A student and performer of regional music since he was 11, Alfredo shares with all the members of the group a passion for scholarship and the preservation of authentic musical forms. He has mastered more than 20 styles of Latin American traditional music, skillfully plays over 30 instruments and is also a superb vocalist. At age 13, he joined a local youth musical group playing guitar, requinto (a small Mexican guitar) and mandolin. At the age of 16 Alfredo mastered the tres cubano (the national instrument of Cuba; a guitar with three pairs of steel strings) and formed a trio, Huemac, performing Mexican and Cuban romantic popular songs in restaurants, hotels and bars in Mexico City, Michoacán, Veracruz and Querétaro. He began private formal musical studies at 17 and taught traditional music and dance in Mexico City and in rural communities in Oaxaca, Jalisco, and Michoacán, at this time he was attending the Instituto Politecnico Nacional in Mexico City and with fellow students formed the group, Chicahuastles. Alfredo then resumed private studies, this time with Adrian Nieto Arenas, a member of the renowned group Los Folkloristas of Mexico. In 1981, he formed another group, Ti Feu ("ugly one" in the Zapotec language) and spent two years touring Europe before founding Quetzalcóatl in the early 80s. "It was there," Alfredo says, "on the old continent, that we adopted a more universal name within our culture and have since been known as Quetzalcóatl." Alfredo has performed extensively throughout Latin America, Europe and North America. He has made on camera appearances and composed songs which have been included in films such as "The Net," starring Sandra Bullock, "Luminarias," starring Scott Bakula and Robert Beltran, and "American Me," produced and directed by Edward James Olmos who also stars in the film, and most recently "The Maldonado Miracle," produced and directed by Salma Hayek for Showtime, starring Peter Fonda, Mare Winningham and Ruben Blades. In 2002, Alfredo composed and directed the music for the pageant play "La Virgen de Guadalupe" for the Latino Theater Company of Los Angeles. The theatre piece was directed by film and theatre director Jose Luis Valenzuela, and was the first play to be performed at the new Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles. In addition to touring and performing with Quetzalcoatl, Alfredo teaches Latin American folkloric music in Mexico and Los Angeles, CA.

Luis Hirales of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico is the Chairman of the Department of Cultural Activities at the Mexicali Campus of Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), where he is also creating a course of study for a new Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Visual and Performing Arts. For more than 12 years, he was a professor of music at UABC, as well as the director of Mexican Music Workshops and director of the resident Latin rock/canción nueva/salsa group "Son de Aca". He has a degree in Sociology and holds a certificate in Promotion of Arts and Culture and a certificate in Fundraising for the Arts through the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) and Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (CONACULTA). In 1996, Luis was awarded the prestigious Estímulo al Personal Académico from the State of Baja California. An advocate of Mexican traditional music, Luis has toured and performed in Belgium, Germany, China, Italy and the United States with the students of UABC's Mexican Music Workshops. He has been a member of Quetzalcoatl since 1992.

Hugo Macario, from Lake Patzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico, is a new member of Quetzalcóatl. Hugo is proud of his Purépecha (Tarascan) heritage, which makes him a descendant of one of the main indigenous groups that originally inhabited Central Mexico. Performing since he was 15, Hugo went on to college and became a member of the musical group "Canto de Ave" which, under the sponsorship of the Michoacán State Institute of Culture, toured in educational exchanges with 32 colleges throughout Mexico. In 1985, Hugo was one of 30 professionals selected from 1,000 in a nationwide search for CECADEJ, a federally sponsored educational project, where he taught traditional music and theater, and directed more than 300 student performances.

Luis Felipe González, widely known as an Afro-Cuban singer and instrumentalist, is also a celebrated virtuoso of the Venezuelan harp, for which he has received many awards and honors. Luis Felipe made his first recording as an artist at the age of 13. At 14, he founded the celebrated South American salsa group "Nelson y sus Estrellas" with his brother Nelson. Luis was the artistic and musical director of "Nelson" and made his debut as producer and composer with the band's first recording "Cosa Buena." In the 1970's and 1980's, the group toured thoughout Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and other countries of Latin America. Luis Felipe later founded "Don Filemón y su Banda" in Venezuela, and "La Super Banda" in Colombia, known for their legendary #1 hit, "La Saporrita." Luis Felipe has performed on recordings with major international artists including Plácido Domingo and Marco Antonio Muñíz, and was the only Latin American harpist included on the Universal/Polygram CD compilation "Harpestry." Luis Felipe is also a composer and has performed on and produced over 60 albums. He has been named "The King of Porro," in Colombia and Venezuela, and is currently the director of "Luis Felipe Gonzalez y su Orquesta Internacional", one of the most important salsa groups in South America. In addition to an active schedule of live performances, he regularly appears on television and tours throughout South America, New York, Miami, France and England. Luis Felipe is a featured vocalist and musician on the CD "QUETZALCOATL" and since 1992 has performed with the group whenever his schedule permits.

