Los Pleneros de la 21

Los Pleneros de la 21 (LP21), the premier East Harlem-based performing ensemble and non-profit community organization, was founded in 1983 by Juan J. ‘Juango’ Gutiérrez (National Endowment for the Arts’ Heritage Fellow, 1996) and the legendary Master Plenero, Marcial Reyes Arvelo. The ensemble was originated under the common goal to promote the importance and beauty of traditional Puerto Rican music and dance to the masses. An intergenerational ensemble of today’s venerated Bomba & Plena and Latin jazz practitioners and musicians, LP21 has pioneered the road for bomba and plena performance around NYC, and continues to spread it globally. 

Los Pleneros de la 21's landmark community-based cultural and educational programs, such as Bomba and Plena Community Workshops for adults and kids; Bomba and Plena In the House for NYC school children; and Cultural Legacy Programs, have created a common space for the recognition, education and practice of Puerto Rican culture and identity.