LeAna López’s hips cue the musician, who, in a direct and improvised exchange, mirrors her movements on the primo, the lead drum of Puerto Rican bomba. The rhythm — born on Puerto Rico’s slave plantations in the 17th century — reverberates on this occasion inside a church in East Harlem, the Manhattan neighborhood known as El Barrio. The roar of the barrel drums builds, and, as the music reaches its peak, the scene seems to shift to the northeastern coast of the Caribbean island, to Loíza, the cradle of Afro–Puerto Rican culture. But in an instant, the traffic on Lexington Avenue breaks the spell, serving as a reminder: this is New York.

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Styling:

Lorena Maza @lorenamazastyling

Photography assistant:

Ana Aizersztein @fotosdeana_

Makeup:

Kaiya Carlin @kaiyacarlin

Casting:

Güerxs Casting @guerxs

Studio:

Delicia Studio @deliciastudio_

Production:

The LTC - @the__ltc