When Bomba Becomes The National Music of the Puerto Rico Nation...

This article addresses the resurgence of Puerto Rico s bomba music. It concludes that the opportunities to study, dance, and perform bomba are more prevalent today because of a rediscovery of the genre that goes beyond its manifestation in the Cortijo era to include multiple bomba rhythms, bomba de baile, and the use of authentic drumming ensembles. Puerto Ricans today, including many Puerto Rican youth, are prepared to disaggregate bomba from plena in order to understand its development and fulfill its promise as a liberating art form.