Video
Fandango-Bombazo (Puerto Rican Jam Session) at 2006 Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Bombazos are Puerto Rican jam-sessions where musicians and dancers gather in celebration of music and community; fandangos are their Mexican counterpart. At the 2006 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, musicians and dancers from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other Latino backgrounds came together in an unprecedented, joint
fandango-bombazo. Musical groups Son de Madera and Sones de México Ensemble started the party with
son jarocho music from the Mexican state of Veracruz.
Jarocho dancers were joined by
bomba dancers from the Chicago-based group AfriCaribe. AfriCaribe musicians added Afro-Puerto Rican
bomba and
plena percussion. Chicago hip-hop emcees The Essence helped celebrate the finale of this grand fiesta of dance and music.