Puerto Rican Bomba Storytime

Isha and the Semilla Cultural team will lead families on an interactive journey through Puerto Rican culture, exploring Bomba through storytelling, rhythm, and movement.

About Semilla Cultural and Founder Isha M. Renta López

Isha M. Renta López is a Puerto Rico–born meteorologist, award-winning community leader, author, and cultural advocate. A practitioner of Bomba since 2007, she has studied with master teachers and shares this Afro-Puerto Rican tradition through her performances, workshops, and writing. Her debut children’s book, Sofía y su Tambor de Bomba (Sofía and Her Bomba Drum), set in her hometown of Ponce, reflects her journey as a scientist, mother, and community leader dedicated to cultural pride and representation.

She is also the founder of Semilla Cultural, a nonprofit organization that has promoted the Afro-Puerto Rican tradition of Bomba across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia since 2014. Along with its talented team of volunteers, Semilla Cultural engages communities through storytelling, workshops, lectures, and performances that highlight the rhythms, songs, and dances of Bomba while fostering joy, identity, and connection.

Host or Publisher Semilla Cultural