"A Voice is Heard (Se Oye Una Voz)" from the recording entitled Puerto Rico in Washington, Folkways SF 40460, provided courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. © 1989 Used by permission.

The musical instruments in the Bomba ensemble are called bomba (or barriles--barrels--because they are made from dried codfish or rum barrels, with a goatskin head). As in plena instrumentation, two or three drums of different sizes and pitches make up the foundation of the ensemble, which is rounded out by the cuá (wooden sticks that are struck on the side of the drum by another player) and maracas (gourd rattles).