Latin jazz is a musical tradition born from the meeting of Afro-Latin rhythms and the improvisational language of American jazz. Emerging in the mid-20th century through collaborations between Afro-Caribbean and African American musicians, it blends the percussive energy of mambo, rumba, samba, and bossa nova with the harmonic complexity and improvisation of jazz. Early innovators like Machito, Mario Bauzá, Chano Pozo, and Dizzy Gillespie shaped the sound, linking rhythmic traditions from across the Americas.

Percussion instruments like congas, bongos, timbales, and claves drive the music’s pulse, polyrhythmically layered alongside piano, horns, and bass. Rooted in histories of migration and cross-cultural exchange, Latin jazz reflects the diasporic movements that connect the Caribbean, South America, and North America. While often associated with iconic cities like New York, Latin jazz has also flourished wherever Latinx and African American communities gather.  

In California’s Central Valley, Latin jazz took root thanks to educators like Steve Alcala, who founded one of the first high school Latin jazz programs at Roosevelt High School in Fresno in 1983. Alcala introduced Latin jazz to a community without a large Cuban or Puerto Rican presence, finding that students and families quickly connected with the music's danceable rhythms and Afro-Caribbean feel. His students have since built careers in Latin jazz, mariachi, and mainstream jazz, helping the style grow locally and nationally.  

Through ensembles like Rumba 32 and countless community performances, Latin jazz became a powerful bridge—linking diverse audiences through live dance, storytelling, and collective memory. Thanks to educators like Steve Alcala, Latin jazz remains a living expression of migration, innovation, and cultural pride in the San Joaquin Valley.