Dr. Miriam Padilla, a Puerto Rican living in Utah, felt disconnected from her heritage and the Puerto Rican diaspora. To reconnect, she learned to sing and dance Bomba, a traditional Puerto Rican music and dance form brought by West African slaves. This led her to start the musical group, Bomba Marilé, in 2017. The group performs, visits schools, and organizes Bomba classes to connect Puerto Ricans in the US to their roots.
Liliana Rodriguez, a member of Bomba Marilé, also found solace in Bomba after feeling out of place in Utah as a Puerto Rican. She and her husband, Omar, who also performs in the group, found a sense of community and connection through Bomba. They offer free Bomba classes on Saturdays in April, May, and June at the Sorenson Community Campus.
Through their shared love of Bomba, Padilla, Rodriguez, and others in the group are building a community in Utah for Puerto Ricans to celebrate their heritage and feel a sense of belonging.
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