Central Aguirre Watch Day: Bomba Cunyabe Ancestras

The activities that took place as part of the Central Aguirre Historic District Watch Day in 2022 concluded with performances of bomba in the style of the coastal south by Centro Cunyabe at Plaza Kennedy, a public space formerly used only by the American administrators and their families. Bomba is a musical style and dance that emerged in Puerto Rico’s sugar plantations, created by enslaved West Africans and their descendants. It remains a deeply-rooted expression of the island’s African heritage. By performing bomba at Plaza Kennedy, the dancers and musicians reclaimed the space and commemorated their ancestors. Below is a performance by Bomba Cunyabe at the sugar mill and warehouse of Central Aguirre.