The Hostos Center for Arts & Culture and the BomPlenazo Advisory Committee are excited to announce this five-day online BomPlenazo festival featuring 4 concerts, 2 panel discussions, 2 film screenings, and 2 workshops engaging with voices from both the island and the diaspora. Join us on Facebook Live, Zoom and YouTube from October 7 to October 11.
This year’s festival – Bomba y Plena: En Acción - celebrates the bomba and plena legacies of struggle, resistance, action and resilience. The Festival pays tribute to the roles that la gente plenera y bombera, from the island and throughout our communities across the diaspora, have played in Puerto Rico’s historical and recent battles with hurricanes, earthquakes, environmental crisis, political corruption, gender, racial inequities, and most recently, COVID-19. During these times of strife, catastrophe and adversity, our drums, songs and dances are once again sources of healing, mutual aid, and a testament of Afro-Boricua pride and spirit.
All are encouraged to log on, watch, move, screen and comment as we celebrate our elders, our ancestors, and our younger generations. Like our people and music, BomPlenazo is alive and kicking, looking ahead - ¡y siempre pa’lante!
All events are Free* and will be streamed online on Zoom, Facebook Live and YouTube.
* Two workshops require pre-registration and will be streamed exclusively on Zoom.
Plena Percussion Workshop Friday Night
Plena Combativa Wednesday Night
Percussion Discussion Saturday 12 Noon
Film Screening & Discussion Thursday Evening
Conversatorio Saturday Night
Bomba con Buya Thursday Night
Redobles de Cultura Sunday Morning
FILM SCREENING & DISCUSSION Friday evening
BOMBA DANCE WORKSHOP Sunday Afternoon
Los Bravitos de la Plena
BomPlenazo is a biennial Festival, established in 2000, that presents and celebrates the practices and the communities of Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena, from both the island and diaspora communities. Produced by the Hostos Center for Arts & Culture and guided by an Advisory Committee of musical practitioners and community members, the BomPlenazo is made possible by funding support from: National Endowment for the Arts, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, The Howard Gilman Foundation, the offices of City Council member Rafael Salamanca, Jr. and New York State Assembly José Rivera.
Program Management and curation:
Julia L. Gutiérrez-Rivera
The concepts, organization and outreach directed:
the BomPlenazo Advisory Committee
(Julia L. Gutiérrez Rivera, Juan J Gutiérrez Rodríguez and César Colón Montijo).
Partnership support provided by:
Pregones/PRTT, Los Pleneros de la 21 and the Bronx Music Heritage Center
Production partners and concert venues:
Viento de Agua, La Calle Loíza, Taller Comunitario La Goyco, The HoneyBee,
Segundo Ruíz Belvis Center, and Teatro Pregones/PRTT
Music and Video editing by:
Javier Raez, Camilo Molina Gaetán
Graphic design by:
Albert Tong
Social Media Coordinator:
Marlena Fitzpatrick
