Browse Items (126 total)
- Collection: Raíces Caribeñas Folkloric Ensemble
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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,…
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…
Drumming for Art at Streets 2k9
The Streets2k Festival series began in 2005 with Streets2k5. Raíces has been involved in each of the Streets2k Festivals, as performers, participants, and also as partners with the original creators of the event, the public arts non-profit Albus…
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.
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…
Plena at the Greater Brunswick Charter School
Plena is played on hand-held drums called panderos or panderettas, which look similar to tambourines without the cymbals. They are usually played in a set of three-the bajo, the seguidora and the primo or requinto. There can be many multiple bajos…
Excerpts from Spirit of the Drum: History and Evolution of a Caribbean Tradition
Collage of sequences from the Raíces Cultural Center 2010 production “The Spirit of the Drum”. Depicts some of the rhythms, songs and movements of the orishas Elegua, Yemayá, Changó and Oyá as well as the traditions of batárumba, palo and carnival.
Raícitas Performance: Raritan River Festival
Bomba performance by the Raícitas Youth Program participants. Illustrates bomba dance, a conversation between the dancer and the drummer.
Spirit of the Drum Newsletter Article
Newsletter excerpt about the Raíces Cultural Center 2011 production "Spirit of the Drum."
Sean Battle: the Poet
Sean Battle, a performing arts intern at Raíces in 2010 wrote original poems in honor of the Orishas for the Spirit of the Drum production, while also resarching, studying and learning the history, rhythms, songs and movements associated with the…
Batárumba: La negra caridad
Rumba is a secular percussion, song and dance tradition that developed on the streets in Cuba. The dance represents the chicken and the rooster, and is a flirtatious and sensual conversation between the two dancers.
Ago ile ago-A Song for Eleguá
Performing Eleguá at the Spirit of the Drum Production. Eleguá is the Orisha, or force of nature, of the crossroads. He is considered to be a messenger and a trickster.
Eleguá: Orisha of the Crossroads
Elegúa is the keeper of the crossroads. He is an Orisha, or force of nature, associated with destiny. He is known as a trickster and a messenger and is often associated with children. This image depicts a dance for Eleguá performed at the Spirit of…
Raíces Performance: Black History Festival
Raícitas Youth Program student performers illustrate the Puerto Rican folkloric tradition of “Los Vejigantes”.
Los Vejigantes
Raíces Cultural Center delivered an arts and culture residency about the history, music, song and dance of the vejigantes at the Greater Brunswick Charter School in 2009. This culminating assembly performance was part of the 2009 Raíces Production…
Cultural Collaboration
Raíces Cultural Center was able to present a variety of traditions that honor the ancestors through music, song and dance thanks to a cultural collaboration with Grupo Ribeiro from New York City, who presented the Brazilian traditions of the caboclo…
Aya osi eleko - Toque de batá/chant for Obbá
Toque and chant for the orisha Obbá, keeper of the graves in the cemetary.
Ancestor Altar
Ancestor altar, on stage for the production, containing photographs of the ancestors of the performers.
Orixa Iansa - Ilu and Vassi
Orixa Iansa, gatekeeper of the cemetary and marketplace, force of nature of the whirlwinds, causing upheavals and making way for change.
Orixa Iansa - Ilu and Vassi
Iansa is the Brazilian tradition equivalent to the Cuban Orisha Oyá, force of nature of the whirlwinds and keeper of the cemetary and marketplace.
Bembé Oyá - Toque de güiro/chant
Oyá is the orisha, or force of nature of the whirlwinds, the energy that brings chaos and destruction to make room for change and new growth. She is also the gatekeeper of the cemetary and the marketplace, deciding who may enter and who may leave.
Aumbao Waori - Toque de batá/chant for the dead
The batá are the liturgical drums of Ocha. The rhythms and chants are used to praise, honor and call to the Orishas, or forces of nature.
Aumbao Waori - Toque de batá/chant for the dead
The chants and the toques de batá for the dead performed by the Raíces Ensemble and guest artists in the Festival for the Dead are taken from the Lucumí/Ocha liturgy of Cuba.