Search - Hermanos Ayala :: Bomba De Loiza

Bomba de Loiza--Hermanos Ayala

Cynthia L. Mellon | Newark, NJ USA | 07/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those that don't know, Bomba is a Puerto Rican music and dance form with it's roots in Africa. It is characterized by specific rhythms played by three barrel-shaped drums called "barriles" and backed up by a piece of wood struck with drum sticks (the "cua") and a marraca. What makes the dance so special is the fact that the solo dancer, which can be male or female, interacts with the lead drum and actually controls the drum with his or her movements. While obviously, you can't see the dance in an audio performance, if you listen carefully to this recording you can hear the solos and imagine what the dancer is doing.



Loiza is a town in Puerto Rico that is treasured and respected for its preservation of the African folk arts. Before a highway and a bridge made it relatively easy to get to, Loiza was geographically isolated, there was limited influence from other cultures and art forms dating back to the time of slavery were nurtured and developed, making Loiza a cultural reference point for all of Puerto Rico.



While Bomba is danced in several parts of Puerto Rico, the Bomba of Loiza is distinct. It is characterized by a very fast and dynamic pace, with some movements that are not found in other places.



The Ayala family is widely recognized as the lead group in presenting the Bomba of the Loiza...hence the cd's title. The liner notes, which are in Spanish, explain that the Ayala family became a professional performing group 40 years ago. This cd is the real thing, produced for a discerning and knowledgeable audience. Do not expect to hear salsa or any form of commercial Latin music. This is a high energy, fast-paced performance from start to finish, with a good selection of classic Bomba songs.



This is a "must have" for serious collectors of Bomba music. It's a wonderful recording. Que viva la Bomba!"

This compilation is SMOKING!

DAVID E MIRO | San Juan, Puerto Rico | 06/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This bomba compilation is the real thing... fast-paced, extremely rich in the drum section, quite solid in the chorus response. Should anyone need a primer on Afro-Puerto Rican music, this may be the place to start. Another alternative would be any production by another Loiza native, William Cepeda (who played trombone with Dizzy Gillespie, among others), or Raices, a CD/DVD documentary produced by Puerto Rico's Banco Popular"