Essay On Bomba

Bomba is a popular music in Puerto Rico that has been part of their heritage. This music and dance began among the African slaves working in the sugar cane fields in Puerto Rico; this music is the most African influenced of Puerto Rico types of music, therefore Bomba is actually considered afro-puertoriquean music; the rhythms and instruments between both cultures sound similar. The slaves used Bomba as a way to relieve their minds from all the slavery damages, as a way to liberate all their frustrations. This music was born in Mayaguez and then it was spread around the country. At the begging its lyrics used to be in African language, but because the Spaniels didn’t understand, slaves had to change it to Spanish vocabulary. Because Bomba was used to liberate frustrations, it narrates stories based on suffering of the slaves, but also their joy. Because black people were not allowed to listen to white people’s music, they created their own music using rural materials, tools from their work, leftover, and even materials from
This process of gaining a spot is made in a hierarchy order; each member has to start from the bottom and work hard to make it to the top. By staring from the bottom is staring by playing the cuá which are two sticks banged on the side of the barril; this peculiar instrument is used by the musicians that are starting because with this instrument they get to know the beat of Bomba; Bomba musicians need to learn the clave. After working hard and understand the clave, a musician can move on to play the Maracas and if his work is impressing, then he can move on to play the Drums. There are two types of drums in Bomba: Buleador and Primo. However, even to play the drums is organized by a hierarchy process; a Bomba musician has to start by playing the Buleador first in order to play the Primo because this last one follows the