We are very pleased to announce the acquisition of Conga Bomba, the first work by Houston-born artist Jamal Cyrus to enter our collection.

Jamal Cyrus makes objects that explore the evolution of African American identity within Black political movements and the African diaspora. His multi-disciplinary practice incorporates assemblage, collage and even performance. He transforms mundane materials, sometimes combined with pointed graphic elements into objects rich with meaning and purpose.

With a particular interest in the social power of music, the artist has repurposed or recombined musical instruments such as drums, cymbals, brass and woodwinds to provoke questions about the role of music in support of political movements around the world.

Cyrus takes a broad, trans-historical approach to making art and is attuned to cultural connections and cross-border pollinations that have happened over time. He sees intrinsic connections and a historical continuum between ancient Egypt and the Civil Rights movement, and he explores African diasporic histories and the roots of Western music in Africa as a result of the transatlantic slave trade.

Made from the various parts of a trumpet, Conga Bomba is partially inspired by the often-proposed (and often refuted) notion that “jazz is dead.” Jamal is interested in jazz’s influence in social protest and revolution and the idea of an artistic movement reaching its limit and thus giving birth to a new creative struggle.

This work focuses on the trumpet as it has evolved from a rudimentary sound generated through a conch shell, to its distinctive use as a rallying siren heard in both popular and military contexts. Here, the artist transforms the deconstructed trumpet into an axe and a machete, objects reminiscent of West African ceremonial weapons that indicate social or political status. The third component appears to be an improvised explosive device (Bomba) using the instrument’s valves. The  title also includes a reference to the conga drum, which has roots in Central and West African drums and is a foundational instrument of Cuban music and spiritual practices. Conga Bomba is, on one level, an artistic refutation of the claim that jazz is dead, but also provocatively suggests the immense transformative agency of music.