Julia dance Bomba
Bomba drummers 1
Bomba Drummers 2
The bomba is a uniquely
Puerto Rican musical genre for dance. Although critics are uncertain
about the exact origin of the bomba, it is generally agreed that it is
derived from West Africa, through the importation of slaves to Puerto
Rico from that region. Some have said that it first developed at the
end of the 17th century in Loiza, a Puerto Rican town with a strong
African presence. The bomba flourished wherever the West African slaves
and their descendants lived and worked. In Puerto Rico, this was
typically on the colonial plantations that were common along the
coastal plains. These African communities in Puerto Rico were forbidden to worship their ancient African gods so they instead fused their customs onto the workship of St James. During festivals to honor the Christian St James, bomba music was played and the traditional mask was worn. The mask, called "vejigante" in Spanish, was supposed to scare away evil spirits and pirates.
