Background: Guanacaste is the northern Pacific coast province of CR and was traditionally an independent area, drifting between Nicaraguan and CR rule. It has officially been united with Costa Rica since the year 1825, several years after Central America’s separation from Spain. The Guanacastecan citizens independently decided to secede from Nicaragua and join CR. [It’s ironic that being Nicaraguan has “negative” connotations, because Guanacaste was Nicaragua! Many Nica immigrants come to CR seeking work.] Each July 25th Costa Rica (GTE in particular) celebrates the annexation of the best region of the country (I admit, I’m biased!) Schoolchildren dress in traditional campesino clothing and shout bombas, which are short poems, usually romantic but sometimes downright raunchy! The kids discuss the significance of their heritage and enjoy traditional food (guess what - it's rice and beans! Plus corn tortillas and an egg torta, all wrapped in a banana leaf.) Here's some sample bombas, because it's really hard to understand those kids! (Even if you speak Spanish...)
¡Bomba!
La naranja nació verde
y el tiempo la maduró;
mi corazón nació libre
y el tuyo lo aprisionó.
uyuyuy mamita ...
Bomb!
The orange was born green
and with time, matured;
my heart was born free
and yours imprisoned it.
Uyuyuy mamita…
¡Bomba!
No hay cosa más bonita
que la vida de soltero,
para andar cortando flores
sin que lo vea el jardinero.
uyuyuy mamita...
Bomb!
There’s nothing more beautiful
than the single life,
to walk cutting flowers
without the gardener seeing you.
uyuyuy mamita...
Bomba. The word has many uses in CR. A light bulb, a car motor (actually a motor of any kind), the machinery that powers water supply (or any other pump at all), fireworks, a bomb, a gas station, OR these particular love poems.
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