Percussion set the rhythm, dance brought traditions to life, and Puerto Rican flags served as a reminder that culture is also a way to keep one’s roots alive.
This was the atmosphere at the Tampa Bomba and Plena Festival, which held its 11th edition on Oct. 18 at Heritage Park in Land O’ Lakes — a family-friendly event dedicated to the music, cuisine, and crafts of Puerto Rico.
More than just a musical celebration, the festival has become a space for preserving Puerto Rican heritage, sharing it with new generations, and recognizing the contributions of Hispanics to the development of the Tampa Bay area.
Behind this initiative is Alberto Delgado Santiago, the festival’s creator, who has dedicated his efforts to keeping Puerto Rican culture alive and supporting causes important to the community. The nonprofit organization uses “bomba” and “plena” — two traditional forms of Puerto Rican music — as vehicles to bring together people of different generations and backgrounds.
“This year marks 11 years of the festival, and we are very happy with the support we’ve received from the Hispanic community in Tampa Bay,” said Delgado Santiago.
The celebration began Oct. 16 with a kickoff event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.
“It is an honor to collaborate,” said Manny Medina, marketing manager for the Latin Market at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, explaining that the company seeks to support activities that highlight the cultural values of the Hispanic community.
For Delgado Santiago, the support from the hotel and casino has been essential in raising the profile of the celebration and connects its organizers with the media to share a message of pride and perseverance with the Hispanic community.
“We Latinos are very powerful, and we have a voice,” he said. He encouraged everyone to keep moving forward fearlessly and to celebrate their own identity with the same joy that Puerto Rican music conveys.
A culture carried in the heart
Among those attending the festival was Luis Miranda, a Puerto Rican who found the celebration to be an opportunity to reconnect with the sounds of his homeland and share them with other members of the community.
Miranda, who grew up in New Jersey, explained that bomba and plena represent much more than just traditional rhythms; they are expressions that connect Puerto Ricans to their history, even when they live far from the island.
“This is traditional music — music that touches the heart because it is part of our homeland, our culture,” he said.
His message was directed especially toward Hispanic immigrants: maintain a connection to your culture, regardless of where you were born or where you currently live.
