March 22–29, 2001

music

Resounding Rhythm

¡Retumba! spreads the news.

by Sara Marcus

This Afro-Caribbean music and dance ensemble’s original name — "¡Retumba! con pie," Spanish for resounding with feet — had to be shortened. It seems that even MCs at some Latino heritage events insisted on mispronouncing the word for feet like the English word "pie," creating considerable confusion among audiences.

Resounding with pie? Will a dancer get lemon meringue in her face?

There is, of course, plenty of merengue on stage at ¡Retumba!’s performance, but not the kind pies are made of. The repertoire of the New York-based ensemble includes the Dominican dance merengue, the palo from Cuba, the Haitian liberation dances ibo and nago, a piece from Liberia, salsa rhythms and the Puerto Rican plena — a rhythm that traditionally functions as a community newspaper, passing messages of births and weddings from one neighborhood to another.

¡Retumba! composed an original version to carry a message of "homage and honor to women, to our power and strength," says Yvette Martinez, co-founder and co-director of the all-female group. When ¡Retumba!’s members aren’t too busy performing at arts festivals, heritage festivals and venerable New York stages including Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall and the Lincoln Center Out-of-Door Festival, they work with school districts around New York, teaching dance and music.

"Sharing our music and dance with our kids, our neighbors, our friends — it’s a great way to get to know one another," says Martinez. "It’s important for the young people today to know where their ancestors came from, and that the music they hear today has been passed down through generations."

The group’s motto — "One world, one human race" — echoes its commitment to showcasing the diversity and similarities of world cultures. Fusing different cultures together is the mainstay of Afro-Caribbean culture, but ¡Retumba! takes the mixing one step further, so a Cuban rhythm might suddenly be joined with an Israeli melody or dance step, courtesy of their Israeli pianist. And dedicated couch potatoes beware: "There’s no such thing as sitting still in our performances," warns Martinez. "We’re doing folklore music, and folk means everyone gets involved."

¡Retumba!, part of the Onda Latina series, Sat., March 24, 8 p.m., $18, $9 for members, Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St., 215-925-9914, www.paintedbride.org.