Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso

Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso hails from Xalapa, the capital of the Mexican state of Veracruz. She is heir to a family of musicians steeped in son jarocho, a traditional regional style that blends Spanish, African and indigenous Mexican influences. Rebolloso was crowned the winner of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2022.

“[Son jarocho] was a natural introduction to the many influences in jazz, with a strong reminder that at the center is a story to tell,” said WBGO radio’s Gary Walker of Rebolloso’s formative years. “Lucía’s life story is one that will serve her well in jazz for years to come.”

She began performing at age 2 with her family’s group, Son de Madera. At 13, Rebolloso began to study singing formally at the Universidad Veracruzana, the same institution from which she obtained her degree in singing and jazz studies in 2022.

“I feel like son jarocho and jazz have a lot in common,” said Rebolloso in an interview with Walker. “Harmony-wise it’s different because son jarocho has a very simple structure in terms of chord progressions.”