Learning Plena in the Streets of San Juan

Projektdetails

Hochschule
Private Pädagogische Hochschule Burgenland
Sprache
Projektleitung gesamt
Silvestrini, Javier; Mag.
Projektleitung intern
Silvestrini, Javier; Mag. PhD.
Interne Projektmitarbeiter/innen
Externe Projektmitarbeiter/innen
Kooperationspartner
Laufzeit
2015 – 2018
Beschreibung
Monday night 8:04 pm. I received a call from Tito Matos, the master of Plena in San Juan, saying „you´re late, los muchachos and me, we, are about to start.“ I got the call just as I was arriving at the Terraza del Bonanza (local gastronomy) in the Barrio Villa Palmeras in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Two thoughts crossed my mind. „Since when are Puerto Ricans on time and where is everybody, almost no one is here.“ As I am coming in Tito receives a few plates with typical Puerto Rican Food, among them hot frie plantains, and tells me to help myself. „I called becaus everyone likes to get home early,“ he said. In a few minutes three other pleneros (Plena players) joined and sat in between the rest of us at the Bonanza. Before I could unpack my camera, they began to sing „Guara no me quiere porque yo no se bailar“ (Guara doesn´t love me because I don´t dance). Some more men dressed in Basketball jumpsuits quickly joined the pleneros on the improvised stage. It so happens that teh pleneros have a Basketball league and afer their weekly games they meet to play Plena. In spite of what happens on the court, at the ned of the evening everyone Shares a few songs, some Food and something to drink before heading back to their homes and facing the rest of the week. People would Keep joining in the music. From the sidewalk, ongoing People would step in to listen to the Sound of the Plena. On the floor lied multiple panderos (Hand drums used to accompany the Plena) as an Invitation to anyone. There is no excuse if you are in the Bonanza on Monday night. You have to play and you have to sing! That was my first lesson in Plena!
Beschreibung (engl.)
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