ALEX “APOLO” AYALA ‘BÁMBULA’ CD (Review) 4/5
So much of our daily lives is about forgetting who we are, leaving ourselves behind when we walk out the door each morning. Alex “Apolo” Ayala encourages us to remember that person with his latest Bámbula. Bámbula translates to “the memory of a forgotten place” from Kikongo – one of the Bantu languages spoken by the Kongo people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This record is an act of celebration, of remembering Ayala’s Afro-Puerto Rican roots, specifically through his late mother and grandmother who feature prominently on the album cover almost as if they are blessing him from the other side. For Ayala, remembering who you are is about exploring where you come from, as a means to connect to your ancestral unconscious to find balance and harmony in your life.
Ayala describes Bámbula as the act of re-remembering who you are as a person. But the Bámbula is also the oldest known rhythm of the Bomba complex. Bomba emerged in Puerto Rico from communities of enslaved Africans who needed a way to communicate with each other when a common language was not available. Bomba, and subsequently Bámbula, became a form of resistance, a way to create community and identity at a time when the self was being stripped away. Bomba gave enslaved Africans a language to find themselves and each other. With Bámbula Ayala hopes to give that language to listeners; inviting a communal re-membering.
Bámbula as a whole offers both structure and freedom. In each song, the bass and the percussion provide a solid foundation allowing the saxophone the freedom to explore the space of the song, a formula especially clear in “Bozales” and “Bámbula”. Bámbula makes plain why Ayala is the ensemble’s leader. He has put together a stellar team of musicians; saxophonist Ivan Renta and percussionists Fernando García and Nelson Mateo Gonzalez. As any good leader, Ayala understands that leading sometimes means stepping out of the spotlight. Bámbula is made up of such talented musicians that they are able to support each other while also allowing each instrument moments to shine on their own; all underpinned by Ayala’s masterful and gorgeous basslines.
Much of the album is instrumental, there is little in the way of lyrics, allowing you to let it take you where you need to go. Ayala doesn’t tell you how to remember, he lets you figure that out on your own, he simply holds out his hand and asks you to join him. “Cafe y Bomba Eh”, however, features the rich and velvety voice of Anna Louise Andersson encouraging us to sit down for a cup of coffee with our ancestors, “it’s the best part of the day”.
