NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Bomba and plena are the iconic musical styles of Puerto Rico. While they each have their own rhythm and sounds, they both have served as "vehicles to express resistance, resilience and pride."
According to Juan Gutierrez, founder of East Harlem's Los Pleneros de la 21, bomba can be traced to the early colonial days of Puerto Rico. It has a "direct connection to the African ancestry of people who were enslaved and were brought by force to the Americas" over 500 years ago.
The music is done in call-and-response fashion with a dancer and drummers. The rhythm is driven by the dancer, not the drummer. Each movement the dancer makes with his or hands, the lead drummer will respond. Instruments used are barrel shaped drums, maraca, a shaken gourd rattle and the cuá.
Plena originated in the early part of the 20th century by the “urban workers of Puerto Rico’s coastal areas, mainly Ponce and Mayaguez” (the west coast of Puerto Rico) eventually making its way to the capital city of San Juan”. Gutierrez says plena was not always accepted. It was discriminated against and those who played it, had to be careful. With plena, “they would sing about something that happened in the community or the barrio”. The perfect example of plena? Puerto Rican favorite “Que Bonita Bandera” by Ramito. As Gutierrez explains, “everybody connects with that song because it talks about the pride, your pride, the pride about your flag, your identity of who you are”.
When asked to describe how the music makes him feel, Gutierrez says “orgullo, in English pride”. So much so Los Pleneros de la 21 teaches kids and adults through various programs all about bomba and plena. He says it is important for the younger generation to continue the traditions of their people.
For more information on Los Pleneros de la 21 and to see their online programming, visit their website.
