Browse Items (126 total)
- Collection: Raíces Caribeñas Folkloric Ensemble
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La luz redentora - Plegaria de misa/rumba
The Plegarias, or spiritual masses, are taken from the Espiritismo liturgy as practiced on the island of Cuba and in the diaspora.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ancestor Altar
Ancestor altar, on stage for the production, containing photographs of the ancestors of the performers.
Aya osi eleko - Toque de batá/chant for Obbá
Toque and chant for the orisha Obbá, keeper of the graves in the cemetary.
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…
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…
Raícitas Performance: Raritan River Festival
Bomba performance by the Raícitas Youth Program participants. Illustrates bomba dance, a conversation between the dancer and the drummer.
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…
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.
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…
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,…
Raíces Rehearsal
Raíces Co-Directors Francisco G. Gómez and Nicole Wines in a Raíces Ensemble rehearsal. Francisco is also the Musical Director of Raíces. Pictured here in the spring of 2010 surrounded by cultural objects and instruments.
Raíces Rehearsal
Raíces students often rehearse and perform with the core of the Raíces Ensemble. Practicing voices for a full chorus in the Spring of 2010.
Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico Residency: Paul Robeson School Assembly
As part of the 2009 Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico arts residency program, the Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble performed their vejigantes presentation at Paul Robeson Community Theme School for the Arts in New Brunswick, NJ. Students learned about…
Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico Residency: Dancing Plena
Students learning plena dance steps with los vejigantes de Puerto Rico during an interactive performance and presentation at Paul Robeson Community Theme School for the Arts.
Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico Residency: Dancing with los Vejigantes
Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico Residency: Dancing with los Vejigantes
Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico Residency: Dancing Plena at Paul Robeson School
Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble performed bomba and plena and presented about the tradition of Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico, an Afropuertorican folkloric tradition. After the interactive performance, participants had the opportunity to dance and…
Gabriela Pérez - Dancing Bomba
Gabriela Pérez dancing picoteos de bomba at the Raritan River Environmental Festival in New Brunswick, NJ.
Raíces Cultural Center Folkloric Ensemble at the Brooklyn Puerto Rican Day Parade
In June of 2009, Raíces Cultural Center Folkloric Ensemble was invited to collaborate in a cultural performance at the annual Brooklyn Puerto Rican Day Parade. The collaboration was made up of additional musicians and dancers from NJ and NY.
Tale of Two Waters - Introduction
Nicole Wines introduces the Raíces Folkloric Ensemble Production "Tale of Two Waters" at the Elizabeth Public Library.