(who we are)
Nuestro Tambo is comprised of second and third generation Puerto Rican men and women who hail from the inner-city of Chicago and have committed themselves to the promotion and celebration of the AfroPuerto Rican genres of Plena and Bomba. They compose original songs, incorporate their urban experience through the usage of elements such as rap and Spoken Word, and easily interchange instruments, microphones and dance space with one another as all of the members are interdisciplinary artists.(our sound)
Nuestro Tambo has departed from what has become accepted as the traditional representation of these genres and has made this music more accessible to young urban dwellers more often drawn to the commercialized forms of Salsa, Hip Hop and Reggaeton. The musical product of this group may best be described as diasporic as it incorporates other Caribbean sounds and the lived experience of those outside of Puerto Rico .
(how we’re unique)
Nuestro Tambo makes a necessary contribution to the broad gamut of Latino music in Chicago . In unparalleled fashion, they are able to fuse traditional music with contemporary urban experience and draw directly from their immediate environments to create this individual sound. This is evidenced by one of their most notable Plenas, “La Bandera†– a song about migration and labor in the City’s historic Puerto Rican enclave of Humboldt Park and by one of their Bombas, “La Casita†– a song about the important cultural and political space La Casita de Don Pedro which is situated along Paseo Boricua, a corridor of Puerto Rican business, entertainment, and cultural..what we do)
Nuestro Tambo supports collaboration and as such has worked with various groups performing Puerto Rican, Mexican, Cuban and other locally represented forms of music. At a micro level, this ensemble was the first AfroPuerto Rican music group to have a weekly contract at a Chicago nightspot, helped inaugurate the City of Chicago’s Millennium Park, and has donated its services to assist with various civic, labor, housing, and other relevant issues in the Puerto Rican and broader Latino communities. At a macro level, this group has participated in the biennial Bomba Research Conference in Chicago, the annual Bomba and Plena Festival in Philadelphia , and BomPlenazo – a bi-annual showcase of AfroPuerto Rican music organized in New York City .
(sharing the love)
Nuestro Tambo recently presented a suite of songs at the Old Town School of Folk Music dedicated to the amorphous “Elena†of Puerto Rican folk music. In addition to its growing repertoire of new and traditional songs, this troupe is currently working on a project focusing on Paseo Boricua – the cultural anchor of Chicago ’s Puerto Rican community. Tours to Puerto Rico and California are in the planning stages while the ensemble prepares to record a CD.
(contact info)
Nuestro Tambo is available for bookings via telephone at 773-818-2266 or by email at
[email protected]. For pictures and music samples, please visit our page at www.myspace.com/nuestrotambo. Written by: Melanie Maldonado
