Hijos de Agueybana (Group)
The group Hijos de Agueybana directed by Otoqui Reyes consists of eight artists, all committed to preserving their Afro-Caribbean roots. The group has over ten years experience both of performing and offering workshops and courses on the historical and cultural significance of the genre of bomba. They have presented their dance and music to both national and international audiences across the Americas. In the Caribbean the African drum is central to cultural identity creating harmony, solidarity and leadership in both the music itself and the musicians who perform it, helping maintain social structure in communities and villages all over the Island.
In this, their first musical production, Otoqui Reyes, in collaboration with other great artists Cristi Mangual, Andy Montañez and Tony mapeyé creates a flavour unique to Puerto Rico. The drum or tambor Barril-Primo is played by Ángel Luis Reyes and Otoqui Reyes, revelling in its traditional rhythm whilst also integrating with other popular rhythms such as salsa and jazz, and electronic instrumentation such as indigenous-environmental "Lounge". This creative collaboration is achieved by quality musicians such as: Luis Rosa, Tony Gonzalez and Ricky Torres, committed to creating art and music out of their rich culture. Complementary to the main drums come the second smaller ones which are played by Ramon Vazquez and Papo Aguilú together Jose Alicea, and Maraca. The harmony produced in several layers of drumming is accompanied by the joyful voices of Naomi Vasquez, Minerva Rosa and Quique Hernández.
Everything builds together in this production, like a big street party full of dance, culture and tradition ? a great and tasty celebration of life!
Enjoy!
Bomba y Plena
Although usually grouped together, Bomba y plena are actually two entirely different types of music that are coupled with dance. Bomba is pure African in origin and was brought over by black slaves who worked on the island's sugar plantations in the 17th century, commonly attributed to the regions of Mayaguez, Ponce, Santurce, Loiza, Guayama, Arroyo and Catano. This rhythmic music is played on barrel-shaped drums covered with tightly stretched animal skins, played by hand. Bomba is played using one large drum (barril-Primo) plus a smaller drum called a subidor. It is with the large drum that the dancer communicates. The drums are accompanied by the rhythmical beating of sticks and maracas to create a swelling tide of drumbeats, in which fans can hear drummers bang out a series of responses one to another.
Bomba is described as a dialogue between dancer and drummer. It's as if the drummer were challenging the dancer to a rhythmic duel. The dance can go on for as long as the dancer can continue. Although critics are uncertain about the exact origin of Bomba, it is divided into different rhythmic backgrounds and variations, such as the Euba, Cocobale, and Sica. The most purely African version of this music and dance are thought to have come from the northeastern coast town of Loíza Aldea. La Bomba is much more than merely a dance - it is a musical rituality which acts like the warp in a fine weaving, bringing communities together and inspiring young people to gain a knowledge of not only the fundamentals of dance and music, but also the history of the people within their community.
Whereas Bomba is of purely African origin, plena blends elements from Puerto Ricos' wide cultural backgrounds, including music that the Taíno tribes may have used during their ceremonies. This type of music first appeared in Ponce about 100 years ago, when performing the plena became a hallmark of Spanish tradition and coquetry.
Instruments used in plena include the güiro, a dried-out gourd whose surface is cut with parallel grooves and, when rubbed with a stick, produces a raspy and rhythmical percussive noise. The Taínos may possibly have invented this instrument. From the guitars brought to the New World by the Spanish conquistadores emerged the 10-stringed cuatro which is also played in plena. To the güiro and cuatro was added the tambourine, known as panderos, originally derived from Africa. Dancing plena became a kind of living newspaper as singers recited the events of the day, often satirizing local politicians or scandals. Sometimes plenas were filled with biting satire; at other times, they commented on major news events of the day, such as a devastating hurricane.
