[2] The Bomba is a music, rhythm and dance that was brought to Puerto Rico by West African slaves.

[5][6] In the 1940s and 1950s, Cepeda's compositions positively affected the careers of other well-respected Puerto Rican musicians, including Ismael Rivera and Rafael Cortijo.

The group became a Puerto Rican institution, and has performed in the United States, South and Central America, Europe and Asia.

The Government of Puerto Rico named Cepeda "The Patriarch of the Bomba and Plena" in recognition of his contributions to the island's African musical culture.

In his honor the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture established the Rafael Cepeda Festival of Bomba and Plena which is annually celebrated in San Juan.

[5][6] His granddaughter, Margarita "Tata" Cepeda, continues to preserve and promote the traditional Afro-Puerto Rican music and dance forms of bomba and plena.