Today there are nearly 12,000 Latine-owned businesses in the city, but it wasn’t always like this. Success now is the result of generations of hard work.
Students of all ages closed out their Bomba and Plena classes with a recital in North Philadelphia organized by the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center.
Although there is no single way to define a culture, Philadelphia is home to thousands of individuals who express their identity in different ways where 16% of the population identifies as Latine.
Photos of Kensington: Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center showcases student performances
Students of all ages closed out their Bomba and Plena classes with a recital in North Philadelphia organized by the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center.
Melanie, a student at the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center, dances during the center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025 (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)
The Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center brought students, families, and neighbors together in North Philadelphia for a recital marking the end of its bomba and plena music and dance classes. Kids and adult performers took the stage to share what they learned through traditional Puerto Rican rhythms and movement. The event, held on April 12, 2025, celebrated the continuation of bomba and plena traditions in Philadelphia.
To learn more about Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s classes and events, check out their Instagram.
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Check out our photos from the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center recital below 👇
(Left) Izabel Mendez dances among fellow students during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Student performers and parents play congas during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Children dance among the crowd during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Ziggy, a student at the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center, rests his head on a conga drum before the student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Students perform a Bomba Plena dance during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Students perform a Bomba Plena dance during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Conga drummers perform during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Children paint vejigante masks during a student recital hosted by the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)A student wears a handcrafted vejigante mask before the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Students from the adult portion of the class perform on the congas during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)A student dances during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Tony Mendez, owner and director of Los Bomberos de la Calle, plays the conga as students dance during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Izabela Mendez performs during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Jonathan Santiago sings during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Kiana Román dances during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Katsi Lozada, teaching artist and instructor, leads students in a dance during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Students perform a Bomba Plena dance during the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center’s student recital in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)Children paint vejigante masks during a student recital hosted by the Philly Bomba Plena Cultural Center in North Philadelphia on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio)
Solmaira Valerio is a North Philly–born photographer and musician whose work draws on their cultural roots to capture the energy, vulnerability, and authenticity of communities while challenging stereotypes and stigma.
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