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.

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.

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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.

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.