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The Collection
The collection
Charango and Pipes
The staples of Andean Music. A genre of music that has survived so many years. In pre-columbian South America music was thought of as sacred. It was used in agricultural and religious rituals and wars. Thanks to musicians like Pepe Santana, we can…
Pepe's Instruments
Pepe's instruments
String Collection on the Wall
A portion of Pepe Santana's collection of stringed instruments from around the world hand in a wall display.
The Flutes
The flutes
Strings Close Up 2
Strings close up 2
After the Interview
Pepe, Francisco and I pose at Pepe's Stanhope home after the interview. I left the interview with a completely different view on what culture means and how its changing in our modern-day world. I left with more appreciation for traditional musicians…
Pepe Santana Oral History Excerpt - Andean Identity
In this clip Pepe talks about the "Andean identity" and how important it is for Andeans to take pride in their culture. Pepe fears that if Andeans don't take advantage of all they have to offer to share it with the world, that the culture will be…
Panpipes
Pepe plays the Panipes, an Andean music staple instrument. What is most spectacular is that Pepe seamlessly plays two pipes at the same time. As you can tell by the audience's reactions they were impressed!
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.
An Andean Song
Pepe Santana sings an Andean song. It was the first time that the audience heard Pepe sing a song in an indigenous language. There was a great silence in the room making it known that the audience was moved by the new and unfamiliar music they were…
Raíces Roots Music Collection - Oral History with Don Pepe Santana
Oral history interview with Andean folkloric musician and culture bearer Don Pepe Santana.
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…
Oral History with José Gabriel Muñoz - Cuatrista
On October 20, 2019, Raíces Cultural Center had the honor of conducting an oral history interview with cuatrista José Gabriel Muñoz. Download a PDF of the full oral history interview transcript here: José Gabriel Muñoz Interview Transcript
Excerpt: Classical Music Demonstration on Cuatro
Cuatrista José Gabriel Muñoz demonstrates how the cuatro is interpreted with classical music.An excerpt from Cello Suite No.1 by J.S. Bach interpreted by José Gabriel Muñoz. The Cello Suite was transposed and arranged on the cuatro by Alvin Medina.…
Gabriel Muñoz
Gabriel Muñoz was born in Puerto Rico in 1976. When he was 2, his family moved to New Jersey, where he grew up and still resides. He was introduced to the cuatro—a traditional Puerto Rican musical instrument similar to the mandolin—at the age of 14.…
Raíces Roots Music Concert Series - Gabriel Muñoz y Melodías Borinqueñas
On September 22, 2018, Gabriel Muñoz y Melodías Borinqueñas shared the traditional Jíbaro mountain music of Puerto Rico at the Forum Theatre in Metuchen, NJ as part of the Raíces Roots Music Concert Series.
Gabriel Muñoz was born in Puerto Rico in…
Magnolia Street String Band
Magnolia Street String Band started in 2013 as an informal project among some friends, meeting and picking in Highland Park, NJ. Originally there was a cellist. And no banjo. In the summer of 2013, they stumbled into a booking for a local festival…
Grupo INKHAY
INKHAY is a Quechua verb that means "to tend the fire". The members of the group have chosen this name to symbolize their commitment to keep alive, expose and spread the beautiful music of the Andes mountains of Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador.
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,…
Indigenous Roots, European Influences
INKHAY's music, primarily, represents elements of South American indigenous culture when they perform wind and percussion music. They also include European musical elements when they play stringed instruments like the guitar, mandolin and the well…
Pepe Santana and Grupo INKHAY
The members of INKHAY, under the direction of Pepe Santana, a native from Ecuador, are: Rothman Teran, César Vele e Iván Vele; all from Ecuador. Each member has been involved with various folk groups, both, here in the United States and in South…
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…
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