FESTIVAL DANCERS
GRUPO FOLCLORICO PAULÉ
NATIONAL/ETHNIC IDENTITY: Puerto Rican
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Maria Elena Garcia
First Appearance in SF EDF: 2004
Website: www.bayareaboricuas.org
Birthed in Puerto Rico from the convergence of African and Spanish aesthetics, bomba derives its name from the barrel-shaped drum, the bomba, used to accompany this infectiously enthusiastic dance form. Bomba originated amongst African slave communities living on the sugar plantations along the coastal valleys of 18th century Puerto Rico, an island colonized by the Spaniards. The Bailes de Bomba were dances that took place on Sundays to celebrate baptisms, weddings and other special events. Eventually bomba found its place alongside the ocean in the coastal valleys of Puerto Rico as people traveled from one town to another to participate in bomba celebrations.
As resources were limited amongst plantation slaves, the bomba drum was typically made out of empty codfish or rum barrels, and goatskins for the drumhead. The most significant feature in the bomba is the strong interaction between the dancers and the lead drummer, called subidor. The subidor is in charge of executing the various rhythmic patterns and responding to the piquetes, the improvised movements of the dancers.
2004 PERFORMANCE
 TITLE
OF PIECE: Domingo en el Soberao (Sunday
in the Soberao)
CHOREOGRAPHY: Maria Elena Garcia and Elia Cortes
COSTUME DESIGN: Elia Cortes
ADDITIONAL COSTUME DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION: Lina Luna,
Lourdes Almaguer, and Abby Mann
DANCERS: Aracelis Aquino, Sonya Marina Childres, Maria
Elena Garcia, Salomeh Ghorban, Raja Hawthorne, Ivett Millet, Vylma
Ortiz, Sarazeta Ragazi, Rashmi Rama, Melissa Reyes, Vilmarie Roura,
Salomeh Ghorban, Vylma Ortiz, Shefali Shah, and Zelideth Maria Rivas
MUSICIANS: Percussionists: Elliot 'Toby' Borrero,
Ali 'Choco' Luna, Javier Navarette; Singers: Naomi True, Lina
Luna, Yaya Maldonado; Chorus: Brunilda Davila, Lisabet Nieves,
Leslie Stone, and Elia Cortes
Grupo Folclorico Paulé presents several pieces that reflect
two distinct styles of bomba. The first two pieces are from
Santurce and suggest the Spanish Andalusian influence by the use of
the uplifted upper body carriage and fancy footwork. The other pieces
show a style from Loiza which contains a stronger African influence,
as Loiza was physically isolated from the rest of the island until
recently.
The costumes also reflect the bomba's historical legacy.
The women's headdress is from the African heritage, whereas the skirts
are made in a Spanish colonial style. Bomba dancers typically
raise their skirts to reveal their slips. In past times this was a
way of ridiculing the proper plantation ladies and their fancy petticoats.
The skirt is also used to accentuate certain beats to give cues for
the lead drummer.
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