Latin Diaspora - PAD Showcase SESSION
Welcome to Week Nine (9) of the PAD Showcase SESSIONS! This week we celebrate the vibrant sounds, rhythms, and movement of the Latin Diaspora.
In our music, we hear the heartbeat of our people—alive, complex, and evolving. From the passionate tangos of Argentina to the vibrant salsa rhythms of Cuba, from the heart-stirring sounds of mariachi to the upbeat cumbias that fill the air across Colombia and beyond—our music is a language unto itself.
—Raphael Gonzalez
Meet the host: Raphael Gonzalez
Photo credit: Cedric Arnold
Rafael González is the President and CEO of Grand Performances, an organization dedicated to inspiring community, celebrating diversity, and uniting Los Angeles through free access to global performing arts.
A dynamic and inclusive leader, Rafael is driven by his core values of justice, collaboration, accountability, balance, respect, trust, and innovation. His extensive experience spans the nonprofit, government, service, philanthropic, and arts and culture sectors, equipping him with the ability to cultivate meaningful relationships across disciplines and backgrounds. His work is rooted in advancing social impact, equity, and systemic community change.
Rafael serves on the boards of California for the Arts, California Arts Advocates, Western Arts Alliance, and Active SGV. He is also a member of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Advisory Council and the City of El Monte’s Planning Commission.
Beyond his leadership roles, Rafael is a musician and has contributed as a producer and writer for independent films and documentaries. He has also been an active poet in local spoken word collectives.
Meet the Artists
BOCA TUYA
Photo credit: Jacob Jonas
BOCA TUYA is a New York-based movement contributing to redefining the artistic landscape under the visionary direction of Puerto Rican choreographer Omar Román de Jesús. Rooted in the rhythms, storytelling traditions, and cultural heritage of Puerto Rico, we craft immersive dreamscapes that blend vibrant cadence, surrealist narratives, and unforgettable characters. Honoring our traditions, ancestors, and those who came before us, we connect past and present to champion the visibility and excellence of New York’s top movement artists. Since 2018, we have fostered a culture of holistic growth, prioritizing well-being, economic stability, and creative fulfillment. Through performances, global touring, educational outreach, and choreographic commissions, BOCA TUYA empowers artists to live fully in their artistry while cultivating authenticity, equity, and innovation with a distinct Boricua heartbeat.
Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles and Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuellar
Photo credit: Julie Salas Rodriguez
Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar has indeed become America's Mariachi! First: multi-styling videos with pop sensation Camila Cabello! Second, a viral "Jacket Exchange" with Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Kelly, who proudly wore it to the White House to meet Joe Biden! With a 30-year history of shows that delight audiences at both intimate venues and major theaters throughout the U.S. and Mexico, the ensemble tours its show, Soñando con México/Dreaming of Mexico, while also collaborating with a Who’s Who of Mexican artists, including Aida Cuevas, Pedro Fernandez, Ana Barbara, and Angela Aguilar. Most recently, Mariachi Garibaldi was a featured performer for Camila Cabello’s Tiny Desk concert, performing “La Buena Vida,” which genuinely displays that mariachi music transcends across all platforms. A production in 2017 of “Tale as Old as Time” from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast for the “mitú” network went viral with over 16 million views! Avid proponents of music education, the group teaches mariachi for all ages at their school for Mexican Arts, Cue Music Inc
Grupo Rebolú
Photo: courtesy of the artist
REBOLÚ is an Afro-Colombian ensemble featuring top Colombian musicians in the U.S. Founded by Ronald Polo, Moris Cañate, Johanna Castaneda, and Erica "Kika" Parra, the group is dedicated to preserving and evolving the musical traditions of Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
Their music blends ancestral rhythms with new compositions, staying true to folkloric roots while embracing fresh ideas. With energetic performances and a repertoire that includes Gaita, Tambora, Chalupa, and Bullerengue, REBOLÚ delivers a unique and danceable cultural experience, perfect for festivals, concerts, and cultural events.
Lone Piñon
Photo credit: Jessie Littlebird
Lone Piñon is a New Mexican string band, or orquesta típica, that celebrates the region's diverse cultural roots through fiddles, upright bass, guitars, accordions, vihuela, and bilingual vocals. Their music blends Spanish, Mexican, Indigenous, European, Anglo-American, and Afro-American influences, reflecting the Norte’s rich musical heritage shaped by centuries of intersecting histories, migrations, and trade routes.
Founded in 2014, Lone Piñon is dedicated to preserving the oldest sounds of traditional New Mexico string music, which had nearly disappeared from daily life in many Northern New Mexico communities. Drawing from elders, field recordings, and connections to parallel traditions in the U.S. and Mexico, they have revitalized the orquesta típica for contemporary audiences. Their performances keep the tradition alive, bringing it back to modern stages, dance floors, and young generations, while honoring the continuity, creativity, and cross-cultural solidarity that has always defined the music.
Kalindá (Escuela de Bomba y Plena Tata Cepeda)
Photo credit: Herminio Rodriguez
Margarita “Tata” Cepeda is a trailblazer in Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba music and dance, with over 40 years of exceptional contributions that have enriched Puerto Rican culture and resonated globally.
Tata’s journey is deeply rooted in familial legacy, as she is the granddaughter of Caridad Brenes Caballero and Rafael Cepeda Atiles, two revered figures in the Bomba and Plena traditions.
As a seasoned dancer and folklorist, Tata has become an ambassador for Afro-Caribbean identity, representing and preserving cultural roots. She has inadvertently become an advocate for Bomba, breaking down barriers and providing access to this once-restricted cultural treasure.
Las Cafeteras
Photo credit: Farah Sosa
Las Cafeteras have captivated audiences worldwide with their electrifying live performances, blending Afro-Mexican rhythms, electronic beats, and powerful lyrics. From Bonnaroo to the Hollywood Bowl, WOMAD New Zealand to Montreal Jazz, their music transcends genres and borders.
Hailing from East Los Angeles, they remix roots music as modern-day troubadours, creating a sonic fusion of Afro-Mexican, Americana, Soul, Son Jarocho, and Hip Hop. With traditional instruments like the 8-string Jarana and Quijada, they honor the past while pushing folk music into the future.
Las Cafeteras sing in English, Spanish, Spanglish, and the universal languages of love and justice. They’ve shared the stage with icons like Café Tacuba, Natalia LaFourcade, Lila Downs, Ozomatli, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.