The Newark Public Library‘s annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration will feature the exhibition The Rhythm and the Beat: Drums and Percussion in Latin America, on view from September 15 through December 31, 2016, and a series of related programs at the Main Library located at 5 Washington Street.
The drum is considered to be the oldest musical instrument in the world. Every culture has used drums for a wide variety of purposes: as part of religious rituals and special ceremonies, at festivals and celebrations, at sporting events, at social gatherings, as a prelude to war and battle, and as a form of long distance communication.
The Newark Public Library’s 2016 Hispanic Heritage Celebration, curated by Ingrid Betancourt, Director of the New Jersey Hispanic Research and Information Center, explores how the percussion instruments of three distinct cultures – indigenous peoples, Spanish-Europeans, and Africans – blended over time as an essential artistic expression of Latin America.
The exhibition and related programs will demonstrate how the history of Latin America has moved to the beat of its drums: the indigenousbombo of the High Andes, a large drum played with a mallet; the double-headed, hourglass-shaped Afro-Cuban batá drums used by worshippers of the Lukumí (Santería) religion; and the timbales, congas, and bongos emblematic of modern Latin music. Other topics include the use of drums for healing in shamanic ceremonies in Mexico and Peru; the annual parade in Montevideo, Uruguay, known as Las Llamadas, led by dancing and drumming on candombe; and the role of the cajón, an ancient Afro-Peruvian box drum, in Spain’s flamenco music.
The public will be able to view short videos that showcase different drum sounds from various parts of Latin America, and see a variety of drums and other percussion instruments, including a cuíca, a Brazilian friction drum, a bongo, a Cuban hand drum, and a cajón, the Afro-Peruvian box drum.
Hispanic Heritage Celebration 2016 will include the following public programs, all offered free of charge:
- September 15: The Rhythm and the Beat: Drums and Percussion in Latin America Opening Reception, featuring a talk and demonstration by master folk artist Juan Cartagena and members of the celebrated percussion and dance ensemble, Segunda Quimbamba, bringing history to life, to be held in Centennial Hall from 6:00 to 8:00 pm
· September 24: Samba to Salsa – A Journey through Latin Percussion, will introduce the language of drums led by master percussionists Josh Robinson, Alex Shaw, and François Zayas, taking the audience through the origins, history, and classic rhythms of samba, salsa, and more, to be held in Centennial Hall, starting at 2:00 pm
- October 1: Celebrating Latino Newark, as part of the celebration of Newark’s 350th anniversary and the city’s Latino Heritage, the Hispanic American Foundation of Essex County in partnership with the Newark Public Library will present a display of art work, musical instruments and traditional dress from various Latin American countries. Celebrating Latino Newark will also feature a performance by the Puerto Rican traditional string ensemble, Rondalla de Barceloneta, on tour from Puerto Rico, to be held in Centennial Hall, from 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm. The display opens at 12:00 noon, and the performance will begin at 2:00 pm. This event is co-sponsored by Newark Celebration 350.
- October 15: Drums in the High Andes, will feature a performance by Tahuantinsuyo, a pioneering traditional Andean music group using native percussion instruments such as the bombo and the huáncar, a history of Andean music, and an opportunity for audience members to play along with the group, to be held in Centennial Hall, starting at 2:00 pm
- October 29: The African Drum Beat – South America and the Caribbean, will feature demonstrations of distinct African drumming traditions from several Latin American countries and cultures, including – the candombe in Uruguay, batá drums in Cuba, and the Peruvian cajón drum, to be held in Centennial Hall starting at 2:00 pm
- November 5: Bomba and Plena – the Drum Music of Puerto Rico, will explore the two signature genres of Puerto Rican music: the bomba which originated among enslaved Africans, and the plena, a music that developed in coastal urban centers, and will feature percussion and dance ensemble Segunda Quimbamba demonstrating the origins and structure of both percussion-driven musical traditions, to be held in Centennial Hall, starting at 2:00 pm
- DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED: Community Drumming Circle at the Library will feature master drummer Mark Wood, known for his down-to-earth style that puts people at ease. No experience is necessary. Drums will be provided – or bring your own! Join in this musical experience that creates unity and a sense of community, to be held in Centennial Hall, starting at 2:00 pm
The exhibition will be on view on the second floor gallery of the Main Library during regular library hours. More information about the exhibition and programs is available on the Library’s home page, at www.npl.org, or by calling La Sala Hispanoamericana at 973-733-7772.
This year’s programs and exhibit are made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the national Endowment for the Arts, and administered by the Essex Council Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs, and by a grant from the Friends of the HRIC.