get these nets
Veteran
*panel and then questions begin at 22:40
maburiga garinagu
Jun 25, 2023
This was a very informative conversation of the Congo influence in Puerto Rican Bomba music genre. Bandleaders, Alex Lasalle and Nkumu Isaac Katalay highlight the origins, similarities between Congolese music and the Puerto Rican Bomba. The Congo influence is in other music genres throughout Caribbean including Soca, Calypso, Zouk, Kdans, Salsa, Merengue, Kompa, and Garifuna music.
June 2023
.
The Bronx Music Heritage Center (BMHC) will present a series of music performances, a film screening and moderated conversations exploring the many Congolese influences in Caribbean music and dance this summer. “West Central Africa, popularly known as Congo or Bantu, brought a trove of ideas and music to the Americas. We are proud to shine a light on this vibrant cultural legacy with our programming this summer,” said Elena Martinez, co-artistic director of the BMHC.
This season of Bronx Rising! will begin on Saturday, June 24 at 4 p.m. at the Bronx Music Hall Plaza, with The Congo Influence in Puerto Rican Bomba, a conversation between Nkumu Katalay and Alex LaSalle, bandleader of Alma Moyo, followed by a performance of their ensembles
Historical and cultural background
Bantu-Congolese religious elements are embedded in popular and contemporary music forms in Latin American and Caribbean communities across the United States. The Bantu people (also known as the Congos in Cuba), who arrived via the slave trade, assimilated themselves quickly in Cuban culture. As a result, their religious traditions created somewhat of a collective Cuban identity that has influenced Cuban music forms such as Conga and Mambo, which respectively mean song and chant. Similarly, traditional and current Jamaican music genres, such as Reggae and Ska, have important Bantu-Congolese ritual contexts that associate worship with community building and social gathering.
The Congolese influence in the South Bronx is embodied with Cuban-born composer, bandleader, and musician Arsenio Rodriguez. Born in the Matanzas region of Cuba, he was a direct descendant of Bantu-Congolese culture. Arsenio is attributed with being the first Cuban bandleader to add the conga drum to dance band performance. The conga drum is a stylized descendant of the “ngome” drum from Bantu-Congolese culture. Many of Arsenio’s songs such as, Burundanga” and “Kimbio-Kimbimbia” featured Bantu-Congo rooted themes. Arsenio’s creation of the rhythm known as son montuno (which is salsa’s rhythmic foundation) first gave rise to the “mambo”—which is the Bantu-Congo word for chant. Arsenio was also an initiate of the Bantu-Congo rooted Afro-Cuban religion known as Palo Mayombe.
The conga drum itself has its origins in the Congo religious drum, “ngome”—making the conga drum a direct visual and visceral link to Africa. Another example is the common bell pattern used by the timbales in fast tempos, which come directly from a Congo religious rhythm known as maquta. Ceremonial language also pervades the lyrics in the well know song, Rompe saraguey, which refers to a plant used in ceremony.
Despite having such a large impact, the central African Congo influences and connections have been emphasized less both in the music world and within the Latin American and Caribbean communities in the United States, most likely due to their much earlier arrival via the slave trade—but their presence pervades many of the music, dance, and artistic traditions.
Nkumu Katalay is an artist, orator, multi-instrumentalist, and social activist whose main objective is to promote humanity. Born in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, he lives in New York City. Nkumu's vision highlights the contribution of Congolese cultures in modern world history. He is the founder of The Life Long Project Band, a musical group and a project which focuses on pushing the positive narrative of the Congolese culture via music and social-cultural and educational initiatives. He is also founder of the Afro Congolese Dance program and company which offers weekly dance activities throughout New York City, in schools, corporations, or cultural centers for all ages from children to adults and seniors.
Alex LaSalle is a high priest (Tata Nkisi) to one of the oldest houses of Kongo-Cuban Palo in Cuba and now New York City—Batalla Sacampeño Mayombe. His teacher and mentor is Florencio Miguel Garzon (“Loanganga”) from Cuba. In addition to serving as a diviner and priest, Alex is also a specialist in hundreds of Afro-Cuban Kongo Mambo songs and rituals. Alex is fluent in the Afro-Cuban Bantu/Kongo language, is an avid researcher and oral historian. He has presented lectures for educators and students at Yale, Columbia, New York University, Long Island University, and others. A teaching artist in New York City public schools, Alex is the founder and director of Alma Moyo Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba group, and member of Grammy Nominated Los Pleneros de la 21 and Grupo Folklorico Experimental Nueva Yorquino. Alex has performed with such groups as Roberto Cepeda’s Bomba Aché, William Cepeda’s Afro-Boricua, Felix Alduén y su Tambores, Pa’lo Monte, Nchila Ngoma Mayombe, and 21 Division
The Congo Influence in Puerto Rican Bomba and Caribbean music genres
maburiga garinagu
Jun 25, 2023
This was a very informative conversation of the Congo influence in Puerto Rican Bomba music genre. Bandleaders, Alex Lasalle and Nkumu Isaac Katalay highlight the origins, similarities between Congolese music and the Puerto Rican Bomba. The Congo influence is in other music genres throughout Caribbean including Soca, Calypso, Zouk, Kdans, Salsa, Merengue, Kompa, and Garifuna music.
