Contacting Iba

Iba
Rumba in New York City

Iba is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational performance group specializing in the traditional Afrocuban music and dance form known as rumba, but with a New York flavor. Iba is a Yoruba word which means to praise or give homage, and Ibas performances pay tribute to both secular and sacred Afrocuban musics. The groups repertoire features original arrangements of classic rumba numbers from Havana and Matanzas, and praise-songs from the Lucumi, Palo and Abakua traditions. Although rumba is a traditional form, it is not static but continues to evolve and incorporate fresh ideas, drawing upon sources as diverse as hip-hop and classic boleros. Our performances are a forum for this ongoing musical exchange, and a showcase for a younger generation of performers who are infusing this traditional form with new energies.

Afrocuban culture in New York has expanded beyond the Cuban community to embrace many other peoples, and Iba represents that diversity. Founded by Michel Sotolongo (son of acclaimed dancer Xiomara Rodriguez) in collaboration with ethnomusicologist Lisa Maya Knauer, Iba includes both established and new performers. 

Iba's core members include: Felix ."Tortuga" Caro, Barry Cox, Abi Holliday, Victor Jaroslaw, Ralph Jimenez, Lisa Maya Knauer, Xiomara Rodriguez, Felix Sanabria, Israel Santiago, Lisette Santiago-de Faria, Michel Sotolongo, Maximo Valdez, Alfredo "Coyurde" Vidaux.