: Class Schedule
Adult Afro-Peruvian Dance
Saturdays 2:30-3:30pm
| $12 drop-in/$40 month
Instructor: Gabriela Shiroma (Director of De Rompe y Raja Cultural Center)
| Location: Theater Space
Class will be on a short summer break from August 28 - Sepember 11, 2010, and will resume September 18, 2010.
Learn to dance a varied repertoire of tradition dances from the coastal region of Peru such as festejos, landos, and zamuecas.
Afro-Peruvian Youth Ensemble
Saturdays 1-2:30pm
| $50/semester
Instructor: Pedro Rosales & Gabriela Shiroma (Directors of De Rompe Y Raja Cultural Center)
| Location: Theater Space
Class is on Summer break. Resumes September 18, 2010.
The La Pena Afro-Peruvian Youth Ensemble will learn and perform
traditional Afro-Peruvian music by playing the cajon, a percussive instrument, while accompanying traditional songs. A varied repertoire of tradition dances from the coastal region of Peru such as Festejos, Lando, Zapateo, Zamacuecas, Valses and Marineras will also be taught. All levels are welcome.
$50 registration fee is due the first week of the semester. You can pay with cash, check or debit/credit card. To pay with card click here. Please do not let money stop you from attending. Scholarships and work exchange are available. Please contact Sophia Sanchez at 510-849-2568 x20 for class information, registration, and scholarship information.
Here: Scholarship Application PDF
Here: Scholarship Application HTML
Here: Scholarship Application Word Document
Beginning Latin Percussion
Mondays 7:15 - 8:15pm
| Free
Instructor: Josh Jones
| Location: CR I
Class meets year round
Introduction to Afro-Cuban rhythms for congas.
Beginning/Intermediate Djembe
Sundays 10am-12:30pm
| Price: $5-$20 (sliding scale)
Instructor: Abdoulaye Diakite & Jesse Servin
| Location: Theater Space
Class meets year round.
The class will cover djembe and dunun parts, song, and history. Recorders are welcomed and highly encouraged. Bring your own drum, or request one ahead of time. For additional information, please contact Jesse at jesswhat@gmail.com
*10 AM - 11 AM: Beginner/Intermediate class with Jesse Servin: $5
*11 AM - 12:30PM: All levels class with Abdoulaye Diakite
Beginning/Intermediate Latin American Guitar
Wednesdays 6 - 7pm, 7- 8pm
| $15/class
Instructor: Rafael Manríquez
| Location: CR I
Class meets year round.
Open to all who always wanted to learn the basics of Latin-American guitar. Learn the fundamentals of guitar holding, melodic picking and rhythmic strumming, with an emphasis on similarities and differences across the various musical traditions of Latin-America. Students will progress from learning essential techniques and standard tunes to learning how to play along with singers and other instruments. Students must pay for 4 classes upfront before they are able to take the first one.
Bomba Percussion & Dance Youth Workshop (Ages 7-11)
Thursdays 4:30-6pm
| $50/semester
Instructor: Shefali Shah & Hector Lugo
| Location: Theater Space
Class is on Summer break. Resumes September 9, 2010.
Students will learn Bomba songs, dances, rhythms, and beats along with Bomba history and its significance and place in Puerto Rican and Afro-Caribbean culture. In addition, students will engage in exciting opportunities to learn percussion and dance improvisation with a culminating performance in Fall 2008.
Bomba is a traditional form of Puerto Rican music and dance. The central feature of all bomba dancing is its improvisational character. The dancer calls, with her or his moves, for specific accents and figures, piquetes, that the drummer has to execute on the drum. This occurs in the form of a friendly yet fiery competition where each dancer and drummer showcases their skills. Musically, bomba features the use of the drum and other percussion instruments in combination with an African derived call and response vocal style.
$50 registration fee is due the first week of the semester. You can pay with cash, check or debit/credit card. To pay with card click here. Please do not let money stop you from attending. Scholarships and work exchange are available. Please contact Sophia Sanchez at 510-849-2568 x20 for class information, registration, and scholarship information.
Here: Scholarship Application PDF
Here: Scholarship Application HTML
Here: Scholarship Application Word Document
Bomba, Afro-Puerto Rican Dance
Sundays 12:30 - 2:30pm
| $15/class or $50 for 4
Instructor: Shefali Shah
| Location: Theater Space
Class on Summer break. Resumes September 12, 2010.
Students will learn bomba dance, rhythms, and songs, accompanied by live drummers. For more information you can email Shefali Shah at bombayplena@sbcglobal.net.
Cypher: The Rebirth
1st Mondays of the month 9-11pm
| FREE
Instructor: Varies
| Location: Theater Space
Meets year round.
