Marcos A. Peñaloza Pica

Marcos A. Peñaloza Pica, a consultant for SanArte Cultura and a facilitator representing the Loíza region at the Roundtable, is a folk musician, artisan, singer, musician, dancer, and composer with over 45 years of experience in Puerto Rican Bomba music. The grandson of the Cepeda family and a native of Loíza, he has composed over 50 pieces registered with ASCAP and has been a member of groups such as Los Hermanos Ayala, Ballet Folclórico Raíces, and Los Pleneros de Mi Barrio. Founder and director of the Compañía Folclórica de Loíza and the Majestad Negra International Folklore Ballet, he has brought Loíza music to stages in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. A renowned educator and tradition-lover, he offers bomba workshops, mask-making, and lectures on Loíza's ancestry and customs, consolidating his role as a cultural leader and ambassador of Loíza's folklore worldwide.