ALLENTOWN, Pa. — "Bonito cantar," indeed.
As members of the Latin jazz/salsa ensemble Clave Legacy belted out the lyrics to "Saludos, Saludos" — an opening song heard at a traditional Puerto Rican parranda — the crowd clapped in unison.
On Saturday, the Christmas season, or periodo navideña, had officially begun at Miller Symphony Hall's second annual Latin Parranda.
“This event grew out of our Latin Leadership Committee, which we formed to be more engaged with the Latino and Hispanic community,” Symphony Hall Executive Director Al Jacobsen said.
"We wanted to understand the traditions that mattered and find ways to celebrate them here.”
During the afternoon festivities, families dined on traditional Puerto Rican dishes from El Tipico and authentic Mexican tacos from La Concino Del Abuelo's.
Young dancers from Allentown-based Ely Dance studio performed a mix of hip-hop, salsa, merengue and ballet.
And Clave Legacy performed some of the Isla del Encanto's most beloved carols, such as "El ña (Traigo esta Trulla), "El Lechon Se Co Se Mata y Se Pela," and "El Jolgorio."
Last year’s inaugural Parranda sold out weeks in advance, Jacobsen said.
This year, he said the demand was even greater — enough that the symphony added an afternoon, family-focused celebration in addition to the nighttime event.
It included a coquito contest and music by Clave Legacy and DJV Spice.
Both sold out this year.
“It shows how much this means to people,” Jacobsen said. “And honestly, how much we’ve learned along the way.”
What exactly is a parranda?
If you’re from Puerto Rico, you know the sound before it arrives.
A parranda is the island’s version of Christmas caroling — only louder and much more spontaneous.
Traditionally, a group of friends and family gathers late at night, grabs instruments like maracas, palitos, güiro and panderos (or whatever makes noise) and surprises a friend or neighbor by showing up at their door singing.
The group grows with each stop, becoming a moving party.
One cultural lesson came in Clave Legacy's performance of bomba, Puerto Rico’s oldest musical tradition, tracing its roots back to enslaved Africans who developed the style in Puerto Rico's coastal and mountain communities.
“Bomba is the only music where the dancer leads the percussion,” Clave Legacy's Hector Rodríguez said.
"The idea of musicians going from house to house… it was beautiful, and new to a lot of us.”Millery Symphony Hall executive director Al Jacobsen
“Normally, you dance to the music. In bomba, the musicians follow the dancer. It’s a conversation. A dialogue.
“We love showing people this. It’s our African roots. Our Puerto Rican identity.”
Jacobsen admitted that, as someone who is not Latino, he had much to learn.
“I didn’t know about parrandas until the Latin committee introduced me to the tradition,” he said.
"The idea of musicians going from house to house… it was beautiful, and new to a lot of us.”
The symphony's Latino Leadership committee, featuring members Robert Vélez. who heads up Puertorrican Culture Preservation with his wife, Flor Vélez, helped shape the event to be culturally authentic — but also inclusive of the Valley’s many Latino cultures.
"We love showing people this. It’s our African roots. Our Puerto Rican identity.”Hector Rodriguez, Clave Legacy
“That’s why we wanted to recreate it here,” Jacobsen said.
“Community first. Music first. Joy first.”
A stage full of young talent
The Ely Dancers of Allentown, led by director Eli Mambru, who is Dominican and Puerto Rican, brought another layer of energy.
The students — performing salsa, merengue, hip hop and ballet — filled the stage with bright costumes and bigger smiles.
“We’ve been practicing for weeks,” Mambru said.
“Some students didn’t know the cultural traditions behind the dances, so we talked about the meaning. They loved learning where the rhythms come from.”
The Latin Parranda event isn’t just entertainment for Miller Symphony Hall — it’s relationship-building, Jacobsen said.
“We exist for the community,” he said.
“If someone attends the Latin Parranda and then thinks, 'Maybe I’ll check out a jazz concert,' that’s success to us. We want this hall to feel like a home.”
For more information on Miller Symphony Hall's Christmas events and its Latin Leadership Committee, visit the symphony's website.
