When Taslya Mejia first walked through the doors of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana (HCCL) more than a decade ago, she came as a volunteer. She left shaped not only by the mission, but also by the mentors and, ultimately, by a sense of purpose. That purpose carried her all the way to the stage of the Élysée Palace in Paris and back to the streets of New Orleans, where she now works to make sure the city’s musicians never go unheard.
Mejia serves as international relations manager at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, a role that has taken her across Latin America and Europe building cultural partnerships, launching international performance programs for emerging musicians and, in one unforgettable moment, standing in French President Emmanuel Macron’s home as New Orleans jazz filled the air.
Among the musicians who have performed under the museum’s banner is Cuban-American guitarist Javier Olondo—a 30-year veteran of international stages, guitar professor at Tulane University, artistic director of the New Orleans International Guitar Festival and front man of the Latin jazz group Javier Olondo & AsheSon. Together, their stories form a portrait of what Hispanic cultural leadership looks like in New Orleans today.
Mejia’s path through the HCCL began not with a job title but with the decision to show up. She learned valuable lessons under Mayra Pineda, HCCL’s executive director, and Sandra Caro, former board leader, absorbing what she describes as the discipline of selfless service.
“I have always believed in surrounding myself with women I look up to,” Mejia says. “Mayra and Sandra taught me how to look at the bigger picture. It shaped my professional identity in meaningful ways, witnessing how selflessly they serve the community, and how deeply they love and believe in what they do.”
Nearly 10 years later, Mejia serves on the HCCL Foundation board, a commitment she frames in terms of obligation as much as loyalty.
“Sustained engagement is about responsibility and gratitude—about giving back to the spaces that helped shape you,” she says. “Our presence and leadership help open doors, create representation and strengthen the pathways for those coming behind us.”
The New Orleans Jazz Museum might seem an unlikely home for someone whose identity is rooted in Honduras and the Latino community. Mejia sees it differently. For her, jazz and Latin culture share a common language.
“Jazz is, at its core, a language of fusion, migration and storytelling—so, in many ways, it naturally resonates with the Hispanic experience,” she says. “Like jazz, Latino culture is deeply rooted in rhythm, resilience and a blending of influences shaped by history and place.”
That philosophy has translated into concrete programming. The museum actively celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month by hiring more than 15 Latino bands annually, sponsors music for HCCL events and brings Latino musicians into schools to work directly with students. Mejia also has cultivated institutional partnerships with cultural organizations in Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and beyond.
“In my role at a state cultural institution, I see myself as an extension of the HCCL’s mission by creating visibility, access and paid opportunities for Hispanic artists,” Mejia says.
Javier Olondo’s journey to New Orleans is itself a kind of jazz composition. He was born in Houston, raised in Mexico and Spain, shaped into a guitarist in Cuba from age 6 to 21, then trained at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria, before a concert at the Cervantes School of the Arts brought him to New Orleans for the first time.
“The warmth and hospitality of the people reminded me of Cuba,” he says. “It was a feeling of being at home. I now not only live here, but I feel like I belong here.”
That sense of belonging has fueled a career of uncommon breadth. Olondo has recorded three critically acclaimed albums, performed at festivals from the French Quarter to Newport and Monterey, received the Big Easy Award for Best Latin Band and the Keys to the City of Kenner, and seen original compositions written specifically for him by important composers. He holds the CPSM certification in classical guitar and leads AsheSon, a band that has become one of New Orleans’ most recognized Latin jazz ensembles.
The connection between Mejia’s museum work and Olondo’s artistry is more than symbolic. Under Museum Director Greg Lambousy’s leadership, the institution has consistently prioritized Latino musicians as performers, teaching artists and cultural ambassadors—and AsheSon has been part of that ecosystem.
For Olondo, who also reaches the community through Que Pasa TV—a Spanish-language television, newspaper and podcast platform he hosts—the HCCL represents an infrastructure that makes the broader mission possible.
“We cannot have strong economic development in our Hispanic community if we don’t have a strong foundation in our education, arts and culture,” he says. “As artists, we are often the face of our community. We represent our people and have a unique opportunity to share our stories, struggles, passions and culture with others.”
Mejia echoes that view from the institutional side. During the pandemic, when performance income vanished overnight, she reached out personally to artists in Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica, France and Serbia to open the museum’s digital platforms to their work. The team produced virtual concerts and balcony performances across the French Quarter to keep musicians earning.
“We came out of the pandemic stronger, more connected and even more committed to our mission,” she says.
As New Orleans takes a leading role in America250—the national commemoration of the country’s 250th anniversary—both Mejia and Olondo see the moment as an affirmation of a history that has long deserved recognition. Spain governed Louisiana for four decades, and Bernardo de Gálvez’s campaigns from New Orleans helped secure the American Revolution. That story is finally moving from footnote to headline.
“It means the world to me that the profound and undeniable impact Spain had, through its many contributions over the years, is finally coming to light,” Olondo says.
For Mejia, who cried and took off her shoes in a moment of prayer when she finally met President Macron—the same Hondureña from New Orleans who had volunteered at the HCCL not so many years before—the lesson is simpler than any resume can capture.
“I hope my story communicates that there is space for you—even in industries like arts, culture and international relations that can sometimes feel out of reach,” she says. “Your background, your voice and your identity are not barriers. They are assets.”
Olondo, who will next bring New Orleans Latin jazz to European and American stages through his ongoing concert series, is similarly clear-eyed about the stakes.
“Through performances, recordings, festivals and other creative platforms, the music industry has a powerful ability to connect people, inspire change and make a lasting impact on society,” he says. “Whether our audience is local or global, our voices can help others better understand who we are.”
