plenerEs
Name: Héctor “Tito” Matos
Born in: Santurce, Puerto Rico
Play in: Puerto Rico & New York
Tito played all types of panderetas, bomba drums and congas, but he was especially good with the requinto, the pandero used for soloing and improvisation. His speed and cadence created a distinctive type of sound that changed the way plena is performed today. He recorded and performed across musical genres, including jazz and pop music; collaborating with artists such as Miguel Zenón, David Sánchez, William Cepeda, Eddie Palmieri and Ricky Martin, among many others.
Name: Marcial Reyes Arvelo
Born in: Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Play in: Puerto Rico & New York
Maestro to many, Marcial Reyes was a co-founding member, singer and requinto player for the Pleneros de la 21 group in New York City. Founded in 1983, LP21 is the premier bomba and plena performing ensemble -and non-profit community organization- in the United States. More about “Marcial Reyes”
Name: Rafael Cepeda Atiles
Born in: Puerta de Tierra en el Ranchón Carolina, Puerto Rico
Play in: Santurce, Puerto Rico
Rafael Cepeda Atiles wrote more than 600 songs. In 1983 he was named a National Heritage Fellow from the National Endowment for the Arts. Don Rafael lived in different parts of Santurce until he established himself in the house on the street that today bears his name. He married Caridad Brenes, a bomba dancer, with whom he had 12 children. Many of his children continued with the musical tradition, being among the most prominent: Modesto, Petra, Roberto, Jesús and Chichito.