WTJU Rock’s music series, “Third Rail,” is thrilled to welcome Richmond Bomba/Plena ensemble Kadencia to the WTJU Stage!
Kadencia, which is dedicated to playing, promoting, and preserving Afro-Puerto Rican music, is led by the father-son duo of Maurice Sanabria-Orz and Maurice “Tito” Sanabria. Tito is a member of our 2023–24 Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program.
If you can’t join in-person, you can also listen on 91.1 FM, stream via wtju.net, and video stream on WTJU’s Facebook and YouTube channels.
About Kadencia
Kadencia was founded in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico in 2007. Since 2018, Kadencia plays out of its home base in Richmond, Virginia. Kadencia’s music and sounds pay homage and follow the traditions of Bomba and Plena from Western Puerto Rico. The lyrics of its songs are narrative and describe various aspects of Puerto Rican society, culture, and traditions. Kadencia utilizes Bomba and Plena’s long-rooted storytelling traditions to vividly capture multiple aspects of the Puerto Rican experience on the U.S. territory and on the U.S. mainland.
Kadencia’s sophomore album “En Otro Barrio” was released in November 2022. Puerto Rico’s National Foundation for Popular Culture selected “En Otro Barrio” as one of the Top 20 albums by Puerto Rican artists. Kadencia is certified by the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture as a performer of traditional Puerto Rican music and is a member of the Virginia Commission for the Arts’ Touring Directory. The band remains active in the community by offering and sponsoring Bomba and Plena workshops and lectures to schools, universities, and performing arts organizations.
