Posada y Parranda - A Celebration of Holiday Traditions & Community

Harlem One Stop, Our Lady of Lourdes, and community partners kick off the holiday season by celebrating holiday traditions within our multi-cultural neighborhood of West Harlem with a Posada y Parranda on December 22nd.

Posada is a tradition typically celebrated in Latin America and by the Hispanic community in the United States, December 14 - 24. Although quite festive with a party atmosphere, Posadas are religious and celebrate the birth of Jesus.

No where else is Christmas celebrated, like in Puerto Rico or NYC! Navidad is a time of tradition, sharing, singing, and giving, and Puerto Ricans are known for their unforgettable "parrandas" or "trullas navideñas." A parranda tends to be more secular than religious and is a party celebrated at any time during the year. But it takes on a more significant meaning for Puerto Ricans during the Christmas holiday, when friends and family gather to do an "asalto" (aka assault) or surprise of a friend or relative with festive Puerto Rican Christmas songs. Some may think it is like Christmas caroling. We will instead describe it as caroling with a lot of spice and an abundance of hot sauce!

Posada y Parranda will feature East Harlem's Bomba and Plena band, Los Pleneros de la 21. Founded in 1983, the intergenerational ensemble of Los Pleneros de la 21 combines the raw percussion elements of Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena genres with contemporary and urban styles, like son, salsa, jazz, and hip hop. Touring internationally to 200+ cities over the past forty years, the group has received a Grammy Nomination, a National Heritage Fellow award, and numerous critical acclaim. For nearly four decades, Los Pleneros de la 21 has crossed multiple boundaries and broken several performing barriers for Traditional music and the Latino genres alike. The first and only Bomba and Plena ensemble to have toured in the former USSR and the first Bomba and Plena troupe to showcase their sounds at Carnegie Hall, LP21 have shared their infectious music in countries such as Australia, Germany, Canada, Cuba, and Thailand. The LP21 familia is regarded by many as mentors, fostering the passion and talents of future generations of cultural leaders of Puerto Rican art forms. Los Pleneros de la 21 are viewed as NYC's Bomba and Plena Ambassadors to the World for their efforts, accomplishments, and cemented dedication to community work and for their international footprint.

We invite all of our neighbors to join us for this festive community gathering. Free. Open to public.

This program is funded in part by the West Harlem Development Fund and NYSCA New York State Council on the Arts.

Host or Publisher Harlem One Stop NYC