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Kirby Welch
Afro-Cuban Styles Report
Bomba
Country: Puerto RicoOrigins: The Bomba originates li!e so many
Puerto Rican styles "ith an accompanying #ance$ These#ifferent
#ances are all connecte# the the actual instrument that plays in
e%ery #ance this #rum beingthe bomba $ Also calle# the bombo this
#rum "as a "oo#en barrel co%ere# "ith a goats!in$ To#ay theyare
referre# to as Barriles or bulas meaning &barrel$' The style
originates from the African sla%es"or!ing the sugar plantations
along the coastline of Puerto Rico "here the highest percentage
ofAfrican #escent is foun#$ The #ance is highly energetic an# often
sensuous "ith men an# "omenseparate# an# ne%er touching$ The bomba
#ance is #ri%en by the rhythmic element of the #rum somuch that the
melo#y accompanies the #rum an# not the other "ay aroun#$ The
accompaniment is
pro%i#e# by "oo#en stic!s (palillos) an# maracas$ The style
"oul# later blen# instruments in#icati%e tothe nati%e Taino *n#ians
in a##ition to their #ances "ith the areyto chant$ +o#ern Bomba is
acon%ersation bet"een the #rummer an# the #ancers "ith the #rummer
engaging in call-an#-response"ith the lea# singer$ The solo #rum is
calle# the bomba primo or the ,uinto$
Orchestration: Barriles One large an# one small (primo) Cua
+aracas .uiro (carracho)
/0amples:
&Bomba in 1oi2a Puerto Rico 34' -
http:55"""$youtube$com5"atch6%74"8r.WB9- .;feature7f%"rel
Bomba on Sesame Street - http:55"""$youtube$com5"atch6%7-/fonal#
e#$ an# translate#$ Music in Puerto Rico: A Readers Anthology.
Scarecro" Press*nc$ 4??4 (pg$ @ -@@)Bloch Peter . La-Le-Lo-Lai:
Puerto Rican music and its performers $ Plus ltra /#ucational
Publishers*nc$ 9 @D (pg$
D?-DD)http:55"""$salferreras$com5"ritings5Sal-Eerreras-Thesis$p#f
Patterns Ra l Berr os S nche2 an# Tato Conra#$ B mbula Bomba
Puertorrique a. San 8uan PuertoRico 4?99
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wJrQWB1-jQ&feature=fvwrelhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wJrQWB1-jQ&feature=fvwrelhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EfGR4IrPrE&feature=relatedhttp://www.salferreras.com/writings/Sal-Ferreras-Thesis.pdfhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wJrQWB1-jQ&feature=fvwrelhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wJrQWB1-jQ&feature=fvwrelhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EfGR4IrPrE&feature=relatedhttp://www.salferreras.com/writings/Sal-Ferreras-Thesis.pdf
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Kirby Welch
Plena
Country: Puerto Rico
Origins: Often consi#ere# to be the most famous Afro-Puerto
Rican form of music$ 1i!e the Bomba itis a blen# of Taino an# Afro
influences though many belie%e it originate# in the African suburbs
ofPonce$ The Plena %ery ,uic!ly sprea# to the full country ma!ing
it one of the most influential forms of#ance an# song$ A plena is
simplifie# an# #i%i#e# into t"o parts that can be repeate# as often
as the
performer or au#ience #esires$ The lyrics are usually about
contemporary issues in the community suchas crimes committe# or
political issues ho"e%er many plenas are satirical an# fun$ A plena
can often
be performe# "ithout #ancing unli!e the Bomba "here it is
essential$ The primary instruments thatma!e the plena are three
tambourine-li!e frame #rums calle# pan#eretas each a #ifferent si2e
"ith a#ifferent soun#$ 1i!e a bomba it often has a ,uiro maraca an#
lea# #rum accompaniment$ Plena isoften associate# "ith the Bomba
because of their similar origins lyrical content an# musical
#irection$The main #ifference is the types of #rums use#$
Orchestration: Three Panderetas
o .uintoo Segun#oo Tumba#or
.uichano5.uiro
/0amples:Pan#eretas - &+usic as a Worl# Phenomenon /p$9
Plena' - http:55"""$youtube$com5"atch6%7#ps>OynOKh/&Puerto
Rico Percussionistas' -
http:55"""$youtube$com5"atch6%7F+Pa+D,p%TA;playne0t79;list7P1?/B4B>?9CD
AG ?>;feature7resultsH%i#eo&Plean a +ayague2' -
http:55"""$youtube$com5"atch6%7W9 g,fIJP?/;list71PmSro A+.
%A;in#e07G;feature7plcp
Bibliography:Thompson >onal# e#$ an# translate#$ Music in
Puerto Rico: A Readers Anthology. Scarecro" Press
*nc$ 4??4 (pg$ @
-@@)http:55"""$musicofpuertorico$com5in#e0$php5genre5plena5Pattern
8ose Aponte
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpsDOynOKhEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpsDOynOKhEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMPaM3qpvTA&playnext=1&list=PL0EB2BD01C39A560D&feature=results_videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMPaM3qpvTA&playnext=1&list=PL0EB2BD01C39A560D&feature=results_videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W19gqfNZP0E&list=LPmSro6AMQjvA&index=5&feature=plcphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W19gqfNZP0E&list=LPmSro6AMQjvA&index=5&feature=plcphttp://www.musicofpuertorico.com/index.php/genre/plena/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpsDOynOKhEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpsDOynOKhEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMPaM3qpvTA&playnext=1&list=PL0EB2BD01C39A560D&feature=results_videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMPaM3qpvTA&playnext=1&list=PL0EB2BD01C39A560D&feature=results_videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W19gqfNZP0E&list=LPmSro6AMQjvA&index=5&feature=plcphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W19gqfNZP0E&list=LPmSro6AMQjvA&index=5&feature=plcphttp://www.musicofpuertorico.com/index.php/genre/plena/
