The rhythms of the bomba, Puerto Rico’s traditional dance music, are the underpinnings of composer Johanny Navarro’s work, "Belén: Un Canto Sagrado a mis Ancestros" (“A Sacred Chant to my Ancestors”).
These rhythms are rooted in the African and indigenous heritage of the Caribbean.
"I wanted to honor ...all of those people that inspire me in some way for making me a composer," Navarro said. "I wanted to create this piece that would evoke these chants and the singing and these beautiful lines... and try to evoke this sense of honor and respect."
Much like a translator moves ideas from one language to another, Navarro reworks the rhythms and sounds of the bomba for the Victory Players, honoring the past and exploring new musical possibilities.
The Victory Players:
Tianhui Ng, music director
Angela Santiago, ensemble manager
Nathan Ben-Yehuda, piano
Clare Monfredo, cello
Giovanni A. Perez, flute
Robert Rocheteau, percussion
Eric Schultz, clarinet
Elly Toyoda, violin
Navarro often incorporates Afro-Carribean elements in her music. Her piece "Celebration" was selected by the Arts Club of Washington, D.C., to commemorate their 100th anniversary. In 2016, she made her debut with Symphony Orchestra of Puerto Rico. Navarro studied music at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico.
You can watch an interview with Navarro below, with a transcript in both English and Spanish:
Spanish language translation: Iohann Vega-Martinez
Spanish language editors: Elizabeth Román, Zydalis Bauer
Web production contributor: Heather Brandon
El Puerto Rico is a collaboration of the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA), New England Public Media and GBH Music, which originally published a version of this post.