Puerto Rican plena "is at its best moment in history," musician and plenero Emanuel Santana, general coordinator of Platea, told La Casa de la Plena Tito Matos. This rhythm, which originated more than a century ago in the sugarcane fields and neighborhoods of southern Puerto Rico, not only makes us move but also expresses the everyday life of the Puerto Rican people.
Several schools are dedicated to teaching this native musical genre, whose main instruments are three panderos and the güícharo. It is a rhythm you can see live almost every day of the week.
This guide tells you where to learn to play and dance plena, and where to see plena live.
🎶 Where to learn to play or dance plena?
Escuela de Bomba y Plena Rafael Cepeda Atiles
Contact: 787-594-9752
Hours: Classes on Saturdays starting at 10 a.m., beginning each semester in January and August
Classes: Bomba and plena percussion and dance for children (5 and up) and adults
This is Puerto Rico's first bomba and plena school, founded in 1973 by Modesto Cepeda (86 years old), son of Rafael. The Cepeda family has spent eight uninterrupted generations promoting these native genres and showcasing them around the world.
They offer percussion and dance classes for beginner and advanced levels, for children ages 5 and up and for adults. The classes cover both bomba and plena, so you will learn both genres in every session. Classes are held on Saturdays and run by semester, following the school-year calendar.
The school also holds plenazos, bombazos and events throughout the year, which it announces on social media.
One of the instructors is Exan Cepeda, an 18-year-old musician who played bomba barrels at Rauw Alejandro's concerts.
La Casa de la Plena Tito Matos
📍Address: Taller Comunidad ala Goyco, calle Loíza 1763, San Juan
Hours: Wednesdays and Saturdays
Classes: Panderos, güícharo and plena dance for children and adults
Founded by Héctor "Tito" Matos, a percussionist with a long musical history and several projects aimed at advancing plena in Puerto Rico, La Casa de la Plena offers basic and advanced pandero classes, as well as güícharo and plena dance classes. It also offers plena classes for children and holds plenazos every Saturday.
Plena, identity and resistance: the sound that unites the Puerto Rican people
Escuela de Bomba y Plena Doña Caridad Brenes de Cepeda
Contact: 787-461-2458, ebpcbc.secretaria@gmail.com
Hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
Classes: Basic and intermediate bomba percussion, plena percussion and bomba singing for adults, bomba dance for children and adults
Founded in 2001 by bomba dancer and folklorist Margarita "Tata" Cepeda, a granddaughter of Don Rafael Cepeda Atiles, the school honors her grandmother, Doña Caridad Brenes de Cepeda, who raised her. Tata also founded the group Gracimá, which brings bomba rhythm and dance to different parts of the world.
The school offers basic, intermediate and advanced bomba percussion classes, as well as basic pandero (plena) classes. It also offers bomba singing classes for adults and bomba dance classes for children and adults, and may add a plena class in the near future. Percussion classes are on Tuesdays, adult dance classes on Thursdays, and singing and children's dance classes on Saturdays.
They hold monthly bomba toques and other events.
Gíbaro de Puerto Rico
Contact: 787-648-1960, gibaropr@gmail.com
Hours: Monday through Thursday
Classes: Plena and bomba dance and seises de la montaña for children (7 and up) and adults
Founded in 1973, Gíbaro de Puerto Rico is a Puerto Rican folkloric company that has brought the music and dance of native rhythms to different communities and parts of the world through artistic and theatrical performances.
They offer plena, bomba and seises de la montaña dance classes for children ages 7 and up (Monday through Thursday) and adults (Tuesday) with instructor Raúl de la Paz. Classes begin in January and August and follow the school semester.
La escuelita rodante
📍Address: Multiple locations (Cayey and Caguas, coming soon to Cupey) + by request
Contact: 939-274-5421
Hours: Wednesdays and Sundays (+ by request)
Classes: Plena panderos for children and adults, bomba percussion and dance, güícharo, turbantes, cabezudos
Founded in 2024 by trovador and singer Oscar Aponte, a former member of Plena Libre, La escuelita rodante aims to bring plena to different corners of Puerto Rico.