Join us every first Monday for an open and inclusive environment for dancers of all levels to cypher, build community, and improvise with live musicians. We got an open freestyle practice sessions for street dancers of all styles including, House, B-boying/B-girling, Hip-Hop Proper, Popping, Waaking, Locking, and dances of the African Diaspora. Two resident DJ's will spin mostly deep soulful house & hip-hop. Each month there will be guest local MC's, vocalists, or percussionists.
Domingo de Rumba
1st & 3rd Sundays of the month 3:30 – 6pm
| Free
| Location: Cafe Area
Meets year round.
This community jam session is open to community participation for drummers, singers and dancers who play rumba.
Folklore of the African Diaspora Youth Class
Tuesdays 4-5:30pm
| $50/semester
Instructor: Adia Tamar Whitaker
| Location: Cafe Area
Class starts September 7, 2010.
This movement and music class explores the connections between the past, present, and future of folklore in the African Diaspora.
Intermediate/Advanced Afro-Cuban Conga Class
Saturdays 1:15-2:45pm
| $15/class
Instructor: Master Percussionist Sandy Perez
| Location: CR I
Class meets year round.
Develop your clave! Master percussionist Sandy Perez will be teaching
Afro Cuban rhythms including rumbas guaguanco and columbia, palo,
iyesa, guiro and comparsa. If students are interested and ready we
will also expand into the Bata drums. Learn percussion breaks and
variations, refine your hand technique and expand your understanding
of the clave!
La Peña Community Chorus
Tuesdays 7:45 -10pm
| Dues required
Instructor: Lichi Fuentes
| Location: Theater Space
Class meets year round.
A monthly membership is required to be part of the chorus. For more information call Nancy Gendel at 510-845-5161.
Latin Jazz Orchestra
Mondays 8:15 - 10pm
| $10/class paid monthly or $15/cl
Instructor: Josh Jones
| Location: Cafe Area
Class meets year round.
In this large ensemble with horns, vocalists, and percussionists, students learn and perform great Salsa and Latin Jazz arrangements.
Middle Eastern Drumming Class
Sundays 3-4:30pm
| $15/class or $50 for 4
Instructor: Vince Delgado
| Location: Theater Space
Class starts September 12, 2010.
Vince will be teaching a class of folk, pop and classical rhythms of the Mid-East, North Africa and influences from South America. Emphasis will be on the arabic speaking countries, but will include Turkey, Armenia, Greece and eastern Europe. Instruments taught will be the egyptian tabla (darbukka, durbeki, doumbek). The riqq (egyptian tambourine) and frame drums (daff, bendir). All levels welcome.
Puerto Rican Music Ensemble
Tuesdays 6:30-8pm
| $50/semester
Instructor: Héctor Lugo
| Location: Cafe Area
Class starts September 7, 2010.
This is a workshop designed for all instrumentalist and vocalists interested in studying folkloric and popular Puerto Rican music. We will cover a variety of genres such as plena, aguinaldo, seis, guaracha jibara, and bomba popular, focusing on the dominant musical and lyrical structures, as well as the central rhythmic and melodic patterns, variations, and approaches to improvisation within each of these genres. The goal is to be able to perform several arrangements and traditional pieces by the end of the semester. For more info contact Héctor Lugo at hectorlugo65 (at) gmail.com.
Traditional Afro-Peruvian Cajón Classes
Saturdays 12-1pm
| $10/class
Instructor: Pedro Rosales
| Location: Theater Space
Class meets year round.
For the last 19 years Instructor Pedro Rosales (De Rompe y Raja Cultural Association Co-Founder) has been exposed to Peruvian cajón technique from the true masters of the instrument such as Ernesto Sandoval, Eusebio Sirio "Pititi"(RIP), Manuel "Manguey" Vasquez, Lalo Izquierdo and Braulio Barrera. These classes are intended for cajón players seriously interested in learning the tradional way of playing Festejo, Marinera, Peruvian Valse and Lando. Classes will be complemented with exercises to recognize cajón areas and also to develop routines. A guitar player will be brought once students show confidence with the rhythms to fully understand cajón-guitar interaction. Please bring your own cajón or one can be provided for an extra $5.
Vocals for Kids! (Ages 5 & Up)
Mondays 6-7:15pm
| $10/class
Instructor: Gail Dobson
| Location: CR I
Class meets year round.
Let's sing! With the help of instructor Gail Dobson students will work on how to sing, learn to breathe properly, learn how to sing in a microphone, and get over their fear of performing - yes, it can be scary! Bring in your favorite songs to share. Students will sing both group and solo songs. This is their time to express themselves as individuals. They will also work on playing percussion and small shakers that the instructor will provide. The class will work towards a performance for family and friends. Prerequisite: Bring your love of music to class!
