CASA AYALA

We drove up the coast from Condado to Loiza, enjoying the rich green vegetation along the way as well as the swaying palms and immense ocean. The day was clear with just the right amount of clouds to keep the sun from it's full scorching potential. We stopped where the beach looked nice and dipped in the salty water, soaked in the sun and talked about what color fabric would look best for the skirts that would be made.

Loiza is known for it's distinct interpretation of Bomba Puerto Riquena. We stopped at the Casa Ayala where the prominent  Ayala family  continue to practice Bomba. It's a historical and important stop for all the In-Search-Of-Bomba types and has historical photos, information, etc about Bomba Loizena and the contribution of the Ayala family to the genre. We picked up a few masks, maracas, and CD's and then headed across the street to Samuel Lind's studio where he's working on prints and sculpture that depict Bomberos dancing as well as important figures in Bomba history.

His work is tight and his devotion to artistic representation of Bomba leads me to believe that he's just as much a Boma fan as any other. Samuel's work is beautiful and since I'm on a prints moratorium ( I have more prints than wall space) I didn't grab a print on my way out but if I was you I'd get one, next time you are in Loiza!

I had to leave Loiza and headed to Taller Tamborica inRio Piedras to meet up with Elia. She's got a great space and I watched her ensayo, danced a little and we made plans to meet this week before I leave. She's all about teaching people to be teachers of Bomba. After that we headed to Luis Munoz Rivera park that Denise renamed " Desde Cero Park" for a bombazo where the Bomberas de la Bahia repped Bomba Bahianense (I made that up- that means Bomba from the San Francisco Bay Area!).

Y mas video de Loiza

Watch these kids break it down.

La Camisa- Video from Loiza

Click arrow to see video of Bomba from Loiza, Puerto Rico. Comments appreciated.

Mas Bomba - Video from Loiza

Video from Loiza

Bombalandia

It’s been a minute since I’ve blogged, so much bomba  that I couldn’t catch up with you all! Welcome back to Bombalandia! Since I last wrote, we’ve hit up Nuyorican for Bomba night with Desde Cero (and of course stayed for salsa after), Rumba at Café Seda,  the Festival de Santiago Apostal in Loiza, a Bombazo at Ocean Park beach and a dance class. Bomba and it don’t stop….Check out the photos. Please comment and or respond in the comment section if you'd like. I’d love to hear from you.

Handle that Skirt...

I've began taking classes with some great teachers. I've learned 2 rhythms: Sica and Cuembe along with their basic steps a few piques. I got my skirt made!! Holler!  But , man, handling all that fabric is new to me.

Bombazo @Nuyorican Cafe

Last night we hit up the Nuyorican Cafe en Viejo San Juan where my Bomba instructor was performing with his group. We mobbed over from Condado to Viejo San Juan and this time I parked in a parking lot because Lisa told me that parking in yellow means  parking in red and one of these days I'm bound to get a ticket.
For $2.50, I don't have to gamble with getting a ticket. Oh did I mention that there are casinos on my block where I stay in Condado? La Concha Casino serves sandwiches along with complementary drinks while you try your luck into timeless abandon and I'm down $20 in case you're asking. Blackjacks my game.

The Bombazo was tight. AC a little too high in the venue. One of my favorite dancers was out there doing his thang.  Michael Jackson meets Bomba con sabor. Ilia showed up, freshly arrived from the Bay. We met Vicky that night who convinced us to stay at the Nuyorican for Salsa,  but not without first visiting Los Cuernitos up the street where we were served guayaba-flavored Puerto Rican-style "Sizurp" or something like that out of plastic shot glasses. All in the name of the grant! We headed back to the Nuyorican for salsa. Be warned: Puerto Rican Salseros ain't no joke! I saw some moves I've never seen before! Step Lively..

.

Anthropological Investigation at Tibes

We decided to hit up Tibes, the Taino Ceremonial Site near Ponce for a side trip. As I said I'm a self- proclaimed -researcher/musicologist and have turned my attention to the Taino roots of Puerto Rico. Conversations and studies about the Taino legacy always seem to lead to controversy based on anthropological assumptions, lived experiences, oral stories and urban myths. I have been told that Tainos:
no longer exist as they were  genocided by guns, germs and steel,

they're hiding in the Yunque,
most Puerto Ricans have Taino blood,
the Jibaros in New York are Taino descendants,
some one's grandma was Taina,
etc.

I decided to hit up Tibes to see for myself what was going on and throw my two cents into the mix. While it is popularly believed and well studied that the Tainos originally hail from the Orinco River Delta of Venezuela, the artifacts in the museum led me to my own conclusion that Tainos may be descendants of the Maya. Why? They played the same ball game, proximity to major Mayan centers in the Yucatan , and how they pressed the babies foreheads much like the Maya. How can I prove my conclusion? No, I don't have bones or pottery chips or the equipment to run a half-life test, it just seems right to me. And that's the beauty of being a self-proclaimed anthropologist.

P.S. While the museum was open and we were able to see a short documentary about the ceremonial site, we were not actually able to see the actual site due to some issues about bees and safety.

Bomba con Hip Hop en la calle de Viejo San Juan

Walking back from Old San Juan, I ran into bomba con hip hop live on the street.

Puerto Rico " Adonde todos trabajen pero otros hacen ricos"

La Brisa Va, la brisa viene...

