BOMBA EN CINE
In this section, I have analyzed three films that center bomba in the annotations that follow: Zafra Fusión Cepeda (filmed live at the Centro de Bellas Artes in Puerto Rico, 1983), Raíces (2001), and Resistimos (2021).
Zafra: Fusión Familia Cepeda (1983)
This filmed stage production, performed at the Centro de Bellas Artes, an early record of the Cepeda family’s artistry. It serves as a vital archive of Afro-Puerto Rican music and performance. It is significant for its featuring of Don Rafael Cepeda Atiles, Jesús Cepeda, and Petra Cepeda—all historically important figures in bomba and members of the legendary Familia Cepeda. It was reproduced at the Dr. Phillips Center in Kissimmee, Florida on February 14th, 2026 at 5pm and 7pm for an audience of around 200 attendees. It was funded in part by the New England Foundation for the Arts and with an Orlando Tourism grant. The restaged version was directed by Barbara Liz Ortiz Sanchez of La Escuela de Bomba y Plena Tata Cepeda.
Resistimos (2021)
Directed by Diana Quiñones Rivera as her MFA thesis in Media and Film and Media Studies at CUNY Hunter College, this documentary explores the socioeconomic and sociopolitical concerns voiced by bomba practitioners, especially in the wake of Hurricane
María and the 2019 protests against Puerto Rico’s then-governor Ricardo Rosselló. It features Marién Torres (co-founder of the Encuentro de Tambores and Encuentro de Cantaoras) alongside Leró Martínez Roldán, Hashlye Pérez Vega, Jesús Cepeda, Mario Cepeda, Julia Cepeda, Denise Solís, and Cary Martínez Cepeda. Resistimos won Best Documentary at the International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival in 2021.
One of the film’s most subtle and compelling features is its use of diegetic avant‑garde piano and saxophone melodies to transition between frames and thematic sections. These musical transitions often accompany ecological imagery—such as ocean scenes—or visuals of urban life in Río Piedras, Bayamón, and Mayagüez. The film primarily centers on Marien Torres, director of Taller Tambuyé. In the final frame, Rivera returns to Marien’s earlier story about her chickens surviving the hurricane: the film closes with images of baby chicks and hens, offering a message of renewal, hope, strength, and survival.
Raíces (2001)
Directed by Paloma Suau, this Banco Popular special showcases Puerto Rican popular music across genres, including bomba, plena, reggae, hip-hop, salsa, and more. It includes cantos de bomba such as “Cachón dice Elena,” "Mamá, cuídame a Belén," “Estoy Buscando un Árbol,” and "Cuando Diego."
A subtle yet significant thread throughout the film is the presence of Black Puerto Rican rapper and activist Welmo E. Joseph Romero, who continues his community activism to this day. Welmo’s rap interjections often recenter Black issues, providing poetic and melodic commentary that adds context to the film’s broader themes. The final scene is especially powerful: after discussing oppression, racism, the impact of slavery, and colonialism, Welmo concludes by singing “Soy libre,” closing the film with a message of hope and collective empowerment.