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Image of Alex Guillen playing guitar on veranda

Alex Guillen: World Music Guitarist and Educator

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Image of Alex Guillen with ukuleleWorld Music in the Schools  teaching artist Alejandro “Alex” Guillen is a distinguished musician whose work bridges tradition, innovation, and cultural expression. A native of Chula Vista, Alex is an accomplished guitarist with a repertoire that spans the globe—from flamenco and Polynesian music to bossa nova and Latin jazz. In his residency classes for the Center for World Music, he shares his love of global sounds by teaching the music of Hawaii on ukulele. Known for his encouraging, student-centered approach, Alex helps children discover the joy and self-expression that music making can bring.

Alex’s teaching grows from lived experience, not textbooks. His passion for cultural connection has taken him across the Pacific, where he completed multiple tours of Hawaii to study the islands’ musical heritage and oral traditions firsthand. That immersion brings authenticity and depth to his classroom, where historical stories intertwine naturally with hands-on music lessons.

Image of Alex Guillen with students at Hillsdale Middle SchoolExpanding access to music education is  a cause that Alex is passionate about. Beyond his work with the Center for World Music, he teaches guitar, piano, and percussion in both classroom and private settings, and contributes to curriculum development for programs such as the City Heights Music School and APT 4 Music. Always exploring creative ways to engage students, he integrates interactive digital platforms like MakeMusic Cloud and SeeSaw to keep learning lively and connected.

Alex earned his bachelor’s degree in music from Berklee College of Music Online, specializing in Music Composition for Film, TV, and Games. He previously completed an associate’s degree in music from San Diego Mesa College and pursued jazz guitar studies at San Diego State University. His craft has been shaped by world-class mentors, including Latin jazz legend Chucho Valdés, whose SF Jazz workshop left a lasting impression, and Spanish flamenco guitarist Manuel Valencia, with whom he studied in Spain. These experiences, along with extensive travel and research, continue to inform the cultural depth of his teaching.

We are proud to have Alex Guillen among our roster of teaching artists, where he brings his global musical perspective to local classrooms. Outside of teaching, he remains an active performer, appearing regularly at concerts and events throughout the San Diego area.

For Further Exploration

Watch Alex perform George Benson’s “Breezin'”:

Alex performs his own arrangement of the Paco de Lucía masterpiece, “Entre Dos Aguas”:

A video of Alex performing “The Girl From Ipanema”:

Photo of Luisa Corredor and Ignacio Arango

Luisa Corredor and Ignacio Arango: Sharing Cuban Music in Partnership

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Luisa Corredor, a singer and teacher native to San Diego, and Ignacio Arango, a guitarist and bassist from Cuba, are each talented musicians and educators in their own right. Together, they pack a punch as a CWM performing duo, sharing songs from Latin America in our Seniors Program, in library concerts, and in other community performances.

Luisa Corredor and Ignacio Arango

Luisa Corredor and Ignacio Arango

Coming from a musical family, Luisa Corredor was exposed to the arts at a young age and has committed much of her life to the performing arts as a singer, actor, teacher, and producer. She is a force of nature on stage and in the classroom, touching audiences and inspiring students with her powerful, soulful voice. She has studied and performed musical traditions from cultures worldwide. Her repertoire includes English folk songs from the Renaissance era, Flamenco, Middle Eastern, Greek, and Irish songs, as well as Cuban, Mexican, Brazilian, and other traditional music from South America.

Luisa has experience teaching as a private voice instructor and for the Encinitas Union School District as an instructional assistant for bilingual and special education classrooms. She also taught Spanish as a second language at Paul Ecke Central Elementary School.

Ignacio Arango

While growing up in Havana, Ignacio Arango was surrounded by Afro-Cuban polyrhythms and the improvisational craft of the native rumberos and soneros (rumba and salsa artists). His deep musical roots shine through in his rhythmic, tasteful, and skillful playing. When he was 12, Ignacio enrolled in the Guillermo Tomas music conservatory in Guanabacoa (featured recently on NPR) where he studied for 5 years with a focus on guitar. His musical career began during his military service, playing euphonium in La Banda Música del Estado Mayor.

Upon demobilizing, Ignacio’s musical career blossomed. He was the bassist for “Show Tropicana” in Cuba for ten years, with which he toured Italy, Mexico, and Monaco. Ignacio has played guitar and bass with a number of diverse bands and artists, including Fusión 4, La Orquesta de Radio y Televisión, Kokopelli Latin Jazz Ensemble, Gilbert Castellanos’ La Conciencia, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Carlos Washington & Giant People, and many others.

Since 2006, Ignacio has dedicated his attention to performing folklore jazz with his family band, Los Hermanos Arango, with whom he continues to perform.

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