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By day he’s a Computer Science and Engineering Professor. The rest of the time, my good friend Dimas Sánchez is a Master Percussionist and a steward of music that’s been passed on from generation to generation by descendants of the African diaspora. In this episode of I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, we talk about the upcoming release of a book he co-authored entitled “Ritmos Afro Puertorriqueños” through which he and Jesús Cepeda, of the family that is world-renowned for preserving the tradition of Bomba music in Puerto Rico, document the history of this music genre and provide written music for people to learn how to play the rhythms of Bomba.
The importance of this book is astronomical. It anchors our ancestral music into modern times because Dimas shares how when he traveled to Africa, he became aware that some of the rhythms being played there today are being played in Puerto Rico as well, unaltered, despite the violent efforts to strip the identity of enslaved people brought to the Americas through the transatlantic slave trade. As a skilled “primo” drum player (the principal drum in a Bomba ensemble), Dimas mentions that during his travels he also recognized the tradition of “marking” the movements of dancers when they engaged with the “primo” drum during the Puerto Rican Bomba, in various African regions.
The book also documents Bomba music in written form for people of all backgrounds to have access to the infectious sounds of the drum and moving lyrics so it never ceases to exist (within the book there are QR codes that lead to pre-recorded demonstrations of how to play the drums – EPIC idea!). Dimas highlights that the Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba was about to die a few decades ago, but there was a resurgence because families like the Cepedas – with whom he studied Bomba – were determined to not let that happen. In more recent times, Bomba has become a symbol of resistance and protest to injustice and corruption, and it’s expanded its reach to the U.S. mainland, especially in states with a large Puerto Rican presence like Florida, New York, Texas, and Illinois, to name a few.
And what’s super cool about the book is that it showcases how the African diaspora in the Americas is united by the same DNA that runs through our veins, the indigenous music that carries on against all odds, and the one heart we share that beats at the rhythm of powerful drums. Dimas describes how Puerto Rico, Haiti, Cuba, Colombia, Brazil, New Orleans, and many other Afro-descendant communities have a shared history, music, and future.
“Ritmos Afro Puertorriqueños” will be presented along with a musical demonstration at CASA CULTURE (3201 E Colonial Drive Orlando, FL) on March 3rd during Alianza’s 1st Friday of the Month event starting at 6PM. This is a free event.
Here’s a demonstration of one of the Bomba rhythms by Dimas Sánchez: https://youtu.be/3oYW0H_iCas
Here is a class conducted by Barbara Liz Ortiz Cepeda Founder of la Escuela de Bomba y Plena Tata Cepeda: https://youtu.be/m-WXLRKqKIU
#ihavesomethingtosay #urbander #urbandermindset #udou #podcast #videocast #vodcast #multiculturalintelligence #equitypractitioners #Unity #Collaboration #Vision #Intentionality #Resiliency #Leadership #Purpose #Empowerment #Tenacity #Grit #Determination #ChangeAgent #Humanity #Storytelling #TheShiftIsHere #Metaverse #InvestInTrust #RestoreTrust #BuildLegacy #HonorCulture #Visibility #Talent #BombaMusic #AfroPuertoRicanRhythms #DimasSanchez #AfricanDiaspora
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By day he’s a Computer Science and Engineering Professor. The rest of the time, my good friend Dimas Sánchez is a Master Percussionist and a steward of music that’s been passed on from generation to generation by descendants of the African diaspora. In this episode of I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, we talk about the upcoming release of a book he co-authored entitled “Ritmos Afro Puertorriqueños” through which he and Jesús Cepeda, of the family that is world-renowned for preserving the tradition of Bomba music in Puerto Rico, document the history of this music genre and provide written music for people to learn how to play the rhythms of Bomba.
The importance of this book is astronomical. It anchors our ancestral music into modern times because Dimas shares how when he traveled to Africa, he became aware that some of the rhythms being played there today are being played in Puerto Rico as well, unaltered, despite the violent efforts to strip the identity of enslaved people brought to the Americas through the transatlantic slave trade. As a skilled “primo” drum player (the principal drum in a Bomba ensemble), Dimas mentions that during his travels he also recognized the tradition of “marking” the movements of dancers when they engaged with the “primo” drum during the Puerto Rican Bomba, in various African regions.
The book also documents Bomba music in written form for people of all backgrounds to have access to the infectious sounds of the drum and moving lyrics so it never ceases to exist (within the book there are QR codes that lead to pre-recorded demonstrations of how to play the drums – EPIC idea!). Dimas highlights that the Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba was about to die a few decades ago, but there was a resurgence because families like the Cepedas – with whom he studied Bomba – were determined to not let that happen. In more recent times, Bomba has become a symbol of resistance and protest to injustice and corruption, and it’s expanded its reach to the U.S. mainland, especially in states with a large Puerto Rican presence like Florida, New York, Texas, and Illinois, to name a few.
And what’s super cool about the book is that it showcases how the African diaspora in the Americas is united by the same DNA that runs through our veins, the indigenous music that carries on against all odds, and the one heart we share that beats at the rhythm of powerful drums. Dimas describes how Puerto Rico, Haiti, Cuba, Colombia, Brazil, New Orleans, and many other Afro-descendant communities have a shared history, music, and future.
“Ritmos Afro Puertorriqueños” will be presented along with a musical demonstration at CASA CULTURE (3201 E Colonial Drive Orlando, FL) on March 3rd during Alianza’s 1st Friday of the Month event starting at 6PM. This is a free event.
Here’s a demonstration of one of the Bomba rhythms by Dimas Sánchez: https://youtu.be/3oYW0H_iCas
Here is a class conducted by Barbara Liz Ortiz Cepeda Founder of la Escuela de Bomba y Plena Tata Cepeda: https://youtu.be/m-WXLRKqKIU
#ihavesomethingtosay #urbander #urbandermindset #udou #podcast #videocast #vodcast #multiculturalintelligence #equitypractitioners #Unity #Collaboration #Vision #Intentionality #Resiliency #Leadership #Purpose #Empowerment #Tenacity #Grit #Determination #ChangeAgent #Humanity #Storytelling #TheShiftIsHere #Metaverse #InvestInTrust #RestoreTrust #BuildLegacy #HonorCulture #Visibility #Talent #BombaMusic #AfroPuertoRicanRhythms #DimasSanchez #AfricanDiaspora