It offers adult pandero classes on Wednesdays at Acerola, a café in Cayey, and free plena classes for children on Sundays at Vista Patria in Caguas, at 3:30 p.m. for children under 13 and at 4:30 p.m. for those 13 and older. New students should arrive half an hour early. After class, they hold a plenazo.
In addition to these two locations, La escuelita rodante will open a class in Cupey in August.
La escuelita rodante is available for hire for group classes and workshops in bomba and plena percussion, güícharo, bomba dance, turbantes and cabezudo making.
Escuela de Bomba y Plena Isabel Albizu Dávila
📍Address: Instituto de Música Juan Morell Campos, calle Pabellones, Ponce
Contact: 787-202-5421
Hours: Saturday classes starting at 9 a.m., beginning each semester in January and August
Classes: Basic bomba percussion and basic plena percussion for children ages 7 and up and adults. Also bomba and plena dance classes.
Founded in 2013, the school honors the legacy of Isabel Albizu Dávila, who was the director and founder of the folkloric ballet Bambalue and is considered the matriarch of southern bomba. It was founded by Wilfredo Santiago (Albizu's widower), percussionist José Luis Archebal (a student of Albizu), Noemí Román (her foster daughter) and her daughter Naicha.
They offer basic percussion classes leading to bomba and plena performance for children ages 7 and up and adults, as well as bomba and plena dance classes. Classes are held Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (various classes) and begin each semester in January and August.
La Casa de la Cultura Isabelina
📍Address: calle San Antonio, Isabela
Contact: 787-248-3549, lacasadelaculturaisabelina@gmail.com
Hours: Plena workshops on Mondays
Classes: Plena, bomba, guitar, ceramics and other workshops
Founded in 1995, this nonprofit organization has a mission to preserve, promote and maintain Puerto Rican culture. It oversees the Reyes Cantores Isabelinos and their musical productions, as well as the Fiesta de Reyes Isabelinos, held each January at the Plaza Pública de Isabela.
Plena workshops are held Mondays at 7:30 p.m. They are called workshops because each session is different and not consecutive, though many participants attend more than one.
They also offer bomba, guitar, ceramics and other crafts classes.
Taller de Plena y Bembé en Toa Baja
📍Address: Hotel Aqua by Dreams, Palo Seco, Toa Baja
Contact: 787-486-9437 (Orquesta Filarmónica de Bayamón, Inc.), 787-261-0202 ext. 2213 (Municipio de Toa Baja), administracion@ofbpr.org
Hours: Every Monday, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Classes: Plena workshops for all ages (additional classes on other topics at various locations)
Since 2024, the Municipio de Toa Baja has sponsored the Proyecto Cultural, which offers this plena and bembé workshop every Monday on the second floor of the Hotel Agua by Dreams in Toa Baja. Participants are required to bring their own pandero, güiro or percussion instrument, and there is no charge. The workshop is led by plenero musician Ramón "Tito" Rodríguez, who directs the group Plena la R, and instructor Rubén Matos.
The Proyecto Cultural is run by the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bayamón, Inc., a nonprofit that also offers other classes in Toa Baja. Arelis Escabí, administrator of the Proyecto Cultural and secretary of the Orquesta, told Platea that they have baton twirling class programs on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Coliseo Antonio R. Barceló, a bell choir at Escuela Adolfina Irizarry, dance classes (hip-hop and others) at Escuela Carmen Barroso, and more. Those interested can contact the project.
Places to hear live plena
🎶 La Terraza de Bonanza, Santurce (varies between plena, bomba, salsa and rumba)
🎶 El Batey de Pajú #3, Cidra (Occurs every other Friday; confirm on their social media)
Do you know of other plena schools or live plena events to include in the guide? Write to me at cburgosalvarado@redventures.com.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
