Roberto Cepeda and Wife Gloria Cepeda
Son of the late “ Patriarch of the Bomba” Rafael Cepeda “
BOMBA ASHE IS A MUSIC AND DANCE GROUP SPECIALIZING IN THE AFRO PUERTO RICAN BOMBA AND PLENA FOLKLORIC STYLES. THE ENSEMBLE INCLUDES MASTER FOLKLORIST ROBERTO CEPEDA BRENES AS THE DIRECTOR , SON OF THE LEYENDARY AND PATRIARCH OF THE BOMBA AND PLENA FROM PUERTO RICO DON RAFAEL CEPEDA BRENES AND THE MATRIARCH CARIDAD BRENES DE CEPEDA .
THIS GROUP HAVE THE PARTICIPATION OF MASTERS IN THIS MUSIC AND DANCE VERY WELL KNOW IN THE CULTURAL FAMILY FROM PUERTO RICO AND THE DIASPORA ROBERTO CEPEDA IS BEEN DANCING WITH THE CEPEDA FAMILY FROM PUERTO RICO SINCE AGE 5 ALSO HAVE HIS WIFE GLORIA LOPEZ DE CEPEDA WHO IS THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF LUKUMI CENTER OF THE ORISHAS INC , NON PROFIT DEDICATED TO THE TEACHING AND PRESERVATION OF THE AFRICAN BASED MUSIC AND DANCE FROM CUBA AND PUERTO RICO .BOMBA ASHE MISSION HAS BEEN TO ADVANCE AUDIENCES UNDERSTANDING AND APRECIATION AND ENBRACE FOR THE MUSIC AND DANCE OF THIS TRADITIONS FROM PUERTO RICO AND CUBA . Master Folklorist Roberto Cepeda Was born in 1952 in Santurce Puerto Rico and raised in Villa Palmera He remembers his father’s encouragement, giving him a few coins and buy something if he could sing a bit of a traditional melody. Normally a Bomba Musician learns by starting on the Cua moving to a buleador (repicator or primo ) and finally dancing, but Roberto learned backwards, starting with the dance at the age of 5 surprising even his father with his talent. Today representing the Puerto Rican Diaspora in USA Mr. Roberto Cepeda is the best dancer of Bomba in the world. He travels all around the world representing his heritage thanks to his parents Rafael Cepeda and Caridad Brenes , Roberto sings, dance, and play the drums in a very impressive way. Roberto Cepeda has been playing with great singers and artists from the Island of Puerto Rico and Latin America like Mark Anthony, Ricky Martin, and many more. He gives them that traditional Puerto Rican Flavor to different rhythms and music styles. Now he lives in Rhode Island and he is teaching this Diaspora all over the state and showing the state of Rhode Island the real roots of the Bomba and Plena, Traditional African-based music from Puerto Rico..