Photos from the Plenazo at the Festival de Rafael Cepeda with Tito Matos. Cuz you can't talk about Bomba without talking about Plena.

Festival de Rafael Cepeda Taller de Bomba y Bombazo

If I haven't told you yet, let me make this clear the Festival de Rafael Cepeda is OFF THE HOOK! It's free, well organized, the venue is tight, they're promoting Puerto Rican music, the crowd is nice, and the music is almost too good.

This morning I caught the Bomba workshop under a tent while the sky poured down. By the time the sun came blaring back, the cement heat was rising and the Bombazo began.

Le Lo Lai and It Don't Stop..

Last night's show was phenomenal. I attended the Rafael Cepeda Festival in beautiful Viejo San Juan where Mapeye performed as well as Tata Cepeda's 25 person Bomba group!!

There's an overarching message of the Festival that was reiterated by the MC last night and that was that Puerto Rican music should be celebrated and that Puerto Ricans continue to share and practice the music and keep the legacy going.
He said that if the audience was taking pictures of the show that they should facebook the photos and share them so that the world can see the beautiful music of Puerto Rico.

Whoa, was he talking to me?

I met up with Julie, who's also in Puerto Rico with the Fund for Teacher's grant. She took me to Cafe Seda where Bomba was in full effect. I ended the evening in front of Cafe Ceda at 1:30am before it started raining, choppin it up with the Bomberos from Desde Cero about when classes are and the history of Bomba. Good Night...

MORE VIDEO

Taller de Bomba, por fin

Today I attended a great workshop on Bomba put on by the Rafael Cepeda Festival. Alongside a summer camp of Puerto Rican kids and their teachers, a handful of passerbys, and the artesanos selling their wares in the courtyard of the Museo de las Americas, Manuel Perez broke down the history of Puerto Rico, gave us a few Bomba steps to walk away with and an intro to the Bombazo.

One of my goals of this trip is to introduce Bomba to my students. I thought Manny did a great job with the adults and the kids and I will definitely incorporate what I experienced as a learner into my teaching next year. I met a few practicing Bomberas and look forward to more Bomba!

El festival de Rafael Cepeda 100 anos de cultura

Tonight we attended the first evening of the Festival de Rafael Cepeda, a 4 day festival honoring the life's work of the man known as the father of Bomba y Plena. The festival will highlight some of the best Puerto Rican music on the island including prominent Bomba y Plena groups. The festival also offers Bomba dance workshops along with lectures on Puerto Rican dance and rhythm.

It was a great open air show at the Plaza del Quinto Centenario in Old San Juan where we heard a symphony with Puerto Rican flavor, a Bata group, singing traditional Orisha songs and a lively Plena group that was cut off after the generator went out. The plaza was perfectly situated at the edge of old San Juan overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The festival was like a Puerto Rican version of Stern Grove.

What time is it in Puerto Rico

Did you know that students in San Juan got a serious beat down by police this week?

These images are of students at the Escuela de Artes Plasticas camped out at El Morro in front of their school protesting the increases in student tuition.

Island Time

"Island Time" is going out to Julie, my first blog fan!

My first Bomba lesson was canceled by Gladys, my soon to be Bomba teacher...something about car troubles.

I start thinking of the list of names I've been given as Bomba practitioners, friends, and teachers on the island who I've e-mailed, facebooked, and called only to get no responses. I'm beginning to realize that I may be experiencing Island Time. Island Time is about letting time happen, not bending, shaping time. Island time isn't about deadlines, grant outcomes, factory- modeled work time frames or "time is money". Island time is about the sun and darkness setting in. Island time is about eating and being with the people you need to be with. It's not gonna rush past you on the way to BART in a hurried "I'm running 5 minutes late" pace. Island time is keeping the conversation going when your in good company. Bomba experience to be had in island pace.

Rhythm, Spirit and Colonialism

I was inspired to learn more about Bomba after attending a presentation in Berkeley by a woman working on her thesis about Bomba. I was drawn into the storytelling of the songs that preserve the voices of those that lived in colonial/post-colonial era of Puerto Rico. I'm also drawn to that drum rhythm that has the ability to open the door to your soul and beyond.

I began my journey equipped with a list of who-to-calls. I asked friends at home who they recommend I look up to take classes. What I have found here though, is that it seems Bomba is harder to connect with then I thought.

On Sunday, after reading a facebook post,we drove to the Balneario de Carolina to hit up the Bomba presentation. San Juan driving is on the next level: LA FREEWAY STYLE back to back cars from Isla Verde to Route 187. Cars parked along the side of the road as far as the eye can see and I even saw a cop giving out tickets!

All of a sudden there was a lane for me to turn. looking for parking on the other side of Route 187 I somehow ended up driving half on the sidewalk and finally entering the Balneario through a gate stating "Salida" as two cops on motorbikes drove past.
The Balneario was packed with families. It's a beautiful beach. We couldn't find the group at the beach that day among the crowd. That's ok though because I have an appointment with Gladys later this week where she's going to teach me one-one-one.

A Tale of a Boricua-Salvadoreña from the Mission searching for Bomba

This blog chronicles my journey to Puerto Rico to learn Bomba rhythms, song and movement from the source. As a self-proclaimed “researcher”, I am searching for Bomba across the island with the intention to bring my experience back to my students in the classroom.