State/Territory: Puerto Rico
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Puertorriqueño / Puerto Rican
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
“In my community I feel the responsibility to contribute to the development of a living culture, where young people can view art as an expression of personal growth. I aspire to make new contributions to the culture of Puerto Rico to preserve the identity of my town, my people and my country.”
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Hatillo – Community and the public participating in an activity
Concert with participating folk artists
TV Program – Tribute to Master Troubadours
Photo courtesy Decimanía
Photo courtesy Decimanía
Photo courtesy Decimanía
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Troubadour & improviser of verse, cultivator of rhyme & song
Omar Santiago Fuentes is a cultural worker who specializes in promoting the folk music tradition and décima from Puerto Rico. From a young age he has developed his skill as a troubadour and improviser of verse and a cultivator of rhyme and song. He has won the most important troubadour contests on the island, and his commitment has allowed him to flourish into a master of oral tradition. He is a researcher and historian, and author of the book La décima del encanto, a recipient of literary awards in Puerto Rico. He founded the cultural educational organization, Decimanía of Puerto Rico, through which he has supported various projects for the preservation and dissemination of the folk music tradition. He directs projects that benefit other troubadours, musicians and young troubadours, and is a musical producer, community leader, art worker and advocate for Puerto Rican culture. Currently he is professor at the Universidad Interamericana in Arecibo, and he has a PhD in Hispanic Arts and Literature.
What does the Taproot Fellowship mean to you and how will it affect your practice?
Being a Taproot artist in my practice is a responsibility that I take on to continue advocating for the tradition I represent. I am an artist but at the same time an agent for processes to guarantee that this art form can achieve sustainability for the future. In my community I feel the responsibility to contribute to the development of a living culture, where young people can view art as an expression of personal growth. I aspire to make new contributions to the culture of Puerto Rico to preserve the identity of my town, my people and my country.
Meet more of our Fellows
See All
Delores Taitano Quinata
Bilembaotuyan Maker & Player
Hagatna, Guam
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
Vietnamese Traditional Musician & Composer
El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Hotevilla, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
Puertorriqueño / Puerto Rican
San Juan, Puerto Rico
“Each story we tell becomes a place where we combine the celebration of what we are with a critical thinking that helps us to defend our cultural rights.”
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Photo by Ricardo Alcaraz.
Photo by Doel Vázquez.
Photo by Wilma Colón.
"Umbral del lienzo", de Agua, Sol y Sereno. October 22, 2016. Photo by Ricardo Alcaraz.
Agua, Sol y Sereno ensaya para La Campechada. October 9, 2012. Photo by Ricardo Alcaraz.
Photo by Ricardo Alcaraz.
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Reconnecting to the ancestry of our earth through theater & film
Founder and Artistic Director of Agua, Sol y Sereno (ASYS), Pedro Adorno Irizarry is a film and theater director, actor, visual artist and arts manager based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He began his career in the 1980s with the group Los Teatreros Ambulantes de Cayey (The Traveling Theater-makers of Cayey), directed by Rosa Luisa Márquez and Antonio Martorell. In 1989 he relocated to Nicaragua to work with the cultural group MECATE and offer theater workshops in rural communities. Later he moved to Vermont where he worked for three years with Bread and Puppet Theatre. Back in Puerto Rico in 1993, he founded Agua, Sol y Sereno together with Cathy Vigo, where he engages with art through the creation of masks, sculptures and visual arts. Adorno has directed ASYS repertoire works, including “Una de cal y una de arena.” He has also directed educational workshops and artistic residencies at the national and international level, and has participated in theater festivals in Europe, Latin America and the United States.
In 2004, together with Emilio Rodríguez, he wrote and directed the feature film “El Clown,” which won two awards for directorial début at the Chicago Latino Film Festival 2007. As a visual artist he has created exhibitions and participated in artistic residencies. He has received various prizes for his cultural work. Adorno completed his Master’s in Art Education from Goddard College in Vermont and Seattle. Apart from holding his position as artistic director of Agua, Sol y Sereno, he works as a professor in the Master of Arts Management program at Puerto Rico University, Recinto de Río Piedras.
