Browse Items (126 total)
- Collection: Raíces Caribeñas Folkloric Ensemble
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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.
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…
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.
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.
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…
Afro-Caribbean Performance
Raíces Caribeñas, the predecessor to the Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble, performing giving an educational concert as part of the 2nd Reformed Church of New Brunswick’s Lunchtime Recital Series. Dean Warren Schomburg played both flute and percussion…
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.
Spreading Culture
Raíces Cultural Center ensemble member Dean Warren Schomburg preparing to perform and share the history and evolution of traditional Puerto Rican and Cuban music and dance traditions with Rutgers University students at the Center for Latino Arts and…
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…
The Trickster
Eleguá is known for his childlike nature, which explains his love for candy and for playing tricks. Raíces Folkloric Ensemble member Nicole Wines hands out candy as Eleguá during the presentation of "Tale of Two Waters".
Kwanzaa Celebration
The Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble was asked to share the traditions and cultures of the Caribbean through music, dance and song as part of the 2010 NAACP Kwanzaa Celebration. Raíces Ensemble members are pictured here playing batá and singing to…
Raíces Performance: Black History Festival
Raícitas Youth Program student performers illustrate the Puerto Rican folkloric tradition of “Los Vejigantes”.
Spirit of the Drum Newsletter Article
Newsletter excerpt about the Raíces Cultural Center 2011 production "Spirit of the Drum."
Raíces Caribeñas at Streets 2k5
Raíces Caribeñas, the predecessor to the Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble, performing as part the Streets 2k5 community and public arts festival. Raíces Caribeñas was invited to participate as part of the attempt to integrate cultural arts and…
Raíces Caribeñas at Streets 2k5
NJ musicians from Raíces Caribeñas preparing to perform at the Streets2k5 festival in downtown New Brunswick, NJ. Raíces Caribeñas played Afro-Caribbean and hip-hop fusion music at this festival celebrating and highlighting public art.
Music in the Park
Dean Warren Schomburg playing music with other NJ based folkloric Caribbean musicians
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…
Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico Residency: Dancing Bomba at the Greater Brunswick Charter School
As part of the 2009 Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico residency program, the Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble performed the music, dance and song of bomba and plena at the Greater Brunswick Charter School. As in all bombazos, audience/community…
Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico Residency: Bombazo
Bomba is community! Students from the audience were invited up to dance bomba before the drum with the Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble.
Dancing Bomba
Gabriela dancing bomba with students at the Greater Brunswick Charter School in New Brunswick, NJ, sharing the folkloric traditions of bomba, plena and los vejigantes de Puerto Rico.
Preparing to perform
There are many styles of bomba dresses and costume, both traditional and contemporary. Raíces Cultural Center had these costumes handmade by a local NJ seamstress for their educational performance series Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico in 2009, opting…
Dancing Plena
Gabriela Pérez dancing plena at a public educational performance in New Brunswick, NJ. Plena is the national music dance of Puerto Rico and is commonly played, sung, and danced in the diaspora at festivals, parties, plenazos, performances and…
Bomba is Community-Hub City Revival
Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble performed at Hub City Revival 8 in New Brunswick, NJ June 1, 2010. CUDA Culture-The Community for Urban Dance and Art brought their positive vibes and high energy breakdancing out to the floor, creating a bomba…