Héctor "Tito" Matos plays the pandereta, a hand drum traditional to plena. African-derived plena is one of the touchstones of Puerto Rican identity on the island, in "El Barrio" of New York City's East Harlem, and beyond.
Photo by Daniel Sheehy, Smithsonian Institution
Viento de Agua, now established in Puerto Rico, was founded in New York City by Tito Matos. It is a collective of the finest practitioners of plena and bomba musical traditions who perform "unplugged"—or with acoustic instruments only. The group's aim is to reassert and uplift these Afro-Puerto Rican vocal and drum traditions, which are popular both in Puerto Rico and in the large Puerto Rican communities in the United States.
- Héctor "Tito" Matos, director, lead vocals, pandereta-requinto, tumbandero, barril de bomba-buleador, minor percussion, dancer
- Guillermo Cubero, small percussion, pandereta-seguidor, vocals
- Luis Figueroa, vocals, pandereta-requinto, minor percussion
- Juan E. Martínez, güiro, minor percussion, pandereta
- Joksan Ramos, pandereta-seguidor, minor percussion, barril de bomba-buleador
- Erik Rosado, vocals, barril de bomba-subidor, small percussion, pandereta-punteador
