BombaRica: Puerto Rican Performing Artists & Cultural Group

We perform Bomba from Puerto Rico which is a style of music and dance that represents our African heritage in Puerto Rico. The cultural richness of Puerto Ricans is proudly rooted in its Taíno, Spanish, and African heritage. Bomba is one of the many traditional & folkloric dance forms that celebrate our cultural diversity. Bomba is a dialogue between dancer and drummer. It's a musical duel where t

he lead drummer and dancer are challenging each other in syncopation & melody by gesturing with their hands, feet, arms, shoulders, and for women—their skirts. The dance usually involves the entire community and can go on for hours, even days, without interruption. This is done by the ever changing substitution of singers, drummers and dancers, of all ages, the ultimate in audience participation and celebration! With its roots firmly placed in West Africa, it was during slavery that our ancestors used it to communicate our joys, sadness, and even romance on the sugarcane plantations of the island. Today it is played during the festivals celebrated throughout the island and the mainland and has various styles such as sica, leró, yubá, cunyá, babú and belén. In barrios or neighborhoods in the Northeastern town of Loíza, and of Ponce in the South, the tradition of Bomba has been honed. Rhythmkeeper families like the Cepedas and Ayalas have kept the tradition alive today and are the source for its continued rebirth in Puerto Rican communities nationwide. Now it is used to not only honor our history but to showcase it and share it with our global families.