Alma
Moyo's signature contribution to La Bomba includes promoting
spiritual and revolutionary Bomba songs and practices obtained through
years of research throughout the island of Borinquen. Our music
celebrates the connection between all descendants of the African
Diaspora in the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Our
goal is to create a
cultural revolution that promotes our Afro-Caribbean identity through an
exhilarating rhythmic journey.
We take audiences on a musical voyage that educates while simultaneously
creating unity and spiritual rejuvenation. Our thunderous drumming and
robust voices stir children, adults and elders in community spaces,
nightclubs, schools and universities. We foster pride in our African
ancestry through:
- Performances
- Lecture-demonstrations on the history of Bomba, its connection to the
African Diaspora, and spiritual manifestations
- Workshops for children and adults
- "Bailes de Bomba" or Bomba parties
- Ceremonial Drumming
Presentations for Children and Adults
Through our assembly presentations, audience members learn the importance of community, the preservation of culture and unity, and creative self-expression through the drum, dance, song, and traditional storytelling found throughout the Caribbean and the rest of the African Diaspora. They will be introduced to the instruments in Bomba: the barril drum, the cua, and the maraca. We will take them on a musical journey through all of the rhythms, including Sicá, Yubá, Cuembé, Holandé, Bambulaé, Corbe, and others. They will learn about the fundamental call and response relationship between the lead singer and the chorus, and most importantly, participate in dancing to the primary drum—the primo. This allows for the audience to thoroughly enjoy a personal moment in the spotlight, a sacred moment of self-expression, celebration of African Heritage, and most of all, to have fun!
ROOTS OF BOMBA:
Bomba has its’ roots in the Western coast of Africa and especially in
the Congo/Bantu people of Central Africa. Bomba refers to a Bantu word
that translates according to the Kikongo language into “drum” and
“music.” During the slave trade in the late 1500’s it reached the shores
of Puerto Rico where it slowly evolved with the musical traditions of
the Caribbean into what is known today as Bomba. Because of the slave
trade, Bomba has also picked up influences from New Orleans, Haiti,
Guadaloupe, Martinique, Curacao, and other Caribbean islands. Bomba
music follows the Call and Response tradition common to all African
music and has served as a means of communication where members of the
community express their reality of their daily life through song and
dance.
Rhythms and Instrumentation:
The word Bomba refers to a vast number of rhythms, dances, and songs
from throughout the island of Puerto Rico. Some of these rhythms, also
known as “seises de Bomba” or “son” in the South, include the sicá,
cuembé, yubá, holandés, leró, cunyá, alimá, francé, and rulé. In total,
there are between 25-30 rhythms found throughout the island.
The instruments used in Bomba include the cuá, two sticks that beat
repetitive rhythms on the side of a drum or another smaller barrel,
sometimes a bamboo. The maraca, a gourd containing seeds that along with
the cuá, usually played by the lead singer. Finally, Bomba also refers
to drums known as barriles. Barriles are made out of barrels of rum or
cheese and carry goat skin. The primo or subidor is a higher pitch drum
that marks the dancer and speaks over the buleador.
Barriles are tuned in a variety of ways. The torniquete tuning system
uses a rope to tighten the skin around the top of the drum. The cunya
tuning system requires wooden stakes to tighten the skin by pulling down
on a rope attached to the rim of the drum. The cancamo tuning system
uses metal bolts that are tightened with a wrench. Among the barriles
are the buleador, 1 or more low-pitched drums that maintain a steady
rhythm. Alma Moyo’s barriles use the torniquete tuning system and were
made by Papo Del Valle and Ivan Davila, two of the best drum artisans on
the island.
For more details on our curriculums, performances, lectures, or our
research, please
contact us.