The Role of Music in Puerto Rican Popular Culture Essay

Cuban Rumba proved to be the stronger style that has weathered time and is now a key genre of music from Cuba. Both styles are important to the history of Cuba and both give excellent insight into the history of Afro-Cubans and their

The fact that island Puerto Ricans see themselves as a nation whereas mainland Puerto Ricans see themselves as a minority and an ethnic group in The United States, gives rise to the main differences that exist between the two. However, in order to delve into deeper comparisons between the ways in which island and mainland Puerto Ricans self-identify, it is imperative to understand the historical events that have shaped Puerto Ricans and their heritage.

Puerto Rican culture is very unique and diverse and is mainly influenced by its past. It is a melting pot of Taino Indian, Spanish, African, and American cultures, which is what makes Puerto Rico unique. Puerto Rican music, clothing, food, traditions, holidays, languages, and religions are all influenced from the diversity of the population. The official languages are Spanish and English because of the long period of time when Spain ruled and then later, when it became U.S. territory. The majority of the population of Puerto Rico is also Roman Catholic or Protestant again, because it was ruled by the Spanish Crown for over an extended period of time.

Salsa also can be known for the most familiar and biggest impact form of music from Puerto Rico. Salsa is a big part of Latin pop music. (Centralhome) There is no real evidence has to who invented salsa music. (Centralhome) Most of the cultures that do listen to salsa music are the Cubans or Puerto Ricans. (Centralhome) Many people of the Latin culture feels that the salsa really gathers the feeling of many emotions into

Hispanic’s music had a great impact in USA. Nowadays, Americans listen to Hispanics’ music. Hispanics’ music now is part of American’s culture. These changes in USA began around of 19th century, when Hispanics immigration increases in the USA. One of the big changes in music occurred around 1940s, when Americans began to recognize the efforts of Cuban-American musicians. One of the Cuban bands was Cugat. It was known better Orchestra ‘based in New York’s Waldorf Astoria’ which had a great visual and musical style. Another Cuban band was Machito who were dominated as one of the best New York’s scenes at that time. Thanks, to those bans Americans adopted some of Cubans’ dances and performances such as rumba, mambo and cumbia. Americans used and still using the Cuban instruments like bongos and maracas to create their rhythms. Later on, Americans created Jazz by African Americans with the influenced of Cuban’s music.

Hispanic people are people of passion and richness. Throughout their history, they have experienced hard work in the migrant fields, discrimination, and exploitation. When the Depression came, they were accused of taking jobs away from ‘real’ Americans (Florido, 2015), From the 1940’s through today, people still complain about illegal Mexican immigrants who come to the U.S. They claim the immigrants are uneducated with no job skills, stay in poor housing, and lack education. It is against this backdrop that Chicano musicians write their music. They play with a soulful timbre that music lovers throughout the world seek as they attend their concerts, buy their albums, and download their songs.

Explanation: Until 2004 Reggaeton was music that was never really heard of. Although Spanish rap did exist, no one really developed a hybrid of rap and singing. Reggaeton is often reffered to as the Spanish Reggae. Its popularity in the 2000’s made it a part of many Caribbean Cultures. It is now the most popular music-genre in Puerto Rico.

The instruments used in the rumba each play a key part and are essential in constructing the unique sound of the rumba. The claves, a pair of wooden sticks struck against one another, begin the rumba. They help keep the rhythm and often accelerate the pulse and vary the patterns of the rumba. They also set the tempo and the mood of the rumba. The Conga drums, also essential, are barrel shaped and have varying pitches. The most important conga is the quinto, or lead drum. Its’ function is to improvise. The Cata is a bamboo or wooden tube played with sticks. It gets its name from the sound that it makes. The Madruga is an iron shaker that helps keep a steady basic pulse. The Cajones are wooden packing cases that are beat on like drums. They originated from when laws were passed banning the use of real drums due to the colonists’ fear of slave insurrections.

Bomba is a unique genre of Puerto Rican music that represents the survival of African roots. Bomba originated from African slaves who worked in the sugar cane fields. Slaves were usually forbidden to express their traditions, thus instead they created bomba as means of communication. Bomba was frequently hosted/formed on Sundays in the sugar plantations or in the town's plazas. The music was mainly a form to escape their problems rather than expressing them through the music. The film, Bomba: Dancing the Drum, manifest the dedication of the Cepeda Family to keep Bomba alive. Throughout years, the Cepeda family has devoted their spirituality, creativity, collective energy, and talent to maintain the tradition in Puerto Rico. Don Rafael Cepeda,

Latin America has always had a rich history regarding music. This music ranges from salsa, rumba, son, tango and Congo. There is, however, an unpopular type of genre that has a rich history. This genre is called Bomba; Bomba is a musical art form from the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. Bomba is very unique and because of this many people start to ask what is bomba and where does it come from? It combines drumming, dancing and song. Bomba was seen as a celebration of dexterity and synergy between dancers and drummers. This union of drumming, singing, and dancing helped to create a unique genre of Latin American music.

Work songs were another influential form of musical expression in the lives of slaves, and these songs were sung by a field of hands in order to coordinate and pace their work, and slave owners expected their slaves to sing. In fact, many slave-masters discovered that drums could be used as a secret means of communication. Many of the slave owners were concerned that this secret means of communication could eventually lead to a slave uprising. As a result, drums were banned, but the enslaved Africans substituted “hand clapping” in the place of drums in order to reproduce the complex rhythms of African drumming.

The Traditional music of Africa presents itself as an oral practice of instrumental skill passed down from ancient ancestors. This idea has influenced the sound produced through instrumentation thus allowing the replication of spoken language. Within Ghanaian tradition, the practice of dance drumming is a part of everyday culture and can be linked to religion, politics, life events and entertainment (Green 2012 p. 235-238). The practice of drumming acts as the central focus of Ghana’s musical culture functioning to form well-connected ethnic groups (Jones 1964 p. 334). Through the relationship of music and traditional ritual, an understanding of the Ghanaian culture may be

A simple drum conceived in the wild of Africa, shares its silent story of the hidden lives of the slaves of North America. It melody mixed three cultures that are now one, and the beating of modern drums in jazz and blues gives reminder of a culture that once in bondage but now enjoys the rhythm of

The Akan drum comes from the Akan culture in West Africa which is now present-day Ghana. The drum was not only used as a musical instrument and for celebrations it was also used for communication between villages. The Akan people would use the instrument as a “talking drum”, they would create different tones and sounds using the Akan language that would tell the villagers whether is was time for celebration or whether it was time for them to go to war.