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..

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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...

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