Bomba y plena remain the most popular forms of folk music in Puerto Rico today and are commonly performed throughout the island
Spanish:
Grupo Hijos de Agüeybaná es un grupo que interpreta uno de los géneros de música autóctona de Puerto Rico conocida como la Bomba Puertorriqueña. Lo compone ocho artistas comprometidos con su cultura afro-antillana y afro-caribeña, embajadores de ese legado, quieren dar a conocer su raíz africana dentro y fuera de nuestra Isla. Hijos de Agueybana tiene una trayectoria de más de diez años de experiencia ofreciendo talleres, charlas y cursos históricos-culturales del género de la Bomba. La Bomba es el género que recoge la herencia Africana. En el Caribe Afro el tambor es un denominador común que repica de isla en isla, de pueblo en pueblo dejando su sonido cargado de convocatoria y solidaridad. Hijos de Agueybana ha realizado presentaciones nacionales e internacionales, en agencias privadas, gubernamentales y sin fines de lucro. Se ha destacado por la colaboración con y desde las diferentes ramas del arte. En esta su primera producción musical, Agua del Sol, cuenta con la voz principal de su director musical, Otoqui Reyes, en colaboración con otros grandes intérpretes como Cristi Mangual, Andy Montañez y Tony Mapeye. Sus estilos y matices vocales diferentes, transportan a una fiesta popular que bien podría ser puertorriqueña, caribeña o latinoamericana. A nivel rítmico se destaca el tambor Barril-Primo en manos de Ángel Luis Reyes y Otoqui Reyes. El tambor deleita con su sonido más puro y tradicional y su ritmo se integra con ritmos tan populares como la salsa y el jazz, la instrumentación autóctona y lo electrónico-ambiental "Lounge". Esta colaboración creativa ha sido posible gracias a músicos de calidad como lo son: Luis Rosa, Tony Gonzalez y Ricky Torres, comprometidos con hacer arte y música desde su cultura. Complementa al tambor principal, los tambores buleadores o Barril-Seguidor, en manos de Ramón Vázquez y Papo Aguilú que junto a los Cuas sonados con maestría por José Alicea, y la Maraca, establecen un ritmo alegre y constante donde el coro armoniza en las voces de Naomi Vázquez, Minerva Rosa y Quique Hernández. Todo conspira en una sola pieza musical, para que como en una gran fiesta, baile la cultura y la tradición, el pasado y el futuro en un un presente sabroso predestinado para la celebración de la vida.
More about the director: Otoquí Reyes Pizarro
Otoquí Reyes Pizarro nace en el ceno de dos familias tradicionales en la Bomba puertorriquena la familia Ayala de Loiza y la familia Cepeda de santurce. Sus padres Angel Reyes y Cussy pizarro, se ocuparon de que su hijo adquiriera lo mejor del folklor puertorriqueño es por esto que escogen al patriarca de la Bomba Rafael Cepeda como su padrino. Con don Rafael de mentor Otoquí (nombre dado por la leyenda del coquí de P.R.) comienza sus primeros pasos en la Bomba. Con una basta experiencia de sus padres y su mentor, comienza a formar parte de diversos grupos tales como: Agüeybaná, Paracumbé, Afroboricua de William Cepeda,Cohitre del Yunque, Hermanos Cepeda. Colaboraciones con Tite Curet, Norma Salazar, Marcos Montañez, Victoria Espinosa, Paoli Mejias,
Richy Flores, Jorge Arce, Tommy Torres. Bachillerato en Diseño Gráfico. Obtuvo los premios ACE Award y Hola Award. Ha participado en documentales como Especial Raíces del Banco Popular, Afrolatinos , Educando Atravez de las Artes. Actualmente enseña Fundamentos de la Bomba en la Universidad de P.R.,Escuela de Bellas Artes Carolina, Distrito de las Artes del Conservatorio de Música. Entre sus mas recientes colaboraciones musicales están Tony Mapeyé, Antonio González Walker, El Nuevo Sonidero, Luis Rosa, Choco Orta, Cristian Nieves, Andy Montañez,Eduardo Villanueva entre otros. En las colaboraciones con las artes plásticas están Antonio Martorell, Pablo Marcano, Carmelo Fontánez y Edgardo Larregui. Escritores como Dinorah Marzán, Norma Salazaar, Los Hermanos Villanueva, Elsa Tió entre otros. En este año se convirtió en artista residente del Conservatorio de Música de P.R. program Distrito de las Artes.