Saints and salsa.
Thousands gathered to celebrate Afro-Latino culture in the city during the latest edition of the “Fiestas Tradicionales en Honor a Santiago Apóstol,” known as the Loíza Festival, named after the city in Puerto Rico that inspired the festival a half-century before.
Loíza is home to the largest community of African descendants in Puerto Rico, and the three-day cultural event brings Afro-Latino and African diaspora practices to El Barrio.
Among those who performed were Los Pleneros de la 21, Flaco Navaja and The Razor Blades, Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez (Tito Puente’s Orchestra), Milteri Tucker and Bombazo, Mateo y Cumbalaya, 5 En Plena, Bronx Charanga, Legacy Women, Herencia de Plena, Son del Monte, and more.
Bomba y plena, salsa, handcrafts, and foods rooted in Afro-Puerto Rican fare transported festivalgoers to the city of Loíza, Puerto Rico, founded by “cimarrones” or maroons.
Read more: Loíza Live | Manhattan Times
Related: The Loiza Festival – The Recap
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