Emily Gualdoni

Students took an exotic journey to Puerto Rico through the dance and drumbeats of a Chicago band in the Holmes Student Center Wednesday.

Since 2000, the group AfriCaribe has been part of a not-for-profit organization with the goal of discovering and preserving cultural ties between Africa and Puerto Rico.

“Our mission is to research, develop and promote the Puerto Rican and Caribbean culture through highlighting the African influence,” said AfriCaribe artistic director Evaristo “Tito” Rodriguez.

The group played a Puerto Rican style of music called “Bomba,” a style heavily influenced by the African slaves who lived in Puerto Rico, Rodriguez said.

“Bomba was the music that allowed [slaves] to remember and bring forth who they were,” Rodriguez said.

The Organization of Latin American Students brought AfriCaribe to NIU as an end of the semester event, said JR Perez, OLAS President and junior math major.

“This is OLAS’ final event,” Perez said. “We wanted to go out with a big blowout event.”

The audience filled the Diversions Lounge and listened to songs as well as informative speeches on the roots of Bomba and the different variations in style from different parts of Puerto Rico.

“We hope to be an educational experience for all people here,” Rodriguez said.

AfriCaribe finished the evening by opening the dance floor and inviting audience members to participate amid the drummers and dancers costumed in nineteenth century Puerto Rican garb.

Ramo Bey, 31, of Chicago, attended the event with his children.

“I liked the historical context they kept [the show] in,” Bey said. “It has a lot of African roots, and I like the way they blended the cultural with the musical influence.”

The show got the audience clapping and dancing. Freshman undecided major Julio Topete said he had never experienced anything like the show before.

“I like how they drew the crowd out,” Topete said.