In Between the Middle: Closing Reception

Featuring Calle Bomba and The Beautiful Ugly

Calle Bomba
is a music ensemble of Puerto Rican locals Bomba drummer, dancer, singer María Eugenia “Geña” Nieves Escoriaza, Bomba performer and dance instructor, Gloria Rodríguez-Ransom, and accompanied by some of the best percussionists from the Tri-State area. Calle Bomba is based on Puerto Rican Bomba trumbones’ (unplanned, generous, block parties) that are spontaneous community generated celebrations that respond directly to community happenings, needs and values. Puerto Rican Bomba is the principal musical genre deployed by island residents for the purpose of spontaneous, non-programmed, individual, and community expression. The Puerto Rican Bomba rhythms, music, dance, lyrics and tradition emerged back in the 17th century from the synergy created by the coming together of Indigenous (Taino), African, and European cultures call-and-response musical forms and drumming patterns, but also incorporate aspects of Taino ‘areito’ (song/dance at a designated court). Performances and/or workshops will include interactive performance/instruction in the three, basic, Bomba skills: drumming, dancing, and lyric composing depending on the event and project.

The Beautiful Ugly
Is a new electronica experience featuring artists Ephen Ager, John Ivory & Madame Dolores.

What is #notwhite?
WE are a group of ten women artists elevating the stories of the others. Those of us who do not fit neatly in the consensus boxes, neatly in cultural categories.

WE are bi/multi-racial/cultural, immigrant or descendants of immigrants. Over the past two years, we have met to share, to question, to investigate, dig deep into what identity is within and without the construct and context of white—not in skin color, but as a system of oppression, a system we do not align ourselves with. In lieu of police brutality, calls for bans, for walls, we hope to provide an artistic platform for difficult discussions on the complexities of cultural identity in America to move us towards humanity.

Participating Artists:
Rafael Abreu-Canedo, Carolina Acero, Rafaela Acero, Fernando Acero, Anup Aryal, Jose Alban, Sarah Aziz, Di-ay Batad, Corey Carrington, Francis Cleetus, Veronica Corpuz, Heather Cowie, Sheila Cuellar-Shaffer, Christiane Dolores, Amber Epps, Fran Flaherty, Pav Gee, Geña, Sarika Goulatia, Alison Zapata, Juan Fernandez, Reina Wooden, Max Gonzalez, Miguel Hoyos, Zena Ruiz, Carolina Loyola-Garcia, Liana Maneese, Maritza Mosquera, Ryan Mosquera-Laib, Maggie Negrete, Jairan Sadeghi, Christina Springer, Sara Tang, Eddie Vilegas and Jaina Warren.