SANSE FILADELFIA

SanSe Filadelfia

Tony Mendez & Los Bomberos de la Calle
in partnership with American Composers Forum

EAC Artist in Residence, 2024 Philadelphia Cultural Treasures Artist Fellow, Tony Mendez and Los Bomberos de la Calle present the world premiere of a new work modeled after the widely celebrated annual Fiesta de la Calle de San Sebastián in Puerto Rico. Mendez celebrates Plena and Bomba musical traditions through an evocative, multidisciplinary experience that immerses the audience and offers a guided tour of the history, significance, and legacy of one of Puerto Rico’s most important indigenous art forms. 

Presented at Teatro Esperanza and Esperanza Arts Center’s Gran Salon & Plaza, this immersive experience brings the spirit of Puerto Rico’s most celebrated festival, the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, directly to Philadelphia. The experience begins in the gallery, where Anthony Mendez — Director of Los Bomberos De La Calle — unveils six powerful paintings that guide audiences through a visual timeline of history. Through bold imagery and storytelling, he reveals the deep, often untold realities of African and Taíno roots in Puerto Rico. Each piece traces the birth of Bomba and Plena, honoring the resilience, rhythm, and resistance that shaped the island’s cultural heartbeat. This artistic journey lays the foundation for understanding how these traditions ultimately blossomed into the vibrant and world-renowned San Sebastián Festival.

Following the gallery experience, the audience will not simply walk to the Teatro — they will be led in a live comparsa de Plena, transforming the transition into a street celebration reminiscent of Old San Juan itself. Once inside the Teatro, guests will step into a living vision of Puerto Rico — with immersive visuals of Old San Juan, piragua stands, colorful casitas, and the unmistakable energy of island street life. The stage becomes a cultural time machine as Los Bomberos De La Calle ignites a live Bomba performance filled with call-and-response, movement, rhythm, and powerful audience interaction. Following the interactive performance in Teatro Esperanza, guests are invited to enjoy food from local vendors, including a piragua cart and traditional dishes from Puerto Rico.

Presented in partnership with the American Composers Forum ( ACF) . ACF’s Recomposing America is a multi-year initiative led by American Composers Forum that highlights artistic perspectives unique to the United States and the broader Americas through direct commissions, institutional collaborations, and public dialogue. Timed with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Recomposing America aims to refresh and reimagine the “who,” “what,” and “why” of the United States, and the stories therein. Music has always told the story of the United States. From anthems that forged unity and protest songs that challenged power, to the intimate soundtracks of our daily lives, music composition is a vessel to chart the stories, ideas, and origins of people and communities. Recomposing America is a platform that expands on this legacy by centering the role of music in our past and future stories — an evolving score shaped by many people and cultures across the U.S.

Part of VOCES: EAC’s VOCES series spotlights a different facet of Latin American culture and traditions each season. This year’s VOCES Series will feature indigenous cultural traditions from Latin America and the Caribbean.

Part of the U.S. Semiquincentennial: In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, EAC will present a series of programs that celebrate and explore the Latino voice within the American landscape. Through arts, culture, and community engagement, these programs will highlight the contributions, histories, and perspectives of Latino communities as part of the broader American story.

 SanSe Filadelfia has received support from the City of Philadelphia, William Penn Foundation, Presser Foundation, and The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.