Clave: Tell us about your personal experience with Paracumbé.

Idalia: Mr. Dufrasne told me he needed a flutist for arrangements for bomba for Paracumbé. I come from a classical music background and had never thought of this style of music as an option for me. I thought this would be a great opportunity. What I knew before was about music that is usually played with brass instruments, such as band music, classical music, and even music such as salsa and merengue.

Idalia: In my opinion, bomba and plena should receive as much attention as classical music, or more. Classical music is usually considered as the choice of course of study. However, our music is left aside for the ideal of classical music. Our music is wonderful; it has its rhythm, techniques, and melodies. It satisfies and offers challenges to a musician just as jazz or classical music does.

Angel: The reason why it is so important is because we are very happy people who enjoy parties, dancing, el bayú. Bayú is an impromptu party. For example, if we are all here together it does not take much to find a guitar and drums and let's party. This occurs during Christmas or as a matter of fact at any time that there is a good reason to party, such as Tito's recent victory. Parrandas begin in November and last until mid-January and that's enough reason for us to be happy and to be in peace and harmony with each other. It's about dancing, partying, singing, and music. Music has an important role in our African, Taíno, and Spanish cultural heritage.

Nelly: During Christmas is when most of what is known as música típica [folk music from the mountains] is heard. During the rest of the year it is very unusual to listen to string music or música brava, which is the term used by our ancestors when referring to cuatro and guitar music, "de conjunto típico." Music that is recorded in mid-November usually includes Christmas themes played with national instruments, sung in décimas. Unfortunately, relating the cuatro music with Christmas is a product of the saturation of this type of music [aguinaldos and seises] during the season. People believe that since it is heard at that time of the year it is only for Christmas. However, what defines it as Christmas music is not the instrumentation but the lyrics and theme of the song. It is possible to have music with a cuatro and a guitar and not have lyrics referring to Christmas.

Nelly: Venezuelan parrandas are different from those in Puerto Rico. Parranda in Venezuela is a style of music. In Puerto Rico it is an event. We have been in Venezuela during Christmas time. It was interesting that they played parranda and we went out to parrandear with them. Parranda in Puerto Rico refers to an impromptu visit at a very late hour of the night to sing music about the Christmas season. The owner of the home opens the door in his or her pajamas and offers musicians and parranderos drinks and food. At the last home visited there is an expectation that food will be served which usually is hot soup so that parranderos can get home. This is a tradition that only takes place during Christmas. If we arrive during another time of the year at that time of night people may call the cops or send their dog after us.

Emanuel: Christmas music in Puerto Rico refers to villancicos, which are Christmas carols sung during the season, in Mass, during the Misa de Aguinaldo [midnight Mass] and during the Misa del Gallo (at 5am). They are sung in parrandas, and in family gatherings. Another type of

Emanuel: In some areas there is a tambor used in parrandas. Parrandas sometimes go to businesses and ask for an aguinaldo or present in the form of a donation. In general, when you visit friends they offer you refreshments, juice, soda, beer, rum, and something to eat like an asopao, fried snacks, sweets.

Clave: Parranda usually refers to a celebration of end of year. Is this correct?

Emanuel: No. Parrandas begin at the end of November, right after Thanksgiving, and extend until after Three Kings' Day on January 6th. In some places they extend even further.

Emanuel: It is a combination. At times it is closer to the religious realm and vice versa, although religion is the central theme of parrandas. At other times people only are concerned about a party and not about a Christmas celebration. Towards the end of November you can feel a Christmas air, a cooler softer breeze, as one of the Christmas guarachas says.

Emanuel: There are always plans to make new recordings, to make our music accessible to a larger audience. A recording is always an appropriate way to do so. We also participate in radio and television programs. There is information published about the group in books, my articles on research of this type of music, newspapers, and professional magazines from Puerto Rico and from other parts of the world. I participate in conferences and with the group I can take the music to a larger audience. Not everyone is interested in an academic discussion about the music, and a presentation of Paracumbé lends itself to a discussion with a larger audience. We always have plans to continue to record. "Tambó," our most recent CD, was very well accepted by the public. We also have plans to include innovations and not base our work only on tradition.