In 1987, at Berklee College of Music in Boston, a diverse group of musicians—including Setsu Fujii (Japan), Waldo Chavez (El Salvador), Desmar Guevara, Raúl Romero, and Alberto Toro (Puerto Rico), Juan Solares (Dominican Republic), and Emiliano Marentes (Mexico)—formed Ojorojo. Influenced by jazz greats like Mingus and Irakere, they crafted a fusion of Latin jazz and progressive styles.