What is la plena dance?
Plena has a quick rhythm, where couples dance in “social position”, facing each other. The plena drummers do not dialogue, like in Bomba, but they do have solos.18 Traditional clothing of Plena, unlike Bomba, is less conservative.
What is the difference between Bomba and plena?
A Grammy-winning producer with expertise in the Latin Tropical scene, Levinson describes the production of a bomba beat, which incorporates two drums, a maraca and a highly syncopated 5/8 rhythm. On the other hand, for plena, a trio sings in harmony with folkloric hand drums called the panderetas.
What is Puerto Rico’s traditional dance?
Bomba is both a traditional dance and musical style of Puerto Rico. Its origins are rooted in the island’s history of African slavery but today has evolved into a community expression of Puerto Rican culture.
Is Bomba Puerto Rican?
Bomba is an emblematic Puerto Rican musical genre that emerged 400 years ago from the colonial plantations where West African enslaved people and their descendants worked.
What are some of the uses of plena?
Plena music, also known as la plena, is an Afro-Puerto Rican musical genre known for its heavy percussion and energetic sound. Plena has long been used as a way for working-class Puerto Ricans to communicate with each other and critique society.
Who created plena?
During the 1980s, Eddie Olivo (the founder) and his brother Pepe Olivo, the greatest quinto pandero (hand drum player) in his class, inspired me to get into this music. I went to a lot of their shows, and during that time they were the hottest plena band in Puerto Rico.
Where did plena originate from?
southern Puerto Rico
Plena developed from bomba music around the beginning of the 20th century in southern Puerto Rico. Plena lyrics are narrative. They convey a story about events, address topical themes, often comment on political protest movements, and offer satirical commentaries.
What are the primary historical influences on plena music?
The tradition of plena music, which is rooted historically in both the Puerto Rican and African music-cultures, encapsulates the struggles of the commoner in Puerto Rican society amid rapid, drastic sociopolitical changes, ultimately uniting the working-class against injustices and oppression.
Where does the dance plena come from?
Plena is a genre of music and dance native to Puerto Rico.
What is La Bomba y la plena?
Bomba and plena are percussion-driven musical traditions from Puerto Rico that move people to dance. Often mentioned together as though they were a single musical style, both reflect the African heritage of Puerto Rico, but there are basic distinctions between them in rhythm, instrumentation, and lyrics.
Where does plena come from?
Plena developed from bomba music around the beginning of the 20th century in southern Puerto Rico. Plena lyrics are narrative. They convey a story about events, address topical themes, often comment on political protest movements, and offer satirical commentaries.
Who started plena?