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Bomba Holandé
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Bomba Holandé

Price

$2.95 USD

Description

Bomba is one of the oldest Afro-Puerto Rican musical and dance traditions, rooted in the island’s history of enslavement. Created by enslaved Africans and their descendants, it served as a powerful form of cultural expression, communication, and resistance. Today, it remains a vibrant symbol of Afro-Puerto Rican identity.

Composer

Suzzette Ortiz

Product Information

Category

Secular

Voicing

SA divisi

Language

Spanish

Minimum Order Quantity

This product has a minimum order quantity of 10 copies.

Voicing

Rooted in the vibrant rhythms of her Puerto Rican heritage and enriched by jazz, gospel, and classical traditions, Suzette Ortiz’s music lifts hearts, awakens the spirit, and draws communities together. Whether in the concert hall, the classroom, or a healing space, her melodies speak a universal language, inspiring singers of all ages and backgrounds.

Eugene Rogers

University of Michigan

Recording

0:00

Translation

Spanish

Bomba Holandé
Bomba Holandé
Bomba Holandé, camará
Bomba Holandé 2x 

Oye lo que te traigo
Un son de Puerto Rico
Con baile, maraca y cuá
La Bomba va a comentar

Al golpe de los barriles
La Bomba su historia tiene
Es ritmo afrorriqueño
Desde Ponce hasta Loíza

Comienza la algarabía
Trayéndonos alegría
Algunas bombas te cuentan
De lo que pasó en la esquina

Algunas bombas son tristes
Otras dan alegría
Y esta que yo te traigo
Te enseña un ritmo que está bonito

Por eso, es que yo te invito
Aprende bomba, Bomba Holandé.
¿A que tú no sabes?
¿De esta Bomba buena?

Canta, ven y baila
La Bomba de Holandé

Refrain
Bomba Holandé
Wepa!
El golpe de bomba se acabó

English

Bomba Holandé
Bomba Holandé
Bomba Holandé, camará
Bomba Holandé 2x 

Listen to what I bring
A style from Puerto Rico
With dance, maraca, and cuá
The Bomba is about to start

At the beating/hitting of the barriles
La Bomba has a historical background
Its an afro-rican rhythm
From Ponce to Loiza

The gibberish or party time will start
Bringing us joy
Some Bombas Will tell you...
of what happened around the corner (gossip)

Some are sad
Some are happy
This one that I bring…
Shows you a pretty rhythm

I want to invite you...
To learn , Bomba; Bomba Holandé
Don’t you know?
About this Good Bomba?

Come sing and dance
The Bomba Holandé

Refrain
Bomba Holandé
Wepa!
The Bomba hit/beat its over!

Composition

Bomba Holandé

Bomba is one of the oldest Afro-Puerto Rican musical and dance traditions, rooted in the island’s history of enslavement. Created by enslaved Africans and their descendants, it served as a powerful form of cultural expression, communication, and resistance. Today, it remains a vibrant symbol of Afro-Puerto Rican identity.

Often called the music of el pueblo, Bomba tells stories of local life, shared history, and playful commentary. At its heart is an improvised dialogue between dancer and drummer, supported by barriles (drums), maraca, and the cúa, which maintains the rhythmic foundation.

This work draws from Bomba Holandé, known for its festive spirit. While set at a moderate tempo, it seeks to preserve the style’s rhythmic vitality. In adapting Bomba for treble choir, I aim to honor its communal essence while sharing its energy and storytelling within a choral setting.

This piece is both an invitation and a celebration.

Composer

Suzzette Ortiz

Suzzette Ortiz is an accomplished pianist, composer, arranger, choral conductor, and music educator. Her work as a music teacher has been well recognized, with countless awards and commendations for empowering inner-city students through choral music. Suzzette retired from full-time teaching after 32 years of service, 27 of those in the City of Camden, New Jersey. Her high school choirs visited places like Italy, Prague, Puerto Rico, Ghana, Poland, Virginia, Tennessee, New York, Louisiana, and Florida. Suzzette continues to serve as an advocate of music education in her community. She is currently the artistic director at Artistas y Músicos Latinoamericanos music school in Philadelphia and the choir director of the Jubilee Singers, an acapella vocal ensemble from St, John Baptist church in Camden, New Jersey. Suzzette holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance with a minor in composition from the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, and a master’s degree in music education from Temple University in Philadelphia.  

Publisher

La Voz Music Publishing