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Blue Jackel on William Cepeda

On the Enchanted Island of Puerto Rico, the name Cepeda is all but synonymous with that land's rich tradition of African derived music and dance. For decades, members of La Familia Cepeda have been unswerving in their dedication to a universe of rhythms that, until recently, have not been widely heard or appreciated beyond the Afro-Rican enclave of Loiza or the birthplace of the Plena, Ponce. The legendary Cepedas have produced many of Puerto Rico's most respected Afro-Rican percussionists, singers, dancers, composers and instrumentalists. Now, in William Cepeda, the young multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger who was nurtured by the twin spirits of bomba and bebop, Puerto Rico's potent rhythms and entrancing melodies radiate out to enthrall an international audience hungry for new Latin sounds. Born in Loiza, a small coastal town in Puerto Rico renowned for its adherence to West African-derived customs and culture, Cepeda grew up immersed in the dynamic traditions of bomba and plena, the island's two most distinctive folkloric styles. In his evolution as a musician, Cepeda has thoroughly explored both contemporary Latin and jazz styles, working with and gaining the respect of such famed leaders as Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Paquito D'Rivera, David Murray, Donald Byrd, Slide Hampton and Lester and Joseph Bowie. His work in recent years with the D'Rivera-led United Nation Orchestra has further exposed jazz fans around the world to a brawny, technically brilliant trombone style that places him in the vanguard of contemporary stylists on this most demanding of instruments.