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Puerto Rico y La Música

Nina Chehab

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Introduction

This slideshow aims to explore Puerto Rican history and culture through the lens of music! The following presentation is split into 6 parts:

  • A background on the island’s history
  • Puerto Rican musical history
  • A Q&A with my mother, Daisy Lopez
  • An introduction to Bad Bunny’s influence
  • Song lyric analysis
  • Concluding points

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1: A Glimpse of Puerto Rico’s History…

  • The Taíno people are the natives of Puerto Rico and originally called their land Borinquén (thus why Puerto Ricans are often referred to as “boricuas” as heard in certain songs)
  • In 1493, Christopher Columbus conquered the island for Spain, marking the beginning of the Spanish colonization
  • Under the Treaty of Paris in 1898, which ended the Spanish-American War, the U.S. gained control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines
  • Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory ever since

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1: Puerto Rican History (Continued)

  • In 1952, PR officially became a U.S. commonwealth (they could have their own constitution and self-govern, but still lack certain rights such as voting for President)
  • The 21st century welcomed an economic crisis for PR: in 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated the island, leaving them with multiple shortages

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1: Puerto Rican History (Continued)

  • Since 2012, many influencers and wealthy figures have moved into PR due to tax exemptions, (Act 60) which subsequently pushed Puerto Ricans out of their homes
  • Additionally, LUMA, a private energy company that was contracted to provide green energy to the island in 2021, has caused countless “apagones” or blackouts

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2: Musical History in Puerto Rico

  • Throughout Puerto Rico’s long history, one thing always remained the same: music is a crucial aspect of the island’s culture
  • Puerto Rican music is defined by its influences from African slaves, Spanish colonists, and the Taíno peoples
  • Puerto Rican music has a large amount of variety and versatility
  • Five main genres: Salsa, Merengue, Bomba, Plena, Reggaeton, Latin Jazz

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2: Musical History in Puerto Rico, Salsa

  • Popularized in the 1960’s in New York City
  • Has a lot of Cuban influence
  • Tite Curet Alonso
  • Ismael Rivera
  • El Gran Combo

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2: Musical History in Puerto Rico, Merengue

  • Originated in the DR, but made its way over to PR
  • Merengue típico: guitars, bass, accordion, conga
  • Can be fast-paced (merengue derecho) or slow-paced (pambiche)
  • Elvis Crespo
  • Manny Manuel

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2: Musical History in Puerto Rico, Bomba

  • Reflects African heritage (roots of the island)
  • Maracas, cuá (two wooden sticks), bomba barrel (big drum)
  • The drums are the most important aspect of bomba
  • Typically includes music and a dancer and a story is told within the interaction between the two
  • Rafael Cortijo: the blueprint!

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2: Musical History in Puerto Rico, Plena

  • Originated in PR
  • Panderos, guitar, cuatro, accordion, trumpet/saxophone
  • Considered folk music for a very long time
  • Los Pleneros de la 21
  • Rafael Cortijo

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2: Musical History in Puerto Rico, Reggaeton

  • Hip hop combined with Latin American music
  • Originated in the 1990s
  • Topics of this music are more raunchy, with many songs focusing on love, lust, drugs, etc.
  • Ozuna
  • Bad Bunny

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2: Musical History in Puerto Rico, Latin Jazz

  • Early 20th century
  • Caribbean structure with traditional jazz sounds
  • Trumpets, saxophones, congas, claves, timbales
  • Tito Puente
  • David Sánchez

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3: Q&A with Daisy Lopez

  • In order to showcase the large influence of music on Puerto Rican culture, as well as incorporate my family ties to Puerto Rico, I decided to interview my mom, Daisy Lopez, a Puerto Rican native
  • My mom was born in San Juan in 1961 and lived there until 2001
  • In 1979, she was Miss Mundo for Puerto Rico
  • She has always felt a very close bond to the island as she spent a large portion of her life there, and I grew up listening to her favorite Puerto Rican artists
  • The following transcript is translated from Spanish

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3: Q&A With Daisy Lopez

Q: What was your favorite kind of Puerto Rican music growing up?

