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Plena at the Brooklyn Puerto Rican Day Parade
In June of 2009, Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble members were invited to participate in the Brooklyn Puerto Rican Day Parade, drumming, singing and dancing plena. Plena is a musical tradition that evolved on the island of Puerto Rico. Plena is…
Una Plena
Plena is a community tradition. Known as a “singing newspaper”, it tells a story, and traditionally brought news between the towns and cities of Puerto Rico. Everyone joins in the singing, dancing and playing.
Bembé for Haiti
Raíces student performer Aja Washington dancing Yemayá, the orisha, or force of nature, of the ocean. In Nigeria, the orisha Yemayá was originally a river, but in the evolution on the island of Cuba, during and after the trans-Atlantic slave trade,…
Raíces Rehearsal
Raíces Co-Directors Francisco G. Gómez and Nicole Wines in a Raíces Ensemble rehearsal. Francisco is also the Musical Director of Raíces. Pictured here in the spring of 2010 surrounded by cultural objects and instruments.
Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico Residency: Dancing with los Vejigantes
Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico Residency: Dancing with los Vejigantes
Raíces Cultural Exchange: Calle Ismael Rivera
Raíces Cultural Center co-founder and Archive Curator Nicole Wines at Calle Ismael Rivera (a.k.a. "Calle Calma") on day 1 of the 5th Bomba Research Conference in 2013.
Eugenia Ivelisse Rivera
Eugenia Ivelisse Rivera, sister of Ismael Rivera and director of the Fundación Ismael Rivera welcomed PROPA and the 5th Bomba Research Conference to the family home, and current museum and historical site dedicated to Ismael Rivera.
Cultural Exchange: Fundación Ismael Rivera
Raíces co-founder and Archive Curator Nicole Wines with Eugenia Ivelisse Rivera, sister of Ismael Rivera and director of the Fundación Ismael Rivera.
Excerpt: Gabriel Muñoz & Melodías Borinqueñas Concert at Rutgers University
Excerpt from concert presented by Gabriel Munoz & Melodías Borinqueñas on April 3, 2019 at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.
Excerpt: Gabriel Muñoz & Melodías Borinqueñas Concert at Rutgers University 2
Excerpt from concert presented by Gabriel Munoz & Melodías Borinqueñas on April 3, 2019 at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. 2/2
Gabriel Muñoz & Melodías Borinqueñas
Gabriel Muñoz & Melodías Borinqueñas performing at Rutgers University in 2018.
Doña Ana Rodríguez
Doña Ana Rodríguez speaks in the panel of eyewitnesses and descendants of historic bomba, or "bomba antigua".
Living History - Panel of Elders
The speakers in the "Panel de testigos oculares y descendientes de la bomba antigua" (Panel of eyewitnesses and descendants of historic bomba from the early 20th century) that participated in the 5th Bomba Research Conference ranged in age from 78 -…
Pan Flutes
During his performance Pepe has his instruments on display. These are just a few of the many pan flutes in his collection. This instrument is a staple in Andean Music. Pepe sometimes plays two at a time.
Tuning for the Performance
Here Pepe is tuning his instruments for his performance at Whispering Knoll Assisted Living facility in Edison, New Jersey.
Showing the Audience
Pepe holds up instruments to show his audience. This is a trademark of Pepe's performances. He believes in respecting his audience's intelligence by explaining to them the origins of his instruments and how they are used in Andean Music.
El Charango
Pepe plays the charango. This is another staple in Andean Music. It is a small guitar made up of ten strings. The back of a charango is the shell of an armadillo.
Pan Flute and Drum
Pepe plays the pan flute and drum. Pepe calls the beating of the drum a "rythmic pattern" in which music can be added to create a song.
A Close Up
A close up of Pepe Santana playing the pan flute and drum.
Song of the Andes
Pepe Santana plays and sings an Andean song for his audience in an indigenous language.
Quena
Pepe Santana plays the Quena flute. It is made of bamboo. It is often associated with "fertility rituals of resurrection and life." The Quena has been recognized as one of the most important wind instruments of Andean Music. It has even been depicted…
Chullo
Pepe Santana wears a chullo hat. This is an iconic hat worn by indigenous peoples of the Andes for thousands of years. The different colors, patterns and weaves are used to differentiate between communities. …
A Close Up of the Pan Flutes
The audience gets a close up of Pepe Santana's pan flutes as he explains the importance of them in Andean Music.
More Charango
Pepe Santana plays the charango
Pepe Welcomes the Audience
Pepe welcomes the audience to his performance. During this performance they will learn so much about the beautiful Andean Music Pepe has played most of his life.