Kadencia is an ensemble comprised of professional musicians that have toured with some of the best local and internationally renowned bands in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region playing Bomba and Plena in its traditional percussive form. Founded in Puerto Rico by singer-songwriter Maurice Sanabria-Ortiz and percussionist Roberto Candelario, Kadencia was reborn in late 2018, with the help of percussionists Maurice “Tito” Sanabria and Santos Ramirez, and now calls Richmond, Virginia its home base. The band has quickly made an impact in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States through performances that deliver heavy-hitting original music. The band uses Bomba, Plena, and Salsa to promulgate Puerto Rican culture, educate audiences on the Island’s native musical expressions, and make audiences move in ways they never knew possible.

Kadencia’s music and sounds pay homage and follow the traditions of Plena from Western Puerto Rico. The lyrics of its songs are narrative in nature and describe various aspects of Puerto Rican society, culture, and traditions. Kadencia’s leader 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 has opened and headlined performances at events such as the Que Pasa? Festival, Richmond’s Latin Jazz and Salsa Festival, Viva RVA Hispanic Music Festival, the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, George Washington University, the Dogwood Dell Festival of the Arts, the Henrico Theater, the Richmond Performing Arts Alliance, Chesterfield County’s Festival de Música, and the Richmond Folk Festival.

Pro-Art partners with a variety of venues, therefore individuals with mobility issues or general questions are encouraged to call (276) 376-4520 or email the Pro-Art office at pro-art@uvawise.edu. For evolving conditions related to weather cancellations, or similar unforeseen circumstances, patrons are encouraged to check proartva.org for up-to-date information. 

Pro-Art is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the C. Bascom Slemp Foundation, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, Mountain Empire Community College, the Columbus Phipps Foundation, and the Lee County Community Foundation.