I made sure to be ready 5 minutes before the agreed upon time, and I stood waiting for the ride that was kindly offered to me. The driver was running late, and I felt slightly anxious about arriving to our pre-departure meeting behind schedule. I remembered the conversation we had at the previous meeting about “island time,” and how our concept of timeliness is unique to our culture. Once we were finally on the road, we discovered that there was an accident on the highway, and in an effort to save time we cut through downtown St. Paul, where it just so happened all of the on-ramps were closed, causing further delay. Though we were still two weeks from departure, I thought perhaps this was good preparation for the adventure ahead… We may not be on the same schedule as everyone we meet. We may get delayed. We may find ourselves guided by unhelpful directions, and we may get rerouted. What was most important was that we eventually all made it to the meeting safely, and a fun and informative time was had by all!
When we arrived, other participants were sitting contently, enjoying Puerto Rican food, generously prepared by our hosts. We ate empanadas and other fried treats, and I tasted guava for the first time. We waited for the rest of the group to arrive, and then got to business introducing ourselves and discussing logistics for the trip ahead.
As we went around the room and shared, I wondered about each participant: who they are, where they are coming from, what led them to this experience, what they will bring to the group, and what they will learn. Needless to say, I was monitoring the very same inquiries of myself. As a support staff member and student on this trip, I anticipate the responsibilities I’ve been given and expect to learn so much.
One of the things I already learned about at our pre-departure meeting is bomba! (See previous post). The history of bomba was shared with us by the group that came to play and teach. They told us how bomba originated and shared how it has transcended space and time, how it has influenced modern, mainstream music, and how bombazos might look in different communities today. We were invited to participate in dancing and singing ‘el coro.’ I was definitely out of my comfort zone; I felt the invisible shell of my own culture (how many Minnesotans do you know who dance solo to live percussionists, encircled by others singing and clapping, in broad daylight in someone’s living room on a Saturday afternoon?)... but in the end it was fun and inspiring!
The experience ultimately reminded me of the power of music and the power of community. The lead drummer told us that the bombazo didn’t exist unless we participated. This was an invaluable representation of community and presumably a glimpse of how people’s social norms and expectations can and will vary. The bombazo reminded me of how rich one song or dance can be when we take the time to explore its substance.
