Juan Carlos Franco Cortez. Quito, December 6, 1961.                          Musicologist, composer and guitarist. Graduate in Applied Anthropology from the Salesian Polytechnic University-Ecuador and master's degree in musicology from the University of Cuenca-Ecuador. Author of several studies, publications and ethnomusicological compilations of music from the Chota Valley, Esmeraldas, and from the Andean and Amazonian regions of Ecuador. Coordinator of projects related to the recording of Ecuador's Sound Heritage and now is a teacher of ethnomusicology, Ecuadorian music history, and ancient music history at the Arts University of Guayaquil. Founder of the Yagé Jazz group in 2000. Two of the three albums produced with Yagé Jazz have been award winning. Additionally Ecuadorian author's rights society, SAYCE has awarded Yagé Jazz in 2019 with an award for "Incentives to Music" in the category Jazz. Curator of the 1st International Ethnomusicological Meeting "Sounding Universes", UArtes, Guayaquil, 2019.