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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.
Dancing for Haiti
After the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble was asked to perform at a benefit event sponsored by local Rutgers University students. Raíces Ensemble members and Raíces student performers created a presentation for…
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.
Raíces Rehearsal
Raíces students often rehearse and perform with the core of the Raíces Ensemble. Practicing voices for a full chorus in the Spring of 2010.
Arts and Family Day: Family Bomba with Vejigante
Family participants in the vejigantes Arts and Family Day event got to try the instruments of bomba and plena and learn how to play a simple bomba rhythm together.
Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico Residency: Paul Robeson School Assembly
As part of the 2009 Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico arts residency program, the Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble performed their vejigantes presentation at Paul Robeson Community Theme School for the Arts in New Brunswick, NJ. Students learned about…
Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico Residency: Dancing with los Vejigantes
Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico Residency: Dancing with los Vejigantes
Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico Residency: Dancing Plena at Paul Robeson School
Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble performed bomba and plena and presented about the tradition of Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico, an Afropuertorican folkloric tradition. After the interactive performance, participants had the opportunity to dance and…
Black Circle Symphony
Black Circle Symphony performing at the Reformed Church of Highland Park
Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble 2017
Members of the Raíces Folkloric Ensemble in 2017 after a performance at the Reformed Church of Highland Park.
Raíces Ensemble Performance
The Raíces Folkloric Ensemble performing batá at the Reformed Church of Highland Park in 2017.
Raíces Folkloric Ensemble - Bomba
The Raíces Folkloric Ensemble performing bomba at the Reformed Church of Highland Park in 2017.
Raíces Folkloric Ensemble - Batá
The Raíces Folkloric Ensemble performing songs for the Orishas on the batá drums at the Reformed Church of Highland Park.
Cultural Concert in Highland Park
The Raíces Folkloric Ensemble performs the Puerto Rican folkloric tradition of bomba in a concert dedicated to folkloric music of the Caribbean.
Dancing Bomba
Demonstrating the bomba tradition, where the dancer's movements are responded to by the lead drummer, who plays the sounds of the dancer's movements.
Raíces Folkloric Ensemble - Cuban Són
The Raíces Folkloric Ensemble performing the genre of Cuban són at a concert dedicated to the music of the Caribbean at the Reformed Church of Highland Park.
Centro de Artesanía familia Ayala
Artisan shop and exhibit center for the Ayala. The shop is decorated inside and out with vejigante masks and costumes, handcrafted by the Ayala family. Vejigante masks and costumes, as well as other handcrafted items can be purchased here.
Habana Province - Conjunto Deboson
Conjunto Deboson. They play the classic Son music of Cuba. Janete on the flute, Jorge on percussion, Andrés on bass.
Learning the Cuá
A member of the group representing Aguada in the 5th Encuentro de Tambores takes time to teach Raíces co-founder and ensemble member Nicole Wines the pattern he plays to accompany the bomba strains. Each town and group has their own variations of…
Raíces Roots Music Oral History Interview: José Gabriel Muñoz - Cuatrista
Oral history interview with cuatrista José Gabriel Muñoz. Download the full oral history interview transcript here (PDF)
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.