Lecture Demonstration on October 29 featuring Chicago-based bomba y plena artists from left to right: Valerie Febres, Quincy Raggs, Xavier Marrero, Melissa DuPrey, Adam Ocasio, Jose Natal, Sam Werk. Photo credit: Michael Jenks
The University of Chicago Department of Music is pleased to welcome Jorge Emmanuelli Náter as Visiting Artist-in-Residence with the Afro-Cuban Folkloric Ensemble for the 2024-25 academic year.
Jorge Emmanuelli Náter is the great-grandson of master Bomba practitioner Sergio Náter Peña (most known for his mastery of the “Primo” or “Subidor” lead drum of Bomba during the early 1900s). He embodies the legacy of at least 100 years of Afro-Puerto Rican music and culture knowledge in his family. He is a member, director, and founder of the Bomba and Plena clan known as Hermanos Emmanuelli Náter.
With Emmanuelli Náter in-residence, the Afro-Cuban Folkloric ensemble will learn song, drumming, and dance through hands-on, traditional instruction from a master bombero from the island of Puerto Rico. He will also teach about the connections between different musical traditions of the African diaspora.
On October 29, Jorge, the Afro-Cuban Folkloric Ensemble, Sam Werk, and other prominent Chicagoland musicians presented a lecture demonstration exploring the rich history of the Bomba and Plena musical traditions at International House. It was an incredibly informative and joyful event of song, drumming, and dancing that culminated in a beautiful reception of Puerto Rican food and wine.
We are looking forward to welcoming Jorge back to campus in February and April. In April, he will join the Afro-Cuban Folkloric Ensemble onstage in Fulton Recital Hall for a Tea Time Concert at 4:30 followed by a Bombazo (drum gathering) from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. On Friday, April 25, Jorge’s residency will culminate in a performance with the Afro-Cuban Folkloric Ensemble in the Logan Center for the Arts Performance Penthouse at 8:00 pm.
