Hyde Square Task Force (HSTF) hosted a Batey Comunitario for the local community to celebrate Afro-Latin culture.
The event, held on March 12, featured live music and dancing lessons inspired by the practice of Bomba, one of Puerto Rico’s oldest music and dance traditions, originating in the 17th century from enslaved people on coastal sugar plantations.
The first half of the event featured a workshop where HSTF teaching artists Marcel Santiago, Genesis Rodriguez, and Nicolas Perez taught participants the dance movements, rhythms, and history of the Cuembé, one of the styles of Bomba. The second half was a Batey Comunitario, where community members are invited to express themselves through music and movement in an open circle.