A: My favorite type of music was always Puerto Rican salsa growing up. I grew up in a household where money was very tight, but the one thing we could always count on was music to be there for us at the end of the day. So, my siblings and I always loved listening to something we could dance to.

Q: What was your favorite artist growing up?�A: I loved Willie Chirino, who was a Cuban artist, and Hector Lavoe a lot. Hector’s music was very popular in the 70s and 80s. He sang salsa songs and I particularly liked “El Malo”.

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3: Q&A with Daisy Lopez

Q: What do you like about Puerto Rican music? �A: Apart from the fact it brings everyone together, I also really like how upbeat it is. A lot of Puerto Rican artists use music to talk about heavy topics relating to the island, but I love how even though the message can sometimes be sad to see, it is performed in a manner that can make everyone dance and feel happy.

Q: Why is Puerto Rican music so important to the culture in your opinion?

A: Puerto Rico is all about the music. Its history is never talked about in the United States, but our music is how we keep the legacy alive. Everywhere you go there, there’s music playing. It’s what brings everyone together, of all ages. In PR, everything is about music. We are born dancing and listening to our music The rhythm is born with us, it’s in our blood! I remember seeing my grandma making delicious food and dancing while cooking. The radio was turned on since the moment you woke up. We cleaned with the music in the background and danced with the mop. I guess it made things better. There’s no moment in a Puerto Rican person without music! Salsa, it’s as romantic and passionate as our culture.

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4: Bad Bunny

  • One of the most influential artists of our time is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer, Bad Bunny, otherwise known as Benito Ocasio
  • His influence on the reggaeton genre has been massive; his album “Un Verano Sin Ti”, was the first Latin album to be nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys
  • Not only is his music very popular today, he uses this popularity to spread awareness about Puerto Rican crises and politics that are not always discussed in the media

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4: Bad Bunny’s Influence

  • Bad Bunny uses his growing platform and his music to spread awareness about the situation in Puerto Rico
  • He dedicates one of his songs on his Grammy-nominated album, “Un Verano Sin Ti”, entitled “El Apagon”, to discuss the blackouts and the forced migration of Puerto Ricans from the island
  • Additionally, he used his performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to bring awareness to the murder of a homeless transgender woman, Alexa Negrón Luciano, in Puerto Rico

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“They killed Alexa, not an man in a skirt.”

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5: Song Lyric Analysis

  • “El Apagon” by Bad Bunny

Yo no me quiero ir de aquí/

No me quiero ir de aquí/

Que se vayan ellos

Puerto Rico está bien cabrón, ey

Está bien cabrón

De Carolina salió el reggaetón

I don’t want to leave here,

I don’t want to leave here,

They should leave

Puerto Rico is really awesome,

Really awesome,

From Carolina came reggaeton

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5: Song Lyric Analysis

Y los hijo' de puta de Bayamón (tú sabe)

Ey, ey

Quiere montarse en la ola y no han ido a Rincón

Un besito pa' abuela en el balcón

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And the sons of b****** from Bayamón (you know),

Want to hop on the wave and they haven’t been to Rincón

A kiss for grandma on the balcony

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5: Song Lyric Analysis

  • In this song, Bad Bunny brings light to the blackouts that have been occurring in Puerto Rico ever since LUMA has been in place, with the song being named after the event
  • Additionally, he says “I don’t want to leave here, they should leave”, referring to the influencers and wealthy people who are moving into Puerto Rico to avoid high taxes and kicking out people who have lived on the island for many years, some their whole lives
  • He also mentions many different “barrios” in Puerto Rico, such as Carolina and Bayamón

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6: Concluding Remarks

  • Puerto Rico is an island with a vast history that is often overlooked
  • The island and its culture is defined by music! Music adds a deeper meaning to the island’s history, and it continues to do so
  • There are many kinds of music that are celebrated in PR, ranging from fast paced salsa to slower paced Latin jazz
  • Popular artists, such as Bad Bunny, have used their music to spread awareness about topics regarding the island, as they would otherwise never be reported on

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Sources and Further Reading