Etienne Charles is rooted in both the jazz and Afro-Caribbean folk traditions of his native Trinidad, making his music somewhat mercurial -- yet always accessible and inviting. After high school, Charles attended Trinidad's Fatima College, Florida State University, Juilliard School of Music, and the Henry Mancini Institute in Los Angeles, and won several awards. In 2006, Charles won the National Trumpet Competition, Jazz Division. That same year, his debut album, Culture Shock, appeared, and received positive reviews. By the time Folklore was released in 2009, Charles had formed his own touring and recording band. In 2011, he began teaching at Michigan State University's College of Music, and released his third album, Kaiso. Creole Soul followed in 2013. He became a Guggenheim Fellow in 2015. ~ Thom Jurek