"Aia, bombaia, bombe. (Aia, bombaia, bombe.)"
"Lamma samana quana! (Lamma samana quana!)"
"Aia, bombaia, bombe. (Aia, bombaia, bombe.)"
"Lamma samana quana! (Lamma samana quana!)"
Joyous chorus rang out beneath the night sky of the Caribbean coast, scattering far into the waves! The moon was curved, the stars shone, and clouds drifted across the canopy of heaven, revealing the depth of the black night. Bright bonfires had been lit in the square of the riverside village, making sea and sky alike blaze with liveliness!
"Dong, dong, dong! Storm Goddess Guabancex, who rules the sea and the waves. She brings long-parted friends from afar; she lets us gather in joy to dance and sing, to play the happiest songs!"
Hundreds of simple, delighted smiling faces were filled with expectation in the firelight. Young girls leapt with joy, youths danced, and elders sang ancient ballads. All kinds of Taino instruments appeared one after another as well. Hide drums beat passionate and urgent, rattles shook with cheerful sandy sounds, wooden flutes were low and distant, and conch horns rang long and soaring.
The young children would also strike interesting forked wooden drums, as if tapping pottery shards, playing a crisp "ding-dong" like flowing water. By this moment, a dinner feast to welcome the arrival of the Longship had become a sea of music and song!
"Dong, dong, dong! Moon Mother Goddess Atabeyra, who rules moonlight, fresh water, and fertility. She bestows gentle moonlight and grants springs of life. Friends from afar, let us drain this cup, and under the moonlight, chase and tumble to our hearts' content like Wild Rabbits, flourishing and growing!"
The joyous music played for two quarters of an hour, then the style abruptly changed, filled with the flavor of merry song. Then, amid the high-pitched praises of the tribal Priests,