Free interactive performance by the Puerto Rican Bomba & Plena group Bomplé, with audience participation on traditional percussion, for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Bomplé brings Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena to the Kensington Library on Saturday, October 24, at 3 PM. It's an interactive performance, which is the key part: the afternoon is built around the group's music, and there's a chance for you to play along on traditional Puerto Rican percussion instruments rather than just watching from a seat.
Bomba and Plena are two of Puerto Rico's most distinct musical traditions. Bomba is the older of the two, born from the African diaspora on the island, and is known for the call-and-response between the singer and the drummer. Plena came a bit later, often called the "singing newspaper" because its lyrics traditionally told stories of daily life and community news. Both are driven by percussion, so the invitation to pick up an instrument fits right into how this music is meant to be experienced.
The show is part of the Free Library of Philadelphia's Hispanic Heritage Month programming, a series of free events spread across the city's libraries that invite the public to explore Hispanic heritage through stories, experiences, and cultural traditions. The library frames the month around the way Hispanic and Latino communities have shaped Philadelphia and the United States through their leadership, culture, entrepreneurship, creativity, and traditions.
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It's a free event, so you don't need a ticket to come by. The performance is at the Kensington Library, 104 West Dauphin Street (at Hope and Dauphin Streets) in Philadelphia, PA 19133, starting at 3 PM on Saturday, October 24.