Ignacio "Nacho" Marquez, also from Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, began teaching popular music and guitar at the age of 19. He has been a member of the faculty of the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California (UABC) for more than 10 years. Formerly the assistant director, he is now the director of "Son de Acá" performing Latin rock, canción nueva and salsa, in addition to his work with Quetzalcoatl, which began in 1993.

Delfino Vicente Guerrero, harpist, comes from a long line of performers of jarocho music, a musical style from Veracruz, Mexico, made famous by the song "La Bamba." Delfino joined Quetzalcoatl in 1996. He learned the traditional musical style of his native Veracruz as a child from acclaimed musician Panfilo Valerio, and studied folkloric dances at the renowned Academia de los Hermanos Torres. He began playing the harp at age nine, and as a teenager formed "Los Nuevos Tigres de la Costa," a younger version of Veracruz' legendary group "Los Tigres de la Costa," which was directed by Delfino's father beginning in 1954. The original "Los Tigres" group gained popularity through their own appearances and also through their performances by accompanying Agustín Lara, the internationally renowned Mexican composer, vocalist and pianist. "Los Nuevos Tigres de la Costa" eventually incorporated into the "parent" group with Delfino as new director in 1982. Currently, "Los Tigres" perform in many venues including high schools, colleges and universities throughout Veracruz, and is sponsored by the Department of Cultural Service of the Minister of Culture of the state. Delfino also teaches folkloric harp at the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (INBA) in Veracruz. He performs regularly in Veracruz with his jarocho group, is a member of a trio specializing in popular instrumental music, and also performs as a solo harpist. Delfino has mastered numerous other styles of Latin American music, and has toured in the USA, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean.

Isaac Ruben Izquierdo, From Cuernavaca, Mexico, came to the United States in 1992 to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Where he graduated in 1996. Prior to coming to the United States, he studied concert performing arts, professional guitar, and professional performance at the Escuela Nacional de Musica de UNAM (University of Mexico City ?). He is the founder, director and arranger of the musical group “Voxinglero” in the United States. He is an eclectic musician, composer and arranger and recently completed a musical score for the documentary “Twenty-Five Hundred and One,” produced by Patricia Van Ryker.

Alfredo, Nacho, Hugo, Luis Felipe and Luis Hirales are all young men who have a dedication to study, teach, perform and preserve the traditional music of their ancestors. All have been teachers or professors of music. They have absorbed musical traditions from their fathers, grandfathers, uncles and teachers (many of whom were well-known regionally) and have studied with local musicians in remote villages, haciendas, ranches, farms, jungles, savannas and pampas regions of Latin America.

Granted eight successive special cultural visas by the United States, we feel honored that the members of Quetzalcóatl have made Southern California their base when in the U.S., as they share with audiences the cultural and musical heritage they treasure and embrace.

ABOUT QUETZALCOATL'S SPONSORS: The musical group Quetzalcóatl is sponsored by Luna Blanca, Inc. Luna Blanca was formerly a division of David Greene Productions, Inc., headed by the Emmy award-winning director of "Roots," "Rich Man, Poor Man","Friendly Fire" and others. Lauren and husband David Greene are the group's sponsors and developers in the U.S. in association with music-industry executive Billy James. Billy has worked for Columbia, Epic, Elektra and RCA. He has managed Jackson Browne, the Winter Consort, and is best known for advancing the early careers of The Doors, Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal, The Byrds and Bob Dylan.

Lauren Rickey Greene is the President of Luna Blanca,Inc. and the President of David Greene Productions, Inc. Since 1965 Lauren has been actively involved in Southern California public arts programs, arts education, the film and television industry including Latin American music and film. She has been awarded numerous awards for her work in these fields.

Lic. Marisela Jacobo Heredia, Quetzalcóatl's co-collaborator. Since 1992, Luna Blanca, Inc. and David Greene Productions, Inc. have had the pleasure of working closely with Marisela Jacobo. Marisela was the Chairman of the Department of Cultural Activities at the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California when Luis Hirales and Nacho Marquez joined Quetzalcóatl. Through her efforts, both musicians have continued to tour and perform with Quetzalcóatl for more than 10 years under the continued sponsorship of UABC. Marisela was appointed to the position of Director of the Baja California State Department of Culture by the Governor of Baja California in October 2001. At this time Luis Hirales was appointed to Marisela's former position as Chairman of the Department of Cultural Activities at UABC.