Alma Villegas (Lead Vocals) was born in Tijuana, Mexico where she lived with her family until the age of 18. During these years, she found inspiration in the romantic Mexican ballads of such classic composers as Consuelo Velasquez and Agustin Lara.  In 2000, Alma began her professional music career singing with several of Seattle’s most popular Latin salsa bands.  These experiences prompted her to create a band that offered a more diverse selection of Latin music that would appeal to a wide variety of audiences including standards focusing on the traditional bolero (ballad), classic Latin jazz selections, a variety of Cuban rhythms including salsa, son and cha cha and the seductive bossa nova.  After recording her second CD Alma y Azúcar in the summer of 2010, the band began to pay special tribute to the Queen of Salsa Music, Celia Cruz.

Ricardo Guity (percussion/back-up vocals) Ricardo has performed alongside major names in the music industry, including Babatunde Olatunji, Youssou N’Dour Ibrahima Camara (African and world music), Celia Cruz, Johnny Pacheco, Tipica 73, Cuco Valoy (Latino) and others. Ricardo continues to work with Wesley Deerying and other members of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Michael Clune Tumbao, MangoSon, Super Mukako, Global Heat and others groups in the Northwest where he currently resides. Ricardo specializes in the Garifuna percussion style but is equally at home performing Latin rhythms from many cultures.

Ben Verdier (Piano) Since 1985, Ben is a Seattle musician who has enjoyed making music.  He plays double bass, baby bass, electric bass, and piano.  Ben studied classical and jazz theory, piano and bass performance while earning his Bachelor’s degree in computer science at Stanford University.  He has performed in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver BC, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington DC, and Austin TX.  A specialist in the Afro-Cuban tradition, he also enjoys performing Jazz, Brazilian, and classical music.  Ben is a native of the Boston area.

Steve Motsovoy (Trumpet) Educated at Western Washington University and Indiana University, Steve holds a BA in Music, and has performed for such organizations as the John F. Kennedy Center, the Seattle Symphony, the Washington State Arts Commission, Young Audiences, the Paramount and Fifth Avenue Theaters, Bochinche, and numerous Seattle-area groups in a wide range of musical styles. His career activities include performances and workshops for national tours, TV and radio appearances, recordings, school assemblies, and countless public and private concerts which have included his original compositions. Recently, Steve has appeared on several occasions as a featured soloist and clinician in Brazil, blending U.S. and Latin American music styles.

Jeff Volkman (bass) studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, the University of Washington in Seattle, and privately with George Morrow, Howard Roberts, Kai Eckhardt, Bruce Gertz, and Dan Dean. Performing throughout Boston, Florida, and the Pacific Northwest, he has played with top local and regional artists including: Bob Hope, Andy Williams, Tal Farlow, Howard Roberts, Dianne Schuur, Merrilee Rush, Ernestine Anderson, Tom Scott, Michael Feinstein, Mark Whitfield, Pete Christleib, Zakir Hussain, Karl Perazzo (Santana), Munyungo Jackson (Dianne Reeves, Herbie Hancock), Will Calhoun (Living Colour), Steve Weingart (Dave Weckl band), George Whitty (Brecker Brothers), Alan Mallet (Paul Simon band),  Steve Kindler (Jan Hammer, Jeff Beck), Joaquin Leivano (Jean Luc Ponty, Gino Vanelli), and many others.