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The Office of Education and Community Outreach, School of the Arts in conjunction with Equity and Diversity Programs, Women’s Center at Montclair State University presented BOMBA! A Celebration of Sight and Sound. This exhibit ran from November 12 through November 19, 2005 in the MFA Gallery. The intention of this exhibition was to give the public a glimpse into the world of Afro-Caribbean traditions which are unique to an art form called Bomba. This tradition has survived over 300 years with relatively little change. Bomba is danced to the beat of several drums and percussion instruments. There are several drumbeats, however one drum dominates and is dictated by a dancer’s moves. The best way to experience Bomba is to participate in a Bombazo (Dance Celebration). The exhibition's opening reception took place on Saturday, November 12,2005. This was also the commencement of Montclair State University’s first campus wide celebration of Diversity Week. The exhibit BOMBA featured the lush watercolor paintings of Antonio Broccoli Porto who is an artist from Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. His eclectic collection of art and installations exposed the viewer to the overpowering colorful settings of the deep Caribbean. Porto, a romanticist by nature, displays a myriad of musical themed works expressing the noble qualities of these inhabitants that have been preserved for over three centuries. Music and dance are the two significant influences that reverberate through his many colorful paintings. Among the pieces there also several installations representing the Yoruba religious traditions inherent in these people. While Porto was visiting Montclair, he was also an artist-in-residence at Bradford Elementary School, The University Magnet where he conducted workshops on the art of mask making. Antonio Broccoli Porto is a diversified artist whose work is represented in galleries and also many public and notable private collections throughout the US and Europe. This exhibit also showcased costume designs by Puerto Rican fashion designer Aileen González Martí, who has won several awards for her stylistic creations. Ms. Martí premiered a series of works inspired by Porto’s paintings. Finally, to set the tone for the evening, Segunda Quimbamba gave a performance of their soulful rhythms and music. Segunda Quimbamba is a local Bomba and Plena dance and music group from New Jersey founded by master folk artist Juan Cartagena. After the closing of Bomba at Montclair State University the show traveled to Essex County Community College Art Gallery and ran from November 21 through December 5, 2005. MSU Press release. 
“Bomba! ... A Celebration of Site and Sound” Commentary by the Artist The main intention of this exhibition is to give the general public a glimpse into the world of the Afro-Puerto Rican musical genre of Bomba . Although it is found throughout the Island of Puerto Rico, Bomba sprang mainly of the customs of a predominantly African populated costal town in the east coast called Loiza. We will witness many of the traditions that the African Slaves brought with them, observing depictions of their dances as well as some of religious traditions that were practiced under the guise of Catholicism When one thinks of Puerto Rican music perhaps the first thing to come to mind is Salsa. Although Puerto Ricans have had a great influence on Salsa throughout the last 50 years, Salsa’s origins stem from Cuban “Son” which is not a Puerto Rican Rhythm at all. Bomba is a rhythm that is unique to the island of Puerto Rico and it claims it’s origins from the ancestors of the enslaved African peoples of this Spanish held colony. These captives worked laboriously on the plantation fields of sugarcane, with only Sundays and religious holidays as their day of rest. During these breaks, slaves had their chance to commune and recall traditions that date back as far as 6,000 years. Often it was also an arena to plan rebellions and uprisings. As far as music in the Northern Hemisphere of the Americas, Bomba is one of the oldest music genres that have survived 300 years with relatively little change. Drum beats and dances that were associated with the religious rituals and secular celebrations of the Yoruba, Voodun, Ghanese, Cote d’Ivoire, Angolan and Sudanese peoples were a unifying element that these Africans could identify with. From these traditions, Bomba was born. Bomba is danced to the beat of several drums and percussion instruments. The ingenious Africans of Puerto Rico used what elements they had on hand to improvise the instruments they left behind in Africa. Cod fish , rum storage and even nail Barrels (Barriles) were crafted into drums, while bamboo, gourds, metal and sticks into percussion instruments. In Bomba there are several drums playing at the same time, however one drum dominates the three and it is dictated by the Dancer’s moves. The dancer controls the rhythm of the drum with their body movement and the manipulation of their clothing. The traditional dress for Bomba was perhaps derived from the imitation of the master’s garb and “Sunday bests” worn to attend the Catholic Mass. The Slave outfit of the past consisted of an ample white skirt, petticoats and blouse for the women; trousers and a white shirt for the men. After the abolishment of Slavery the outfits, although similar to their original counterparts, began to be embellished with the emphasis on the petticoat and the addition of jacket or Guayabera Shirt for the men keeping up with the times. Most folkloric Bomba groups choose the traditional garb that dates back to the turn of the 19th Century. Since the female dancer is the focal piece of Bomba, she uses her skirts and hip movements to coax the drummer into following her leads. During the dance, the petticoat is constantly exposed. As a result women would embellish these undergarments creating showpieces; each dancer would try to outdo the other. Bomba also had influences from French colonial Africans escaping the revolution of Haiti. These people eventually settled in Puerto Rico, adding a few elements of their own as well. One of these French influenced dance rhythms is called “Leró” which comes from the Spanish phonetics of the French words “Les Roses” describing the way the dancers skirt looks similar to and opening rose. Another French influence is noticed in the Bomba style from the other coastal town of Salinas that is played seated on a Drum that is positioned horizontally. To try to condense the entire history of Bomba into one essay would be an injustice. The best way to experience Bomba is at an actual Bombazo. Briefly mentioned at this exhibition is the genre of Plena, another Afro-influenced rhythm that was believed to have been born in the town of Ponce. Legend has it that a couple from the Caribbean island of St Kitts (Saint Christopher) introduced the rhythm to the Puerto Rican population when they would Chant the town news accompanied by a couple of Tambourines. The Puerto Ricans took this Afro-Tradition and incorporated 3 different Tambourines named Panderos or Pandaretas. The Panderetas resembled sawed off tops of Bomba Drums. One has the sound of a Quinto (High Tone), the next a Conga (Middle Tone) and the last the sound of a Tumbadora (Base tone). Also included in this exhibition, is a tribute to one the most prominent 18th Century Latin American painters, José Campeche Jordán. This Maestro was a Mulatto, born in Old San Juan, PR, and the son of a freed Slave. Campeche was destined to become one of the most appreciated Latin American Classical Painters of his time ¡Que vive la Bomba…Bomba Mué! Antonio Bróccoli Porto 
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332 Valles de Torrimar, Penthouse Studio F-308
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