Fabiola Méndez

Fabiola Méndez is a Puerto Rican cuatrista, singer, educator, and Emmy-nominated composer. Her artistic vision and original music focus on the exploration of her culture, her ancestry, and her identities.

Native to Caguas, PR, Méndez began playing the cuatro, Puerto Rico's national instrument, at the age of 6. She received early music training at the Antonio Paoli School of Music in Caguas and earned her bachelor's in music from Berklee College of Music, where in 2018 she made history as the first graduate to play the Puerto Rican cuatro as principal instrument.

Méndez's mission has always been to share and celebrate the cuatro, folk music, and collective storytelling. In doing so, she's had the honor of performing at venues and on series such as NPR's Tiny Desk Concert, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Celebrity Series of Boston, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Fred Rogers Productions, and Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, among many others. She has also collaborated with many local and international artists and ensembles, including the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, Totó La Momposina, Pedro Capó, Andy Montañez, Danny Rivera, Chicago Philharmonic, and Boston Landmarks Orchestra.

Her list of recordings include: "Herencia Criolla" (2009), "Al Otro Lado Del Charco" (2019), "Afrorriqueña" (2021), and "Flora Campesina" (2024). In 2022, she produced her first documentary Negrura showcasing Afro-Latinx stories in topics around colorism and discrimination within our own communities.

In recent years, she’s had the honor of receiving recognitions like the Quincy Jones Award, ambassador for the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City, the Brother Thomas Fellowship, the Whippoorwill Arts Fellowship, and the 2022 ASCAP Foundation Lucille and Jack Yellen Award. She was also nominated for a Children's and Family Emmy in the category of outstanding interactive media and won 2023 Latin artist of the year 2023 at the Boston Music Awards. Her music is featured on the short film Beautiful, FL (Disney+), on the TV shows "Alma's Way," "Work It Out Wombats" (PBS Kids), and "Mecha Builders" (HBO Max), as well as indie films, jingles, and TV commercials.