Rumbanza: Performing Group in New York

About Rumbanza

Rumbanza is a performance group heard in New York City at Queens Theatre, often in programs that frame Afro-Caribbean song forms in a concert setting. The group has shared bills with artists including Xiomara Laugart and has worked in tribute contexts connected to the repertoire of Celia Cruz. In “Xiomara Laugart & Rumbanza Celebrate Celia Cruz,” they move through son, bolero, mambo, and salsa while leaving room for Laugart’s nueva trova grounding, jazz phrasing, and open improvisation. Their playing tends to favor rhythmic clarity and song-centered structure over ornament.