Puerto Rico is a melting pot of cultures --
Taíno (Native Indian), Spanish,
African, and North American. They converge in our food, music, language,
architecture, religion, lifestyles, arts, and crafts.
Social customs have changed
as a result of a major shift in the economy, from agricultural to
industrial. However, even after one century as part of the U.S., the strong
Spanish influence is the common denominator for our cultural fabric.
Music
You can't help but feel the pulse of the Island – it breathes salsa,
merengue and all kinds of rhythms.
·
Salsa
emerged from Puerto
Rico to become a musical form in New York City, while merengue
is from the Dominican Republic. Both are embraced and enjoyed in Puerto
Rico.
·
Bomba
and plena
are also native sounds and both rely heavily on percussion. The bomba
has a call and response interplay between drummer and dancer.
·
A danza
is a Classical waltz-like music form that originated in Puerto Rico in the
1850s and is still popular today. Local composers, such as Juan Morell
Campos and Manuel Tavares, made the danza the main music of elegant
ballroom dances in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
·
Famous Puerto
Rican classical musicians include opera singer Antonio Paoli
(1872-1922), Pablo Elvira, and Justino Díaz. Pablo Casals, the legendary
catalan cellist, made Puerto Rico his home for many years after Franco took
power in Spain. His mother was Puerto Rican. A festival in his name attracts
international orchestras and musicians to the Island every summer.
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Musical Instruments
·
Cuatro
– derived from the Spanish guitar, it has 5 double strings. Mostly available
through highly skilled artisans, prices range from $100 to $1000. Other
variations are the tiple, bordonúa, and requinto, all
of which have different pitch and number of strings.
·
Güiro
or güicharo – hollowed ficus
with ridges that is played with a wire fork, adds a unique percussion sound
to many popular music genres.
·
Maracas
– ficus with a handle attached, filled with seeds or beans, are shaken to
make a rhythmic sound.
·
Conga
– drum made of a hollow tree trunk with an animal skin stretched across one
end.
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Art
José
Campeche
(1751-1809) painted religious art and is considered one of the most
important artists of the Americas. Francisco Oller (1833-1917),
studied in Europe and is known as the first Latin American Impressionist.
Well-known contemporary artists include Lorenzo Homar, Rafael
Tufiño, and Jorge Zeno.
In the 1950s the Puerto
Rican government hired graphic artists to create informational and
educational posters and prints, which you can find in galleries, museums,
and stores.
Ceramics and mural art are also plentiful and popular.
Literature
Puerto Rican
poets include Lola Rodríguez de Tió, Julia de Burgos, Luis Palés Matos,
Juan Antonio Corretjer, Luis Lloréns Torres; writers José Luis González,
Manuel Zeno Gandía, Luis Rafael Sánchez and Rosario Ferré.
Food
Food on the Island shows
influences of various cultures and how they've used local products --
plantains, seafood, pork, spices, and sofrito, a blend of onions
and spices used in many dishes. Favorite dishes are mofongo, rice
and beans, and chicken with rice. Rice is the principal starch, along with
yuca, ñame, and batata.
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Handcrafts
Several organizations in
Puerto Rico contribute to the preservation of traditional handcrafts: the
Crafts Development Area of PRIDCO, the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture,
the University of PR, and the Agricultural Extension Service.
Vejigante
Masks and Figurines
A vejigante is a costumed character with Indian, European, and
African roots. The tradition is strongest in coastal towns where African
slave descendants originally settled.
In the carnival held in the
town of Loíza, there are 4 main costumed characters: el Caballero
(the knight), los vejigantes , los viejos, (the elders), and
las locas (the crazy women). Whereas in Ponce, they make mostly
devil and animal masks out of brightly colored papier maché.
Hatillo's Masks Festival on
December 28th, the Day of the Holy Innocents, features the most exquisite
examples of this craft. Masks and figurines can be purchased in many shops
in Old San Juan and throughout the Island.
Santos
Carved wooden saints reached the height of their popularity at the turn of
the 20th century. Usually 12 to 20 inches tall, they are made throughout
the Island.
The Santos wood carving
practice is thought to be a blend of Catholic and indigenous traditions,
where small statues serve as objects of veneration and protection against
evil. The most popular figures are the virgins, male saints, and the Three
Kings.
Lace
Lace, or mundillo (bobbin lace), making is originally a European
art which came to the Island during the colonization period. The
particular kind of lace popular in Puerto Rico is found only on the Island
and in Spain.
It is a form of bobbin, or
pillow lace, where threads are wound on bobbins and the lace itself is
anchored to pillows. The craft is practiced mostly in the western part of
the island in the towns of Aguadilla, Aguada, Moca, and Isabela.
Several government agencies
contribute to the preservation of this craft. Women used to do it to make
a living, and now primarily to keep the craft alive. The finished product
is used to decorate women's clothing and undergarments, linens, baby
garments, nuptial and baptismal gowns. Mundillo can be found at
craft shows and bazaars.
Basket Weaving
Basket weaving on the Island has relied on the selection of available
materials. Native Indians had a basket tradition, African slaves added
theirs, further influenced by the Spaniards. Today, all sorts of
containers are weaved, in addition to pavas, the traditional straw
hat of Puerto Rico.
Hammocks
Hammocks have been in use for thousands of years – what a great way to
relax in the Island breeze. The Europeans were evidently quite surprised
by them when they came to the New World.
Originally they were made
from corn fibers, maguey, and cotton. Cotton twine has since replaced this
as standard construction material. In 1996, Don José González,
a hammock artisan from the town of
San Sebastián, was awarded a
Doctoral Degree in Humanities Honoris Causa from the Sacred Heart
University through a petition from PRIDCO's Craft Development Program.
Puerto Rico is thought to be the first Latin American country to honor the
hammock.
Miniature Facades
The architecture of Puerto Rico has inspired artisans to create small
replicas of Puerto Rican buildings, especially the iron-laced,
balcony-bedecked buildings of Old San Juan. Artists have used materials as
diverse as clay, wood, glass and metal. Everything from tiny magnets and
pins to framed facades suitable for wall hanging, display pieces, and
curios are readily available.
Any Question
E-Mail RRosado@comcast.net
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