Afro-Latin Series: Buya at Blackhawk Park

Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center and Night Out In The Parks present Buya. Enjoy a night in the park with Chicago's premier Afro-Puerto Rican group. Free and open to the public. BUYA means “good spirit” in the language of the Taínos, Puerto Rico’s indigenous people. It is in that same spirit that Buya intends to preserve, develop, and perform the musical genre of Bomba. As a living tradition, Bomba is one of the most profound legacies of African descendants as well as a blend of cultures and sounds from surrounding islands in the Caribbean and remains one of the foundational rhythmic backbones of Puerto Rican music. By facilitating exchanges between Bomba practitioners in Puerto Rico and Chicago-area Bomberas/os, Buya is committed to the cultivation of Bomba within community contexts while focusing on the development of ourselves as Bomba dancers, singers, and drummers. Through workshops, performances, and community involvement we strive toward the positive growth of Bomba as a cultural tradition in the diaspora. This event is part of SRBCC's year-long 45th Anniversary Celebration. Photo by Charlie Billups