Hi, my name is María. I'm Mar. We are here in San Juan, Puerto Rico with If Cities Could Dance. And this is bomba. ♪ bomba drumming and singing ♪ In bomba, you make the rhythm and then everything else follows you. ♪ bomba drumming and singing ♪ We’re dancing in three areas at the heart of bomba in the North: San Juan, Santurce, and Loíza. It’s a liberating way to dance. It’s a dance where you are free to do what you feel in the moment, whatever feels natural.
♪ bomba drumming and singing ♪ helped me love myself, respect and value myself. ♪ bomba drumming and singing ♪ Bomba comes from Africa, from our African ancestors. I feel honored and happy because I am representing my ancestors. That was their only way to express themselves. ♪ drumming ♪ It was an instrument, a space for rebellion. It was anti-systemic, anti-racist, anti-all that oppression that the slave system created and perpetuated. Today, music remains a space for freedom and political transformation.
Let's dance! ♪ bomba drumming and singing ♪ I remember when my mom dressed me in attire, I felt like myself. Oh my God! I felt so beautiful, I felt like “wow!” This is something with which I can identify. This is me, this is part of me. ♪ bomba drumming and singing ♪ Santurce became the first place where free slaves came to. Loíza becomes the town with the largest concentration of black people. This cave is an ancient place, but is also known as a shelter for people escaping slavery. I dance by myself too, but it’s so much more fun when I am with my sister. What joy it is for both of us to dance together. The Taíno influence is heard in instruments like the maraca, the cuá. The cuá and the drums keep a constant rhythm. The high pitch drum or primo improvises. It’s a conversation between the drummer and the dancer.
♪ bomba drumming and singing ♪ The Cepeda family is one of many families who made sure to keep bomba and its legacy alive. The first teachers we had were Don Rafael and Doña Caridad. They were the first teachers that we had, they showed us how it all worked. ♪ bomba drumming and singing ♪ Papi always said that when Puerto Rico finally reaches a point where it recognizes the value of its folklore, it will fight to defend its honor.
He fought to give recognition to this music. It had been marginalized and forgotten simply because it was black music. Black music, you know, comes from the people. ♪ drumming ♪ Bomba used to only be played and danced to while with the family. ♪ bomba drumming and singing ♪ Now, it has made a huge comeback. People dance to it on the beach, on stage, at someone’s home, anywhere. ♪ bomba drumming and singing ♪ I feel as if the drums are beckoning me, asking me to get on the dance floor.
That's the ancestors nearby, they send us that vibe. ♪ bomba drumming and singing ♪ If a little girl watches me dancing, I can only hope to inspire her to search for her roots. ♪ bomba drumming and singing ♪.
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