![]() If you walk through the streets of Old San Juan, a historic district in the capital of Puerto Rico, on the weekend, you will probably see people proudly playing and dancing bomba. Transcriptions of rhythms typically learned aurally are also included. The material presented in this article provides a learning sequence that could take the form of several lessons, or even a curricular unit. This article explores the main components of bomba by making them more accessible to those that have not experienced it from an insider’s perspective. It remains one of the most popular forms of folk music on the island and serves as significant evidence of its rich African heritage. This article will appear in the April 2021 issue of General Music Today, now Journal of General Music Education.īomba is an emblematic Puerto Rican musical genre that emerged 400 years ago from the colonial plantations where West African enslaved people and their descendants worked. UPDATE: Applications of Research in Music Educationīomba: The Sound of Puerto Rico’s African Heritage.Professional Development via Music Educators Journal.NAfME Teaching with Primary Sources Curriculum Units for the 2014 Music Standards.Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access in Music Education Resources.Virtual Learning Resources for Music Educators.NAfME Academy®: Professional Development Webinars.NAfME Online Professional Learning Community Webinars.The maraca rhythms could be performed by any shaker, and the bomba barrels by a small and a large drum. The cuá is usually placed on a stand and played with two sticks, and in most cases, the lead singer plays the maraca. The other two instruments, the cuá and maraca, add additional rhythmic layers that complement the large drum’s rhythm. This drum is also used to mark dancers’ movements by producing a type of conversation with each other. The high-pitched drum is called a subidor and is responsible for improvising above the large drum. The larger drum is called a buleador and is in charge of keeping the steady beat by playing a foundational rhythm. She explained that Bomba ensembles are made of a percussion section that includes the following: two or more drums of two different diameters called barriles de bomba (bomba barrels) one large gourd maraca and one cuá-a stick drum made of a hollow bamboo log.ĭrums, traditionally made with rum barrels and goatskin, have a hierarchy established by their role in the ensemble. Sicá is an ideal introductory subgenre because it is the most popular.” From the myriad of bomba styles, there are three that most people recognize and know. Others like holandés (from Holland) and leró (the roses) are labeled after European terms and French creole words adopted from neighboring Caribbean islands. “Some styles, such as sicá, yubá, güembé, belén, corvé, and cunyá, have names that recall their African origin. ![]() Each rhythm sets the pace of the singing and dance and calls for a different attitude,” said Vimari Colón-León, an assistant professor at Bridgewater College in Virginia. “It is important to note that bomba encompasses more than 16 rhythmic styles, and popularity varies by region. Also, Puerto Rican migrants have brought it to some parts of the US. Today it’s practiced as a communal activity in its centers of origin in Loíza, Santurce, Mayagüez and Ponce. Despite the success of other music styles, Bomba remains as one of the most popular forms of folk music on the island and serves as significant evidence of its rich culture.īomba is truly about a creative, interactive relationship between dancers, percussionists and singers. It dates back to the beginning of the Spanish colonial period, and was developed by West African enslaved people and their descendants, who worked in sugar plantations along the coast. The rhythm is both a traditional dance and musical style, with its origins rooted in African slavery, but today it has evolved into a community expression of Afro-Puerto Rican culture. It is an essential expression of Puerto Rico‘s African heritage. Before there was salsa and reggaeton, there was Bomba.
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