About this Event
In the context of MacArthur's International Connections Program, SRBCC presents Bomba con Buya, Mancha e Plátano and Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre sharing the stage for the first time.
About the MacArthur International Connections Fund
The International Connections Fund (ICF) was established in 2008 with the goal of helping Chicago nonprofit organizations advance their work by collaborating with peer organizations abroad. These projects have enabled Chicago artists, audiences, and arts and culture organizations to participate in international exchanges with counterparts from 63 different countries on six continents. Bomba con Buya (Chicago) and Mancha e Plátano (Barcelona) are part of the second SRBCC-produced International Connections Project since 2017.
Bomba con Buya
Bomba con Buya is a Chicago-based ensemble that aims to preserve and advance bomba. Developed during the 18th century among the island's African descendants, bomba is Puerto Rico's oldest surviving music and dance form. Buya means ‘good spirit’ in Taino, and the group strives to embody this idea. Bomba con Buya released Buya Live in 2015 and Southern Sessions in 2019.
Mancha E' Plátano
Born in 2017, Mancha ‘E Plátano is an all-women Bomba group based in Barcelona, Spain. Their traditional repertoire incorporates new arrangements of old school Afro-Puerto Rican songs and poems, as well as original compositions. Dancing is a key element present in each show when the bailadora invites those who feel drawn to the rhythms of the Bomba to participate. The only group of its kind in Spain, Mancha ‘E Plátano has created a following for Afro-Boricua folklore far from la isla del encanto through their commitment to women and immigrant rights (8M Barcelona 2020 closing act), and performances at the city's most iconic festivals and cultural events (Festes de Gràcia 2019, Festes de Poble Sec 2019, Festes de Sants 2019, and Say It Loud al Pati! 2021).
Special Guests: Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre
With an intense focus on personal narratives, the combined talents of its diverse collective of artists, and the multiple artistic languages with which they communicate, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre engages audiences in magnetic human stories at once new & deeply familiar.
Cerqua Rivera will perform a 35-minute piece including content from their newest original work: Shiver, Culture Loop, and ROOT.
Producer: Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center
Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center (SRBCC) is the longest-standing Latino cultural center in Chicago. Established in 1971, it was named in honor of Segundo Ruiz Belvis, a Puerto Rican patriot and member of a secret abolitionist society that freed slave children under Spanish rule. In that spirit, SRBCC realizes its mission to preserve and promote appreciation of the culture and arts of Puerto Rico and Latin America, with a focus on its African heritage.
This project is partially supported by Old Town School of Folk Music and a CityArts Year of Chicago Music grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, 4048 West Armitage Avenue, Chicago, United States
USD 0.00