According to Cepeda, he was born while his mother Leonor was in the middle of a Bomba dance. He attended San Augustin Catholic School until the 8th grade in San Juan. After Cepeda finished 8th grade he took up amateur boxing and worked as a carpenter.
The passage describes Cepeda's early life, highlighting his birth amidst a Bomba dance, his schooling, and his subsequent involvement in boxing and carpentry.