Leo Blanco, a professor in Berklee’s Ensemble Department, presents Latin Jazz Originals.

Venezuelan pianist and composer Leo Blanco grew up playing violin in his country’s El Sistema orchestra program, but from an early age he was surrounded by folklore and music that blended Afro-Caribbean, European, and North American styles. His Sugar Road project confronts the history of the brutal sugar industry, while illustrating how African traditions survived through it all. Let this “warmly engaging” (The Guardian) artist share this powerful story with you.