Bomba for beginners: Where to learn how to drum or dance along
Photo courtesy of ๐ค๐ ๐
๐บ ๐ค๐๐ผ๐๐พ๐
๐บ ๐ฝ๐พ ๐ก๐๐๐ป๐บ ๐ธ ๐ฏ๐
๐พ๐๐บ ๐ณ๐บ๐๐บ ๐ข๐พ๐๐พ๐ฝ๐บ via Instagram.
If there is one thing Boricuas are known for all around the world, itโs their vibrant, infectious music infused with the unique rhythms of the island.
If you walk the colorful streets of Old San Juan on the weekend, you will likely hear the unmistakable sound of Bomba, the musical genre that emerged 400 years ago from the West African enslaved people who worked in sugar plantations along Borinquenโs coast.
Centuries later, with its multilayered rhythms, simple chant-like melodies sung in unison, and lyrics that often feature expressions borrowed from former African languages and Caribbean dialects, the Bomba remains one of the most popular forms of folk music on the island.
In Puerto Rico, Bomba can be heard almost anywhere thereโs nightlife, with some venues even featuring live drummers and dancers. There are also schools of Bomba and Plena (another Boricua genre) dedicated to preserving and promoting Puerto Rico’s traditional music and dances. Butโฆ What if you live in Florida? Can you still learn to play or dance Bomba?
Buenas noticias!
There are excellent places in the Sunshine State where you can take Bomba classes, participate in workshops and evenย learn to play the drums!
Escuela de Bomba y Plena Tata Cepeda
Located in Kissimmee, in Central Florida, this academy serves as a tribute to owner Liz Cepedaโs mother, Tata Cepeda, founder of Puerto Rico-based Escuela de Bomba y Plena Doรฑa Caridad Brenes de Cepeda.
Cepeda is an eighth-generation Bomba performer whose nonprofit organization aims to educate and transmit the values and cultural roots of Puerto Ricoโs traditional dance and music.
In her classes, students get introduced to the history and details of Bomba, then to the basic steps for dance students. Percussion students learn basic drumming techniques.
For location and more information, visit HERE.ย
Bomba Body Dance Drum Co. / Cukiara
CuKiAra โ a composite word that means sacred Earth spirit and people โ is the name of an ensemble dedicated to sharing the energy and passion of Bomba, Plena, and Indigenous Boricua music in Tampa Bay and the Central Florida communities.ย
A touring dance and drumming company that has traveled all around the world, in addition to their performances CuKiAra offers workshops, music and dance programs, and Bomba dance and drumming fitness classes.
This passionate group of performers/instructors not only educate people about the power of the drum and the healing properties of movement of the body in cultural dance, but throughout the year it also hosts Bomba Socials known as โBailes de Bombaโ for the students and the public alike. And that calls for a resounding and very Boricua โWeeeepa!โ
For location and more information, visit HERE.ย
Mira and learn
Of course, if you are a quick learner and nimble on your feet, you can also learn bomba dance from an online tutorial taught by Afro-Puerto Rican dancer Mar Cruz.
Through the music and easy-to-follow lessons, Mar and her sister Marรญa are reclaiming their cultural traditions and celebrating Black pride and Boricua heritage.ย
To watch, visit HERE.
Start getting ready!
Al final, no matter how you choose to learn to dance or play Bomba, just make sure that you are ready for the 8th Festival de Bomba y Plena happening in Tampa!
The event takes place on October 22 at Waterworks Park and will feature live music featuring entertainers from Puerto Rico and the USA.
The festival celebrates the richness of Puerto Ricoโs culture and everyone participates in playing instruments (panderos, barriles, guiros, and more!) and singing along in the best Boricua tradition. For more information visit HERE.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.
