- Thursday November 29, 2012 at 8:00pm Norka Hernandez Nadal and Bàmbula will performed at the Bronx Music Heritage Center (BMHC).
- BMHC Lab, 1303 Louis Nine Blvd, Bronx, NY 10459
- Admission is free, $5 donation is suggested.
Bàmbula is dedicated to the preservation of Puerto Rico’s oldest living African musical and cultural tradition. Founded in 2006 under the musical direction of Norka Hernandez Nadal, Bàmbula performs plena as well as bomba from the Western part of the island, specifically the town of Mayaguez. The group also pays homage to the traditions of Santurce, Loiza and other Puerto Rican towns where bomba is played as well.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Norka Hernandez Nadal and Bàmbula at Bronx Music Heritage Center - November 29, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Music Fundraiser - Climate Change What The F*&? Is Going On?
Plena music group Plena Sin Fronteras will be playing at this fundraiser, the lineup spans the musical spectrum from conscious poetry and soul to an Afro-Dominican drum band. Alma Moyo Bomba music CDs along with other items will be on sale.
Where: Camaradas El Barrio,
2241 First Avenue, NY, East Harlem, NY
When: 5-9 pm
Date: Saturday, December 1, 2012
Cost: Suggested $10 donation
For more information contact Green Worker at greenworker.coop or call (646) 924-7187.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Cimarrones at the 31st Annual PR Discovery Day - November 14, 2012
Cimarrones will perform Wednesday November 14, 2012, 12:30pm at the 31st Annual Puerto Rico Discovery Day. The show is located at 2039 Kennedy Blvd Gilligan Student Union Bldg at NJ City University in Jersey City, NJ . Come join Cimarrones for some Bomba, Plena and good Puerto RIcan Food.
For further information contact Cimarrones at their Facebook page or go directly to their website at http://www.cimarronesnj.com/ .
For further information contact Cimarrones at their Facebook page or go directly to their website at http://www.cimarronesnj.com/ .
BombaWorks - Shekere Playing Workshop
BombaWorks has announced a new upcoming Workshop at El Fogon (Bronx, NY)!!
SHEKERE PLAYING
*No prior experience needed - Loaner Shekeres will be available*
If you are interested in this workshop please send BombaWorks an inbox msg on their Facebook page or email them at Bombaworks@gmail.com — with Grupo Bámbula, El Fogon and Norka La Flaka (aka Norka Nadal)
SHEKERE PLAYING
*No prior experience needed - Loaner Shekeres will be available*
If you are interested in this workshop please send BombaWorks an inbox msg on their Facebook page or email them at Bombaworks@gmail.com — with Grupo Bámbula, El Fogon and Norka La Flaka (aka Norka Nadal)
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
Bomberas de la Bahia - Bay Area Bomba!
This women's only group hold it down and show us that Bomba is alive and well in California.
LP21 cancels their November 3rd class - Hurricane Sandy
From Los Pleneros de la 21 regarding the Bomba and Plena Community Workshop class for November 3, 2012 has issued the following statement "Hola Familia, please note Class sessions for SATURDAY 11/3/12 HAVE BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO THE STORM (Hurricane Sandy) AND SCHOOL CLOSURES. A MAKE UP DATE WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE, WE HOPE YOU ARE ALL SAFE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SOON!"
Bomba Liberté - at The Spot Barrio Logan Nov. 2 at 8pm
Today @ TheSpot Barrio Logan. Come check out an Group Art Show for Dia de Los Muertos from 5-10pm. Bomba Liberte will be performing at 8pm. Click on the video above for an excerpt from a previous show at Balboa Park for the House of Puerto Rico's 40th anniversary; José I. Fusté on the lead vocals, Jade Power Sotomayor and Borichem Del Mar dance and Etienne Rivera on the primo (lead drum).
