Cuban Rumba Jam

Every third Sunday of the month from 2:30pm-5:00pm in our Lounge! Join us for this Cuban Rumba Community Jam that has been held at La Peña for many years. Led by percussionist and culture bearer Bruce Williams.

• Free / donations encouraged
• Family-friendly event
• Bring your instruments if you have them!

More about the Afro-Cuban Rumba Community in the Bay Area:

Since the early 1980s, the Afro-Cuban rumba community has gathered in the East Bay to preserve the traditional folkloric music known as Afro-Cuban Rumba. Harold “Butch” Haynes, an African Amercian percussionist and Oakland native, was among a handful of Bay Area musicians introducing Afro-Cuban rhythms to Bay Area musicians through organic drum circles held in Sproul Plaza at the University of California, Berkeley. Here, students and musicians could learn from experienced Afro-Cuban rumberos about rumba, as well as Afro-Cuban culture.

Overtime, this resulted in a cohesive group of Afro-Cuban rumberos and local percussionists/musicians searching for a consistent and safe place to meet, learn and play rumba. As time progressed, Yaya Maldonado, a Puerto Rican musician and educator, was able to establish a consistent rumba gathering at La Peña in partnership with Afro-Cuban rumberos living in the East Bay in the mid 1990s. Due to medical complications, Yaya relocated in 2006, passing the torch to N. Bruce Williams, an African American percussionist active in the rumba community since its inception.

Throughout the years, the rumba has hosted numerous groups and individuals from Cuba including members of Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, one of the most internationally well-known rumba groups of all time from Matanzas, Cuba. It has also provided pathways for travel to Cuba for American students and musicians resulting in the fostering of intercultural connection, appreciation and respect between musicians in the Bay Area and culture bearers from Cuba.