José Antonio Zayas Cabán

José Antonio Zayas Cabán is a multi-GRAMMY®-nominated saxophonist, McKnight Fellow, and activist whose work bridges music and social justice. Born and raised in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, he now resides in Minneapolis, where he leads Our Streets as Executive Director.

His artistic projects, including El País Invisible and ROMANCE AL CAMPESINO PORTEÑO, reflect on cultural identity and political narratives, bringing Caribbean and Latin American influences to contemporary chamber music. As a co-founder of the chamber music trio {trés}, he has performed extensively across the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean, commissioning and premiering works that explore themes of heritage and social change.

Zayas Cabán is also on faculty at St. Joseph’s School of Music, where he teaches applied saxophone. His work continues to inspire and challenge audiences, fostering a deeper understanding of the intersections between art, identity, and activism.

{trés} will present Pedacitio de Tierra live in concert at the Minnesota History Center on January 15, 2026.

Tearra Oso

Tearra Oso is a performing artist, healer, and culture protector, whose musical medicine has empowered audiences nationally and internationally since childhood. Growing up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Oso learned traditional Afro Boricua drumming, song, and dance called Bomba. The understanding of her Afro Latinx identity and the resilience of her incredible ancestors has been foundational to the development of her artistry and community leadership.

After performing and teaching traditional music for decades, Oso created her debut album titled PREZ and a new genre she calls BombaPop, which fuses the ancestral healing practice of Bomba with Pop, Funk, R&B, and Hip Hop instrumentation. The album is an offering of self-preservation practices for listeners in English and Spanish, and was named one of Minnesota’s top 10 albums of 2022 by the Star Tribune. Oso’s discography also includes two EPs, Art Projects, Vol. 1 and 2 (2012, 2020), and other singles recorded in Los Angeles and the Twin Cities. She has worked with accomplished musicians including drummer John Paris (Earth, Wind & Fire), producer Lloyd Tolbert (Commodores), songwriter Tony Haynes (The Temptations, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bobby Brown) and musician/engineer Rick Rock (Mint Condition). Oso’s art has also been influenced by her modeling and acting career, working with Halle Berry, Zoe Saldana, Ben Affleck, Kaytranada, and companies including Aveda, Nike, BestBuy, 3M, and Project Runway designers Ra’mon Lawrence, Danielle Everine, and Raul Osorio.

Oso currently curates powerful, interactive performances and workshops that integrate traditional Afro Boricua music and history. She has been leading drumming sessions rooted in Bomba and Mind/Body medicine at the Black Youth Healing Arts Center and Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Tearra is proud to uplift her community by carrying the ancestral wisdom of Bomba in her work and interacting with audiences to ignite healing and empowerment for all.