Rooted in Rhythm: How Isha M. Renta López Is Cultivating Culture in Stafford

Photo by Karen Presecan

By the time Isha M. Renta López saw her first snowfall, she was 23. She had left the warm Caribbean rhythms of Ponce, Puerto Rico, traveled through Washington, D.C., and landed eventually in Stafford, Virginia — a long way, in every sense, from the island where her story began. What she brought with her, besides a master's degree in atmospheric sciences and a career as a meteorologist, was something harder to quantify: a deep and abiding love for Puerto Rican culture and a determination to make sure it thrived in her new home.

That determination has since blossomed into Semilla Cultural, a nonprofit organization she founded in 2014 that has become one of the most distinctive and beloved community institutions in the Stafford-Fredericksburg region. This year, the organization turns twelve, and its founder, now 44, shows no signs of slowing down.

From the Island to the Beltway

Isha grew up in Ponce, fascinated by the weather that Puerto Rico's hurricane seasons inspired. She wanted to be a meteorologist, but at the time, no undergraduate meteorology program existed on the island. So she pursued mathematics at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, earned her bachelor's degree, and then headed to Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she completed a master's degree in atmospheric sciences.

Internships with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Science Foundation followed, eventually leading to her first professional role as a research meteorologist with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division. She later joined NOAA's National Weather Service, where she issued weather forecasts for Maryland, Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia — including the Stafford and Fredericksburg region she now calls home. Today, she works as a program manager and physical scientist, bridging weather research with frontline forecasters.

It is a remarkable career, but Isha is the first to say it tells only part of her story.

The Seed That Grew

When she moved to Fredericksburg, she noticed an absence. There was no Puerto Rican cultural presence, no community space where she could feel the pulse of the traditions she had grown up with. Bomba — Puerto Rico's oldest documented Afro-Puerto Rican music and dance tradition, with more than 300 years of history — was simply nowhere to be found.

"Despite growing up in Puerto Rico and being familiar with Bomba, my first intimate exposure to it was here in D.C.," she says. "Being away from home in unfamiliar territory, I was drawn to Bomba as a way to connect to my culture. When I moved to Fredericksburg, there was nothing in the area. Knowing I needed that connection, I knew surely others did too."

So she started small: by hosting the first Semilla Cultural class in the basement of her own home. From that humble beginning, the organization has grown into a full-fledged 501(c)(3) nonprofit that teaches Bomba dance and percussion, produces public performances, creates children's programming, and reaches Latino and multicultural communities across the region. Classes are held monthly, typically on the first Sunday, at a rented dance studio in Stafford. Renta López dreams of eventually having a permanent cultural center of her own.

A Book Born from a Gap

As she taught Bomba to children, Renta López noticed another missing piece: there were almost no culturally relevant resources for young Puerto Rican and Latino readers. That absence moved her to write her first children's book, Sofía and Her Bomba Drum (also published in Spanish as Sofía y su Tambor de Bomba), a celebration of music, heritage, and belonging. All proceeds from the book support Semilla Cultural's mission.

The book's journey has exceeded anything she imagined. It has been featured at the Smithsonian Institution, inspired a puppet show in Puerto Rico, and is currently the basis of a theatrical production being developed in collaboration with the Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center. But for Renta López, the most meaningful moments are far simpler.

"The pictures and videos I receive of children with the book make it all worthwhile," she says.

Building Bridges Across Traditions

Semilla Cultural's programming goes well beyond teaching steps and rhythms. One of its most ambitious initiatives, The Banyan Tree of the Americas: Music Evolution in the African Diaspora, explores the shared African roots that connect Puerto Rican Bomba to Virginia traditions such as jazz, gospel, and tap, as well as to other Afro-Latin forms such as cumbia and salsa. Through workshops, lectures, and live performances, the project traces how these traditions evolved in different corners of the Americas while remaining linked by a common history of resilience and cultural memory.

Renta López's commitment to the craft was deepened in 2022, when she participated in the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program, studying Bomba dance under master practitioner Margarita "Tata" Sánchez Cepeda, a leader in Puerto Rico's Bomba tradition, and bringing Tata to the Richmond Folk Festival and Fredericksburg for workshops and performances. Bomba, being largely an oral tradition, Renta López persistently seeks continued learning from elders across the full spectrum of the Bomba community to fulfill her responsibility as a local cultural ambassador.

Now, Semilla Cultural has been selected by Virginia Humanities to participate in "Dance Revolution," a year-long program that is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a national initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. The project will result in a video podcast mini-series with the first episode airing in September 2026 on YouTube and podcast platforms and culminate at the 2026 Richmond Folk Festival. Episodes will also be archived at the Smithsonian Institution's Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives. It is a remarkable platform for an organization that began in a Stafford basement just over a decade ago.

A Life Woven Together

Outside of Semilla Cultural, Isha M. Renta López serves on the board of RappArts (the Arts & Cultural Council of the Rappahannock), is a member of the Fredericksburg NAACP and its Environmental and Climate Justice Committee, and holds a board position with the national nonprofit Latinas in STEM. She mentors young women and Latinas in science and culture, and, last fall, she helped lead a Barbie-sponsored STEM event celebrating Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space.

Her two daughters, a high school rising senior with a passion for marine science and golf and a younger daughter who sings in her school choir and plays volleyball, are constant companions in all of it. Renta López describes them as her sidekicks.

"My girls know they have a busy mom between working as a scientist and being a community leader and cultural ambassador," she says. "I want to inspire them to know everything is possible-- to dream big, work hard, and things will work out. I always use this phrase: 'When you do things out of your heart, blessings will come your way.'"

That philosophy, rooted in love and service, runs through everything she does, from the data she analyzes for NOAA to the drum she plays for the community she has built.

As Semilla Cultural marks its twelfth year, Renta López wishes to acknowledge the people who helped it grow: "This milestone would not be possible without the support of our community, partnerships, and collaborations," she says. "What began as a response to a personal longing has grown into a lasting and meaningful impact that continues to resonate across generations." Isha specifically highlighted, “None of this would be possible without the dedication and selflessness of the current and former Semilla Cultural members and the maestras, maestros, and elders who have taken their time to teach and inspire us."

She also has a simple ask for her neighbors. "Keep supporting small, locally owned businesses, especially those rooted in community care, creativity, and cultural exchange."

For Isha M. Renta López, that is not just an invitation but a way of life.

For more information about Semilla Cultural's upcoming events, visit semillacultural.org.