Bronx series highlights Congolese influences in Caribbean music and dance
June 2023
.
The Bronx Music Heritage Center (BMHC) will present a series of music performances, a film screening and moderated conversations exploring the many Congolese influences in Caribbean music and dance this summer. “West Central Africa, popularly known as Congo or Bantu, brought a trove of ideas and music to the Americas. We are proud to shine a light on this vibrant cultural legacy with our programming this summer,” said Elena Martinez, co-artistic director of the BMHC.
This season of Bronx Rising! will begin on Saturday, June 24 at 4 p.m. at the Bronx Music Hall Plaza, with The Congo Influence in Puerto Rican Bomba, a conversation between Nkumu Katalay and Alex LaSalle, bandleader of Alma Moyo, followed by a performance of their ensembles
Historical and cultural background
Bantu-Congolese religious elements are embedded in popular and contemporary music forms in Latin American and Caribbean communities across the United States. The Bantu people (also known as the Congos in Cuba), who arrived via the slave trade, assimilated themselves quickly in Cuban culture. As a result, their religious traditions created somewhat of a collective Cuban identity that has influenced Cuban music forms such as Conga and Mambo, which respectively mean song and chant. Similarly, traditional and current Jamaican music genres, such as Reggae and Ska, have important Bantu-Congolese ritual contexts that associate worship with community building and social gathering.
The Congolese influence in the South Bronx is embodied with Cuban-born composer, bandleader, and musician Arsenio Rodriguez. Born in the Matanzas region of Cuba, he was a direct descendant of Bantu-Congolese culture. Arsenio is attributed with being the first Cuban bandleader to add the conga drum to dance band performance. The conga drum is a stylized descendant of the “ngome” drum from Bantu-Congolese culture. Many of Arsenio’s songs such as, Burundanga” and “Kimbio-Kimbimbia” featured Bantu-Congo rooted themes. Arsenio’s creation of the rhythm known as son montuno (which is salsa’s rhythmic foundation) first gave rise to the “mambo”—which is the Bantu-Congo word for chant. Arsenio was also an initiate of the Bantu-Congo rooted Afro-Cuban religion known as Palo Mayombe.
The conga drum itself has its origins in the Congo religious drum, “ngome”—making the conga drum a direct visual and visceral link to Africa. Another example is the common bell pattern used by the timbales in fast tempos, which come directly from a Congo religious rhythm known as maquta. Ceremonial language also pervades the lyrics in the well know song, Rompe saraguey, which refers to a plant used in ceremony.
Despite having such a large impact, the central African Congo influences and connections have been emphasized less both in the music world and within the Latin American and Caribbean communities in the United States, most likely due to their much earlier arrival via the slave trade—but their presence pervades many of the music, dance, and artistic traditions.
Nkumu Katalay is an artist, orator, multi-instrumentalist, and social activist whose main objective is to promote humanity. Born in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, he lives in New York City. Nkumu's vision highlights the contribution of Congolese cultures in modern world history. He is the founder of The Life Long Project Band, a musical group and a project which focuses on pushing the positive narrative of the Congolese culture via music and social-cultural and educational initiatives. He is also founder of the Afro Congolese Dance program and company which offers weekly dance activities throughout New York City, in schools, corporations, or cultural centers for all ages from children to adults and seniors.
Alex LaSalle is a high priest (Tata Nkisi) to one of the oldest houses of Kongo-Cuban Palo in Cuba and now New York City—Batalla Sacampeño Mayombe. His teacher and mentor is Florencio Miguel Garzon (“Loanganga”) from Cuba. In addition to serving as a diviner and priest, Alex is also a specialist in hundreds of Afro-Cuban Kongo Mambo songs and rituals. Alex is fluent in the Afro-Cuban Bantu/Kongo language, is an avid researcher and oral historian. He has presented lectures for educators and students at Yale, Columbia, New York University, Long Island University, and others. A teaching artist in New York City public schools, Alex is the founder and director of Alma Moyo Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba group, and member of Grammy Nominated Los Pleneros de la 21 and Grupo Folklorico Experimental Nueva Yorquino. Alex has performed with such groups as Roberto Cepeda’s Bomba Aché, William Cepeda’s Afro-Boricua, Felix Alduén y su Tambores, Pa’lo Monte, Nchila Ngoma Mayombe, and 21 Division
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