ENCUENTRO DE CANTAORAS

Los Encuentros de Cantaoras 

Los Encuentros de Cantaoras is an event founded in 2018 by Maribella Burgos, director of Junte Loiceño in Loíza, who also works for the Municipal Office of Culture in Loíza, Puerto Rico. The gathering specifically highlights the role of female bomba singers and new composers within the tradition. 

 

Repertoire selections often address themes such as feminism, domestic violence, women’s experiences, the environment/nature, and the memorialization of bomba practitioners. Many songs also engage directly with anti‑racism activism or respond to instances of racism within Puerto Rican society. You can find the song lyrics and their composers in the annotations to follow.  

Cantos de Bomba — In Depth 

Songs that focus on ecology 

• “Donde pica la ola” 

• “Soy los elementos” 

• “Estoy buscando un arbol que me de sombra” 

• “Hay que linda la semilla” 

• “Somos semillas/Somos el fruto de la bomba” 

• “Radiante Flor” 

Songs that focus on women 

• “Yo nací mujer” 

• “No estoy sola” 

• “Hija del alma”

• “Caminando” - Ausuba  

Songs that focus on race 

• “Por qué me dicen morena?” 

• “Cuando baila la negrita” 

• “Negra triste” 

Songs that discuss Slavery, Colonialism, Plantations 

• “En la hacienda Caridad”  

• “La boru cana”  

• “Anaiso” 

• “Colonia” 

• “Campo, yo vivo triste” 

• Cimmarones 

• “Cimmaronaje” 

• “Que yo me voy pa’monte” 

• “Volvi” 

Songs that focus on addressing domestic violence 

• “No me vas a pegar” 

• “Cortaron a Elena” (plena) 

Songs that focus on disaster  

• “Temporal”  

“Viento” 

Songs that focus on corruption

• "Tanta Indecencia" - Guillermo Mundo