Bomba De Aqui Brings Dance, Culture, and Joy to Westfield State

Wilson Auditorium came alive in the Spring 2025 semester with the rhythms and energy of Puerto Rican dance and musical group Bomba De Aqui. The event, organized and coordinated by the English Department and the Ethnic and Gender Studies Department, began with an introductory speech by Westfield State English Department faculty member Sonji Johnson-Anderson who welcomed her close friend, Brendalíz Cepeda, lead dancer of Bomba de Aqui. 

“Her family has a wonderful legacy of having reintroduced, reactivated Bomba in Puerto Rico.”  

Cepeda began with an introduction to Bomba de Aqui, sharing their mission of visiting schools and discussing the importance of appreciating culture and their culture's music. She then invited the audience to participate in an engaging, entertaining game. The game centered around highlighting the diverse cultures and ethnicities in the audience along with favored music genres. She concluded the exercise by demonstrating the interconnectedness of humanity through cultural music. 

Following the introduction of the musical director of Bomba de Aqui, her husband Saul ElPulpo Peñaloza and the other drummers, Julian Gerstin and Gerardo, Cepeda delved into the rich history and origins of Bomba performance. She highlighted its origins in Africa and the movement of the art form during the transatlantic slave trade when Bomba was brought to Puerto Rico.

“And the beautiful part of Bomba is that it evolved, so it comes from Africa but then reached Puerto Rico and it evolved in many different stages. What started from breaking free and escaping, came to voices expressing ourselves, and it also turned into teaching.” 

Cepeda’s riveting discussion concluded with presenting the audience with a query examining why they continue to play Bomba now. The audience suggested that they play and listen to Bomba to keep the culture alive and to teach others about it. Cepeda added, “For us, this is what keeps us alive, this music, what we teach, is really important. And when we play it, it is going to take you back.” 

With that Bomba de Aqui dove into their performance, with Cepeda making her way up the aisles, encouraging students and staff to participate in the dance. The performance certainly lived up to the promises as students, faculty, and guests were actively engaged not as an audience but as dancers making up a community. 

As the animated audience gathered in a circle at the front of the room, they followed Cepeda's instruction and began to learn how to dance to Bomba, including how to greet the drummer, and some of the traditional moves that allowed the audience to explore the call and reply between the dancer and the drummers. 

Faculty member Shoba Rajgopal of the Ethnic and Gender Studies Department noted that “I have attended so many events in my time here, many informative, thought provoking, and fascinating. But this event would fall into the category of the most fun event I have attended on our campus in a while. What a great way to make students experience the different cultures that make up the tapestry of this nation I have grown to love. Watching our students giggle and try out all those intricate steps reminded me of what a campus is all about: enjoying community with each other, students, faculty and staff.”

The entertaining evening ended with members of the Owl community rehydrating after their dedicated participation and riveting follow up questions and discussions with members of Bomba De Aqui. All left grateful for the opportunity to learn and celebrate together, bringing cultural traditions from around the world to the Westfield State community through the talents of local artists.