About this blog
Sometime around mid-summer 2012,
it hit me that I had been practicing Bomba faithfully for about eight
months. I had improved a lot from
my first class, but I realized that in order to get better I needed a “barril”
(bomba drum). I had heard from my
director Manuela that a barril would cost about $500 and that I would have to
find a drum maker to build the instrument for me. Bomba has two drums the subidor (aka “primo”) and the
buleador neither of which are not sold in stores and few people in New York City
let alone the United States know how to make it or have time to make it for
Bomba practitioners. My search for
a drum maker and the subsequent search for a conga bag to fit my drum, along
with my research for information on the history of Bomba lead me to realize
Bomba and its sister genre Plena had very little presence on the web. I had had
a previous idea for a webpage that listed Bomba teachers, but sometime before
New York’s Bomplenazo 2012 festival I realized Bomba needed a place on the World Wide Web to call home. After Bomplenazo 2012 I went home and looked up
the names of various groups and individual performers. Slowly through Facebook I was able to
find other Bomberos. This finding only confirmed my thoughts for doing this
project. I envision this
blog/website as place Bomba and Plena practitioners can discuss up and coming
events, where Bomba is going strong, who various performers are and their
recordings, recent performances, where a teacher will be appearing, and the different
approaches to Bomba.
Creating this blog will be a work
in progress. I will be learning as I go about what it takes to build a quality
blog, I welcome your advise and your assistance. As you may have noticed I am
not a Spanish speaker, I’m sure most will agree that not being fluent in
Spanish and/or not being of Puerto Rican decent is a major drawback for this
blog, as I am sure to miss certain nuances. Well like anything in life I will
do my best to cope with the language gap and with learning Puerto Rican and
Bomba culture. If you can read and
write in Spanish and would like to contribute to this blog get in touch with
me.
Yours truly,
De
About Me
I'm a native of Atlanta, GA born
and raised. I've always loved music, but after listening to the likes of Mongo
Santamaria and Willie Bobo in mid 90’s I developed a passion for Afro-Latin
percussion. In 2001, I moved to
New York City in pursuit of a professional degree and the hopes of learning Afro-Latin
percussion in a city I knew was famous for it. It took 10 years but in late 2011 I met Manuela Arciniegas
the director of The Legacy Women an all female Bomba and Dominican Palo group. When
I met Manuela I had only heard the word “Bomba!” mentioned in dances, at the
end of “Salsa” concerts. I was so nervous when I walked up to Manuela and ask
her about her classes. Once I
attended class with the Legacy Circle I knew I wanted to learn Bomba, I knew
right then I loved Bomba and I have been practicing this incredible Afro-Puerto
Rican music tradition from that first class November 2011 till present.
What I’ve found from Day 1 is that
Bomba and Plena is a small and warm community of music lovers who are determine
to preserve this Afro-Puerto Rican music tradition. Bomberos are passionate about their music and dedicated to teaching
Bomba to anyone willing to undertake this musical journey. In that first class
I may have found a welcoming community, but to my heart’s dismay I quickly
learned that I’m not a natural percussionist, in fact I was flat out awful
those first two months. Enthusiasm and determination could not hide a total
lack coordination and rhythm. But
I kept coming and after a few weeks my instructor Alex told me that in order to
address my “timing issues” I should purchase a metronome. Alex didn’t stop there though; he told
me took at his flexed a forearmed muscle, he looked me in the eye and informed
me how it had taken him years of doing drills and practicing rhythms to get his
arms to the level of fitness I saw before me. I got the message “little by little” I had to build my
fitness and coordination up, but I also got the more nuance message about the
level of dedication it would take to be a good Bombero. By the end of Summer 2012
I realized Manuela and others were referring to me as a new Bombero. I cannot tell you how being referred to
in this way warmed my heart, I had earned the respect of people as they
recognized that I was a serious student. Becoming a good Bombero is like
learning a martial art. Bomba is not just drumming (though the drum is
essential), a Bombero needs to learn how to dance, sing, and play both the
“cua” and the maracas. A Bombero
also needs to learn the thinking and history behind what he or she is doing. I
could go on and on about this, but I think you get the message I’m on the road
to being a Bombero, it’s a long journey I hope you are ready to learn with me.
Sincerely yours,
Dee
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)