Juan Sotomayor was born in New York City in 1940 of Puerto Rican parents. Until his recent retirement, Juan was a prize-winning photographer living in New Jersey and working on the New York Times staff since 1966. He is also an accomplished guitarist and cuatrista, having been a member of several professional musical groups, one of which recorded for the Ansonia label in 1957. Currently, he lives in Moca, Puerto Rico and is devoted full-time to the Cuatro Project, completing work on an upcoming textbook on the national instrument, and soon to commence work on a series of teaching methods for the instrument.

Juan Sotomayor converses with distinguished cuatristas Ray Vázquez and Neftalí Ortiz during a pause in the filming of a documentary produced by the Cuatro Project.

Cuatro Project coordinator William Cumpiano  is a professional instrument maker and author of a leading textbook on guitar making.

Wilfredo Echevarría  is an expert in media communications, who has directed numerous important projects for the Puerto Rican Cuatro Project, including the video documentary NUESTRO CUATRO, Volumes 1 and 2, and a series of short features. He has also produced a series of posters and graphical materials announcing many of the Project's live events. You can communicate with Wilfredo Echevarria here.

Wilfredo Echevarría is an award-winning producer of educational programming on television and a director of video documentaries, including thos summarizing the findings of the Puerto Rican Cuatro Project.

David Morales graduated from Bowdoin College in 1997. Over the next three years he served as a Budget Analyst for the House of Representatives’ Committee on Ways & Means, where he managed a significant part of the state’s budget and advised the Committee on policy and legislative matters. From 2000 to 2001, David Morales served as an adviser to the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives on health care policy and state finance.

In 2001, David Morales became the Executive Director of the nation’s first prescription drug insurance plan for seniors - Prescription Advantage. At Prescription Advantage, David Morales oversaw a $140M operation, managed over 70 employees and served over 90,000 insured individuals.

Extremely dedicated to community activities, David Morales is the founder and past President of the El Jolgorio de Massachusetts, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering leadership, civic engagement and educational attainment among Latino youth.

In January of 2003, David Morales accepted a position as Senior Adviser to the President of the Massachusetts Senate, advising the President on policy matters, including state finances, health care and legislative issues.

In 2007 he became part of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s advisory staff.

David Morales lives in Lynn, Massachusetts, where he lives with his wife Samanda Morales and their son Anthony Cesar Morales.
 

Cultural researcher David Morales accompanying the distinguished traditional singer, Luz Celenia Tirado, during a September 2005 event in the Museo de San Juan sponsored by the Cuatro Project celebrating the premiere of the Cuatro Project's documentary "La Décima Borinqueña".

Carlos Flores, coordinator of the Puerto Rican Cuatro Project in Chicago, Illinois.

Support Personnel
Defenders of the culture who invariably offer to help us whenever we need them!

Néstor Hérnandez, UPR Professor of Music
Gustavo Batista, UPR Musicologist
Néstor Murray Irizarry, Cultural researcher
Gilberto Santiago, engineer
Graciela Quiñones Rodriguez, artisan
Roberto Rivera, microbiologist, artisan and cuatrista
Ramón Gómez, architect
Luis Silva, engineer