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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,…
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.
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…
A Heartbeat
Pepe Santana explains to the audience the importance of the drum-the heart beat of a song. It helps us to feel the song not only just hear it.
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…
“Los Vejigantes de Puerto Rico” Program Flyer
In 2009, Raíces Cultural Center created and presented its first production thanks in part to an award a MINI grant by the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission. Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble performed with guest artists and Raícitas…
Music of the Andes
The musicians of Grupo INKHAY play over two dozen musical instruments. Among the wind instruments, they play a variety of pan-pipes known to the natives as "sikus", "antaras" or "zampoñas". They also play end-nocthed vertical flutes called kenas,…
Family Bombazo
Raícitas Youth Program participants and their families learn, study and practice the Afropuertorican folkloric tradition of bomba.
Raícitas Dance Class
From 2009-2010, Raíces Cultural Center held classes at the Hub City Teen Center in New Brunswick. Classes were held for children and adults. Participants learned the folkloric traditions of the Caribbean in dance, music and song. Almost one…
Raícitas Bomba Class
Participants in the Raícitas Youth Program learn the music, dance, song and history of the Caribbean folkloric traditions. The student is practicing bomba, an Afro-puertorican folkloric tradition. In bomba, the dancer and the drummer converse, with…
“Spirit of the Drum” Flyer
Postcard for the 2010 Raíces Ensemble production “Spirit of the Drum: History and Evolution of an Afrocaribbean Tradition”. This production was made possible in part by funding from a Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage MINI Grant, as well as a…
Orisha Art Show Cultural Display
Cultural and educational display at the Orisha Art Exhibit. The display includes the batá drums, and peripheral instruments used in Afro-Cuban music, an orisha Oyá doll, a handmade Eleguá, Orisha tiles and a an Orisha poster.
Learning percussion
Raíces Cultural Center provides arts and music education to the community. Here a student is learning the basics of Afro-Caribbean percussion with teacher and Raíces Co-Director Francisco G. Gómez
Artwork and Artifacts in Samuel Lind’s Studio
Paintings, statues, masks and sculptures in Samuel Lind’s home art studio. Every wall, corner and surface of the studio has art and artifacts on display.
Samuel Lind with his Screenprinted Poster for Majestad Negra
Samuel Lind showed the Raíces crew several of with his screenprinted posters, including this one for local bomba group, Majestad Negra.
Brazilian Hand Drums
Hand drums are found across cultures in myriad genres of folkloric music from around the world. These Brazilian hand drums are called pandeiros
“Playing” Capoeira
When capoeira is played as a game, two capoeiristas enter the roda, or circle, salute, and begin to play the game following the musical rhythm.
Salute
Before playing in the roda, capoeiristas salute before the drum. Similar salutes are found in drumming traditions throughout the African diazora.
Saluting the Drum
Like in the capoeira roda, capoeiristas prepare to play Maculelê by saluting the drums.
Sapulha Senzala
Sapulha Senzala of Capoeira Senzala playing pandeiro during the Maculelê segment of the group’s performance in the Raíces Roots Music Concert Series in July 2018.
Capoeira Senzala - Drummers
Drummers performing with Capoeira Senzala in July 2018 at the Raíces Roots Music Concert Series in Highland Park, NJ
Samba with Capoeira Senzala
Samba, like other variations of the Afro-Brazilian capoeira tradition, is rooted in song, drum and dance and is often practiced in a circle.
Instruments of the Andes - Drums
Drum patterns played in Andean folkloric music keep a strong pulse in the music, like the heartbeat of the songs.
Pepe Santana and Grupo INKHAY
Pepe Santana and Grupo INKHAY performing traditional folkloric music from the Andes mountains at the Reformed Church of Highland Park in Highland Park, NJ in November 2018.This performance was part of the Raíces Roots Music Concert Series and helped…