What does being a Taproot Fellow mean to you in your practice and community?
To reaffirm our commitment to approach artistic creation from Puerto Rican knowledge, elevating our Afro-Caribbeanness and reconnecting to the ancestry of our earth. We are glad that through our work, our artists working in theater, carnaval and our musical tradition can receive this deserved recognition that our people have fought for while conserving their identity. I am grateful for this support of our artistic, cultural, and community operations with which we continue to investigate our work so that each story we tell becomes a place where we combine the celebration of what we are with a critical thinking that helps us to defend our cultural rights.
Meet more of our Fellows
See All
Delores Taitano Quinata
Bilembaotuyan Maker & Player
Hagatna, Guam
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
Vietnamese Traditional Musician & Composer
El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Hotevilla, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
“As a Taproot artist, I see myself as a source of inspiration and nourishment, providing sustenance for both my own artistic journey and the community around me.”
Jesús M. Cepeda Brenes
Jesus M. Cepeda playing the bomba hand drum called Barril.
Photo by Judith Quintana.
Jesus M. Cepeda participating in a afro descendancy seminar.
Photo by Judith Quintana.
Photo by Judith Quintana.
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Carrying on a century-long tradition of Bomba & Plena
Jesús M. Cepeda Brenes, a renowned folklorist and folklorologist, is the son of the Patriarch of Bomba y Plena, Don Rafael Cepeda Atiles, and Doña Caridad Brenes (R.I.P.). He is an expert in all aspects of this major art form within Puerto Rican folklore. Jesús has distinguished himself as an educator both within and outside of Puerto Rico, training expert musicians, researchers, music students, and the general public. He has delivered lectures at universities, high schools, and elementary schools on the fundamentals of Bomba and Plena. His artistic education is deeply rooted in the traditions passed down from parents to children and grandchildren over more than a century, creating a classic folklore within the native musical line, with a particular emphasis on Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena.
Jesús was a member of the Ballet Folklórico de la Familia Cepeda, a group that serves as a representative sample of Puerto Rican folklore, recreating the Bomba and Plena in their performances without losing the authentic flavor of our grandparents’ dances. His work has transcended the borders of Puerto Rico, bringing his presentations to many countries, including France, England, Italy, Spain, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He has performed in numerous cities, universities, and venues across the United States, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Central Park in New York City, Tampa, Chicago, Connecticut, and California.
Maestro Jesús Cepeda is the president of Fundación Folclórica Cultural Rafael Cepeda, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to educating future generations and preserving the Rafael Cepeda House Museum. Watching Jesús Cepeda perform is an immersive experience, delving into the legendary language of sound signs brought from Africa and listening to the voices of ancient cultures brought to the Caribbean on slave ships. His performances capture centuries of spiritual beliefs, mythologies, struggles, and remote stories, all expressed through the sounds of his ancestral Bomba drum.
Don Jesús Manuel Cepeda Brenes, Maestro de la Bomba, is the heir to the Bomba music and dance tradition, the most visible and powerful expression of Puerto Rico’s African heritage. He is the recipient of a cultural and folkloric legacy that spans more than four generations.
What does being a Taproot Fellow mean to you in your practice and community?
Being a Taproot artist means being deeply rooted in my artistic practice and community. It signifies a connection to the essence of creativity, growth, and authenticity. As a Taproot artist, I see myself as a source of inspiration and nourishment, providing sustenance for both my own artistic journey and the community around me. It’s about delving into the core of my creativity, drawing strength from my roots, and branching out to contribute meaningfully to the artistic ecosystem that surrounds me.
Meet more of our Fellows
See All
Delores Taitano Quinata
Bilembaotuyan Maker & Player
Hagatna, Guam
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
Vietnamese Traditional Musician & Composer
El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Hotevilla, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.