Enjoy Puerto Rican Plena Music at Fogartyville in Sarasota, FL
In January 2001, a group of friends and lovers of Puerto Rican plena music joined forces to create the group Plena Adentro. The group created a project that highlights original and innovative compositions with the harmony and vocalization of their arrangements.
In Plena Adentro the tambourine, the drums, and the guacharo are the main instruments. Years of hard work, dedication and commitment paid off in August 2017 when Rompecabezas, their first album, hit the marketplace in Puerto Rico, the United States, and around the world. In January 2018, the record was awarded one of the 20 best recordings of 2017 by the National Foundation for Popular Culture. Enjoy the sounds of Plena Adentro at the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center on Saturday, May 4 at 8pm. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 day of show. Advance tickets are available online at wslr.org or by calling 1-800-838-3006.
Plena was born in the working class barrios of Ponce, Puerto Rico about 100 years ago. It was known as “el periodico cantado” (the sung newspaper) because it contained stories about the history and everyday life of the people. Plena’s origins can be traced back to the changes in society caused by Puerto Rico’s transfer from Spanish to U.S. rule, and the abolition of slavery which caused displaced colonial sugar cane workers to seek economic opportunities in the growing cities of the island. Plena was born of African roots and was transformed into a uniquely Puerto Rican expression by the influences of Jíbaro, native Taino, and European musical traditions, in addition to the contributions of freed slaves from English-speaking Caribbean Islands who travelled to Puerto Rico seeking work.
By the later part of the 20th century, Plena primarily existed as part of our folklore. However, in the 1990s Plena was given new life thanks to music groups in Puerto Rico and New York who modernized its sound for a new generation. Whether folklore or modern sound, it’s the panderos — three or more handheld drums of different sizes/pitches (seguidor, segundo, and requinto), and the guiro — a gourd percussion instrument of native Taino origin — that together create the explosive rhythm of Plena.
WSLR/Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center
525 Kumquat Court Sarasota, FL 34236
941-894-6469
Photo courtesy of FJM Photo/Video {googleads right}