“Colectivo Sayba: Chicago’s Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba Ensemble”
“Preserving tradition. Teaching community. Performing resistance.”
Why we exist
Colectivo Sayba is rooted in the Afro-Puerto Rican tradition of bomba, the pulse of the drum, the body in motion, and the voice of a people. Based in Chicago since 2023 and housed at El Schomburg, we bring ceremony, education, and artistry together to uplift cultural memory and collective resilience.
What do we do
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We present live performances at major venues across Chicago land area.
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We offer workshops, school residencies, and community events to teach bomba rhythms, movement, and history.
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We co-create with community organizations, artists, and elders to ensure tradition evolves and remains alive.
For Whom
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Schools & Educators: Bring bomba into classrooms to engage students in rhythm, history, and culture.
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Venues & Community Partners: Book us for performances or collaborative projects highlighting Afro-Puerto Rican and Caribbean heritage.
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Community & Families: Join our open rehearsals, listen sessions, and events where heritage meets action.
Our Legacy and Vision
From its origins on the resistance of Puerto Rico's oldest maroon settlements to the vibrant drum circles of Chicago’s Puerto Rican diaspora, bomba speaks both movement and memory. Colectivo Sayba builds on this legacy, imagining a future where rhythm is resistance, culture is community, and memory is power.
Mission
Recognizing the invaluable contributions of Bomba practitioners from both Chicago and Puerto Rico, Colectivo Sayba actively engages with community organizations to foster collaborative educational opportunities. Since the late 1980s, practitioners have been instrumental in cementing Bomba’s presence in Chicago’s cultural landscape, presenting masterful experiences that reflect the tradition’s enduring relevance.
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Colectivo Sayba seeks to position Bomba as a significant cultural movement that challenges colonialism, displacement, and assimilation. By building invested and sustainable cultural communities in Puerto Rico and the Diaspora, the ensemble envisions a future in which Bomba serves as a catalyst for community growth, healing, and transformative education.
Gallery
Since July 2023, Colectivo Sayba has been independently based at El Schomburg | Espacio de Arte Interdisciplinario, where they continue to present performances at esteemed venues including the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago, Navy Pier, Puerto Rican Arts Alliance and Fiesta Boricua in Humboldt Park, enriching local and regional cultural dialogues.
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Check us out on the news: https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1545005​
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Colectivo Sayba is an Afro–Puerto Rican bomba ensemble based at El Schomburg in Chicago.
We offer culturally grounded performances, workshops, residencies, and community programs that honor ancestral tradition, build collective power, and connect people through rhythm, movement, and memory.
Our services are available for schools, cultural organizations, universities, festivals, community groups, and special events.
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1. Live Bomba Performances
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Electrifying presentations of Afro–Puerto Rican bomba featuring drum, dance, song, and improvisation.Perfect for cultural festivals, university events, school assemblies, conferences, exhibitions, and community celebrations.
Includes: Full ensemble or small set. Traditional and contemporary repertoire. Audience engagement when requested
2. Educational Workshops (Youth & Adult)
Hands-on workshops in bomba dance, drum, call-and-response, improvisation, and history, led by trained teaching artists. Workshops can be: Movement-based, Drum/percussion-centered, Lecture-demonstration, Intergenerational circles, One-time sessions or recurring series
3. School Residencies & Classroom Programs
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Curriculum-aligned residencies for K–12 classrooms, afterschool programs, music departments, and cultural studies courses. Residencies emphasize: Rhythm literacy, Cultural identity, Diaspora studies, Improvisation + movement, Ensemble work and Community-building through art.
Bring Sayba to Your School Here
4. Community Circles & Co-Creation Sessions
Inclusive circles where participants learn bomba fundamentals, share stories, move together, and build collective rhythm.Ideal for: Community centers, Museums Family programming, Healing spaces, Intergenerational events, Social justice organizations
5. Professional Development for Educators & Cultural Workers
Training sessions focused on culturally responsible bomba pedagogy, decolonial teaching frameworks, and implementing Afro-diasporic arts in classroom or community settings.Topics may include: Respectful approaches to teaching bomba, Cultural context & history, Rhythm and movement integration, Designing curriculum centered on equity and culture.
6. Collaborative Projects & Creative Partnerships
We collaborate with artists, organizations, museums, and cultural institutions to design custom performances, installations, creative labs, and multi-arts projects rooted in Afro–Puerto Rican memory and community.This service is ideal for:Artist residencies, Cross-disciplinary collaborations, Museum programming, Public art activations, Festivals, Galleries & performance spaces
7. Private Events & Special Bookings
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Interactive drumming sessions, bomba demonstrations, or full performances for corporate gatherings, celebrations, retreats, fundraisers, or private community events.
Inquire About Private Events Here
A Note on Our Approach
Colectivo Sayba approaches every service with a commitment to: Cultural integrity, Ancestral respect, Community-centered practice, Inclusivity, Joy, resistance, and memory. We believe bomba is more than performance — it is a living dialogue between drum, dancer, voice, and community.
Contact Us
Email: colectivosayba@gmail.com
Phone: (312) 646-8278
Instagram: @colectivosayba | Facebook: Colectivo Sayba
Get in Touch
2538 W Division St
Chicago IL 60622
For more information and/or bookings contact: colectivosayba@gmail.com (312)646-8278
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IG: @colectivosayba