Bomba con Buya brings dance and culture to campus

Bomba+con+Buya+brings+dance+and+culture+to+campus

Francesca Divincenzo, Contributing Writer

Have you ever heard of the “bomba” dance style or wondered where it came from? Or maybe even why people perform it? In colonial Spain, West African slaves and their descendants developed bomba.

The towns of San Juan, Mayagüez, Ponce and Loíza, and others along Puerto Rico’s coast had sugar plantations where these people worked and subsequently created this dance style.

Bomba was a way that cane workers in the area would be able to decompress and get all the bad feelings out.

Bomba was also a way to communicate and celebrate events such as baptisms and marriages. Bomba is definitely an important dance to teach because it is more than just a dance; it is a history that others need to understand.

Bomba is a crucial piece in understanding the life and traditions of this culture to cultivate an understanding and appreciation.

There is more to learn than just the steps; the dance teaches about culture and how the ancestors survived. Now that you know about bomba, you can learn how to do it. A Chicago-based Puerto Rican music and dance group, Bomba con Buya, will give a workshop on Oct. 7 at 7p.m.The workshop aims to relate this piece of history to people of all levels of dance experience and truly embody what bomba is all about.

Bomba con Buya will also be performing at the Martin Luther King Center at 312 Chestnut Street in Erie on Friday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m.

Whether you are interested in deep-diving into history, dancing with talented people or learning something new, Bomba con Buya is the perfect way to have fun while celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.

There are many other types of dances that are associated wit Hispanic culture and they all give great insight into that specific culture. Be sure to keep an eye out for more activities to attend during the rest of National Hispanic Heritage Month until its conclusion on Oct. 15.