What began as an exclusive invitation for women to the Festival Jíbaro de Comerío in 2017 has now evolved into a platform to elevate women's presence in Puerto Rican folk music through the group Versos de Mujer.
Now, Versos de Mujer is going on tour and performing in Connecticut on Friday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven.
At the time, the request was for women troubadours from the island to perform the famous “pico a pico” improvisation, carried out exclusively by women at the Comerien festival. The call was made to the troubadour Lenny Jeannette Adorno, who was responsible for inviting some of her colleagues to the musical stage at the cultural center of Comerío, Puerto Rico. That day, none of the troubadours and musicians imagined that the gathering would lead to the birth of a group seeking to give visibility to the voices and sounds of women in Puerto Rican folk music.
“At the festival, the custom is that on Sunday, they always hold a “pico a pico,” but I was called because they wanted it to be all women, both the improvising troubadours and the musicians, so that all of them would be women. I embarked on the task of finding talent to organize the presentation and found the troubadours Rosaura Batista, Elsie Mari Díaz, Deborah Rodríguez, and many others. I looked for Maribel Delgado and Aidita Encarnación. The performance was so well received that we decided to form the group, and that’s how Versos de Mujer was born,” Adorno explained as she recalled that first meeting of talented women.
Since that day, Versos de Mujer has been dedicated to representing the troubadour and music through décima, aguinaldos,seis, and improvisation.
"Seeing women make Puerto Rican music in a genre that is traditionally dominated by men is something different and refreshing at the same time. For us, who have built our own careers, coming together to take on the responsibility of promoting and representing women in traditional Puerto Rican music is a source of immense pride. Versos de Mujer seeks to elevate the feminine presence. “To make us feel,” emphasized the troubadour Adorno, creator of the group Versos de mujer.
The collective is made up of troubadours and instrumentalists with extensive experience who deliver a powerful and culturally rich performance. Its mission is to bring the Puerto Rican cultural heritage to life through the talents of women. The group consists of Adorno (troubadour and improviser), Maribel Delgado (cuatrista and arranger), Aidita Encarnación (guitar and vocals), Daliz Marie Dávila (bongó), Deborah Rodríguez (troubadour and improviser), Rosaura Batista (troubadour), Rocío del Mar Santiago (congas), and Carmen Rodríguez (troubadour).
The group has performed at festivals, cultural events, and community venues in Puerto Rico, and in 2026, they will cross the ocean and take part in the BoriCorridor Tour, visiting various Puerto Rican communities in the northeastern United States. The Versos de Mujer concert series will kick off on April 24 in Chicago, Boston, and New Haven.
“Establishing a group of women is a huge challenge because, even though people think times have changed, women still have to work twice or three times as hard to achieve things in the world of music and to be respected in the same way that a group of men or male musicians are respected. There is still a long way to go. But I recognize that with this group, doors have opened and there are more women in music,” Encarnación revealed enthusiastically.
Adorno agrees with Encarnación that forming all-female groups in a male-dominated music scene is a constant challenge, but one that is not unique to Puerto Rico, since in Latin countries where décima, trova, and improvisation are practiced, most of the talent is men.
“This is not just about Puerto Rico—in the same countries where the décima is sung, the genre is dominated by men. Since the emergence of traditional music, various factors in Puerto Rico and Latin America have prevented women from advancing with the same visibility as men. However, with this group, women's presence has begun to make its mark in various settings. “Now we’re heading to the diaspora, and we’re really excited about it,” said the troubadour Adorno.
“What’s wonderful about this group of women is that most of them write, compose, and improvise." As they perform in the show, we will blend their songs with iconic tracks whose lyrics are inspired by our homeland. These are very talented women, and the show promises to be outstanding, with a repertoire that the diaspora is sure to enjoy immensely. “We take you to Puerto Rico through our songs,” Encarnación pointed out.
Once they arrive in the United States, the group will continue coordinating its members' schedules so they can bring Puerto Rican trova and décima to life through the harmony of their female voices.
