This composition is written in the sicá style, one of many rhythms of the bomba music; a Puerto Rican music genre rooted in its African slavery history.  Bomba music has elements of the taíno aboriginal culture using instruments as the maraca (played by the lead singer) and a pair of wooden sticks called cuas. The cuas would strike a hollowed wooden cylinder (also found in the taíno culture), or the bottom end of one of the big drums (called barriles or bombas) placed sideways on the ground.  The barriles are a representation of the inheritance of the African culture into Puerto Rican musical instruments. There could be only one lead drum called primo and it will imitate the rhythmic variations made by the dancer in the improvisation section of the dance. The other drums will be called buleadores or seguidores (followers) and they will keep the constant beat and rhythmical pattern of each style of bomba.

The dance will have influences of Spanish dances such as flamenco and sevillanas. In the dance, as it happens in flamenco, is the dancer who plays the main role in each one of the styles played. The songs (seises de bomba) musical form is always a call and response one with improvisations from the soloist (who always play the maraca) and the choir singing a refrain after each verse.

The composer chose the style of bomba sicá, as reflection and remembrance of her beautiful friend’s walk through her cancer journey, never stopping her singing while being empowered by music!