Lali Mejía
- Percussion, Vocals
A native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, she started her musical training at the age on nine at the “Colegio Bellas Artes” in Maracaibo. As a 5th grader, she was taught how to read music and play the recorder, advancing into Cuatro studies and the school's choir during early high school. At the age of 12 she began classical guitar lessons for several years before moving to the United States to pursue a BFA degree in Graphic Design.
Lali Mejía specializes primarily in the Afro-Venezuelan Folklore as well as other Latin American styles of music. In addition to VMP, she is also a permanent band member of the VNote Ensemble (a fusion of Jazz and Venezuelan music) and has shared the stage with high caliber musicians such as Marco Granados, Aquiles Baez, Roberto Koch, Maria Volonté, Jorge Glem, Gonzalo Teppa and Francisco “Pacho” Flores.
Since 2004, Lali has helped facilitate many Afro-Venezuelan workshops around the US, and is currently a guest instructor at the "Born to Drum" summer camp in Northern California.
Among her most memorable concerts are the Macau International Music Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Moab Music Festival, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and Venezuelan Sounds at the Smithsonian.
