Afro-Borinquen Music

Puerto Rican music has been heavily influenced by African rhythms. The Bomba developed directly from ritual slave dances. The Plena is a blend of different cultures but relies heavily on African tradition. Both elements developed in those coastal areas with a concentration of African descendants.

Afro traits in Puerto Rican music include: collective participation in which there is no distinct line between musicians and audience. Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to participate. An emphasis on rhythm and percussion rich in melody. Widespread use of call and response.

 Baile de Bomba 2 by Samuel Lind

The Bomba Puertorriqueña developed in Loíza, Puerto Rico, a town with a large concentration of African descendants. It developed from ritual dance slave celebrations in the 17th century. The name was inspired by a fairly large wooden drum or barril covered with goatskin called the "bomba." The barril were made using empty codfish barrels. The barril is the main "drum" and rhythm instrument. The musicians also use two small sticks to beat a secondady pattern on the side of the drums. Maracas are also part of the bomba percussion instruments.

Bomba participants form a dance circle and take turns in solo dance between individuals and the drum. It was at bailes de bomba that slaves celebrated baptisms, weddings, and births. Fearing rebellions slaveowners allowed the dances on Sundays only. Female Bomba dancers used their skirts to mimic and poke fun at the slave owners.

Plena midi courtesy of Rene Ramos

La Plena Puertorriqueña developed in Ponce approximately 100 years ago. La Plena is also known as "el periodico catao" because the songs are about currents issues. Plena musicians often poke fun at mundane everyday occurences or the antics of politicians.

The Plena rhythm has strong African roots but it is also influenced by other music genres such as Taíno, jíbaro, danzas, and other European styles.

Plena instruments include a large tambourine like instrument called pandero. A pandero is a very short drum that looks like a tambourine without jingles, and bigger in diameter than a tambourine. The pandero was introduced in Spain by the Moors.

Puerto Rican Poets/Literature

In 1849, Manuel Alonso Pacheco, publishes the cornerstone of Puerto Rican literature, El Gibaro, a book part prose and part poetry . However, the first author to achieve literary prominence was Alejandro Tapia y Rivera (1826-1882), mainly a playright. His plays include Roberto D'Evreaux (written when he was 21 years old), Bernardo de Palissy, La Cuarterona, Camoens and others.

 

The first poet of prominence was Jose Gautier Benitez (1851-1880), who was probably the most complete romantic poet of Puerto Rican literature. His love of country and romantic love were the favorite themes throughout his work. Another of the poets of this era, although not a romantic, was José Gualberto Padilla, also known as "El Caribe".

 

Other literary figures of the nineteenth century were Pachín Marín, Lola Rodríguez de Tió, José de Jesús Domínguez, and Ramón Emeterio Betances, a revolutionary and fighter for the independence of Puerto Rico from Spain. Salvador Brau (1842 1912), was a historian, sociologist, poet, novelist, playwright, newspaperman and politician and one of the main figures of the XIX century. It is with Eugenio Maria de Hostos, however, that political and philosophical thought reached its zenith in the XIX century in Puerto Rico. He was a man of the Antilles, an educator and writer that influenced not only the politics and culture of Puerto Rico, but is still revered throughout Latin America all the way to Chile. His greatest work was Peregrinación de Bayoán.

 

We have in the modern period many cherished authors, such as Julia de Burgos. We have produced thinkers such as José Luís González, archeologists of renown such as Ricardo Alegria. Men like Luiz Munoz Marin who aside from being the father of modern Puerto Rican politics was also a poet of some quality. Other poets such as Jose Antonio Davila and the best poet of his generation Juan antonio Corretjer . We can't end without mentioning Antonio S. Pedreira and his monumental (in thought but not in size) work Insularismo. This essay, although written in the 30's, is so profound in its analysis, that it can be applied to the modern Puerto Rican society in its entirety. Most of the authors here are poets, and that is for two reasons. First, Puerto Rico has produced more poets than writers of other genre. Secondly, is my limitation of space. There are many others that can be added easily to this small list, many that have given a lot of joy to the reader. 

 

 

Poesia Negroide

Fernando Fortunato Vizcarrondo

¿Y tu agüela, aonde ejtá?

Julia de Burgos
(1917-1953)

Julia de Burgos, the best known female poet in Puerto Rico and one of the best of Latino America, was born on February 17th, 1917 in Carolina, Puerto Rico. De Burgos graduated from the University of Puerto Rico as a teacher. She also studied in Havana and later moved to New York. At age nineteen her first verses were published. Her best-known poem is "Río Grande de Loíza". De Burgos published several books including; Poemas Exactos de mí Misma, Poemas en Veinte Zurcos and Canción de la Verdad Sencilla. She received several honors and homenages before and after her death. De Burgos died on July 6, 1953 in New York.

Río Grande de Loíza

Julia de Burgos

¡Rio Grande de Loíza!... Alárgate en mi espíritu
y deja que mi alma se- pierda en- tus riachuelos
para buscar la fuente que te robó de niño
y en un ímpetu loco te devolvió al sendero.

Enróscate en mis labios y deja que te beba,
para sentirte mío por un breve momento,
y esconderte del mundo y en ti mismo esconderte,
y oír voces de asombro en la boca del viento.

Apéate un instante del lomo de la tierra,
y busca de mis ansias el íntimo secreto;
confúndete en el vuelo de mi ave fantasía,
y déjame una rosa de agua en mis ensueños.

¡Río Grande de Loíza!... Mi manantial, mi río,
desde que alzome al mundo el pétalo materno;
contigo se bajaron desde las rudas cuestas,
a buscar nuevos surcos, mis pálidos anhelos;
y mi niñez fue toda un poema en el río,
y un río en el poema de mis primeros sueños.

Llegó la adolescencia. Me sorprendió la vida
prendida en lo más ancho de tu viajar eterno;
y fui tuya mil veces, y en un bello romance
me despertaste el alma y me besaste el cuerpo.

¿A dónde te llevaste las aguas que bañaron
mis formas, en espiga de sol recién abierto?

¡Quién sabe en qué remoto país mediterráneo
algún fauno en la playa me estará poseyendo!

¡Quién sabe en qué aguacero de qué tierra lejana
me estaré derramando para abrir surcos nuevos;
me estaré congelando en cristales de hielo!

¡Río Grande de Loíza!... Azul. Moreno. Rojo.
Espejo azul, caído pedazo azul de cielo;
desnuda carne blanca que se te vuelve negra
cada vez que la noche se te mete en el lecho;
roja franja de sangre, cuando bajo la lluvia
a torrentes su barro te vomitan los cerros.

Río hombre, pero hombre con pureza de río,
porque das tu azul alma cuando das tu azul beso.

Muy señor río mío. Río hombre. Unico hombre
que ha besado mi alma al besar en mi cuerpo.

¡Río Grande de Loíza!... Río grande. Llanto grande.
El más grande de todos nuestros llantos isleños,
si no fuera más grande el que de mí se sale
por los ojos del alma para mi esclavo pueblo.

Luis Palés Matos
(1898-1959)

Luis Palés Matos was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico on March 20, 1898. He was the son and brother of other known Puerto Rican poets. Although he is best known for his Negroid Poems Palés Matos excelled at other genre as well. His Poesía Negroide reintroduced Africanism into Puerto Rican poetry. His book Tun Tun de Pasa y Grifería is still available today. He died in San Juan on February 23, 1959.

Luis Palés Matos 

Puerto Rican Art

by Antonio Broccoli Porto