The United States Effect on Puerto Rican Music

The United States Effect on Puerto Rican Music

The United States played an important role in the evolution of Puerto Rican culture, more specifically music. While Puerto Rican culture remains distinct from that of American culture, its historical progression is forever tied with that of the United States. This is evident in the evolution of Puerto Rican music. It is also evident in the experience of Puerto Rican musicians both on the island and in the Diaspora. U.S rule was in part responsible for Puerto Rican migration both within the island and off the island. This is so due to the political and economic relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States. As a result new genres, or styles of Puerto Rican music were created. The U.S also controlled how the music of the island would be communicated to the rest of the world. This effected the way Puerto Ricans expressed their identity through music.

The establishment of United States rule in Puerto Rico had an effect on the evolution of Puerto Rican culture as experienced by musicians in the United States. In evaluating the Puerto Rican situation it is important to discuss the context in which Puerto Rican musicians came to the United States, more specifically New York City, and what led to this migration.

The rise of the sugar staple and downfall of coffee in Puerto Rico, as caused by the United States, resulted in a migration of Puerto Rican workers. They moved to sugar processing areas on the island, in search of jobs. Among these workers were musicians. Musicians could not sustain themselves on music alone. Therefore, just as the rest of the population had to follow the jobs, so did the...

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...ans. This effected the expression of Puerto Rican identity through music. While artists such as Pedro Flores and Rafael Hernandez made Puerto Rican music in its more native form, and also expressed frustrations as to the current situation of Puerto Rico, such open expression was limited. In essence, the progression of Puerto Rican music is a microcosm of what has been the Puerto Rican experience since the rule of the Spanish. A dominant power has invaded this aspect of Puerto Rican culture and dictated the arena in which it can be expressed, and how it can be expressed. As a result the question of what is true Puerto Rican music is complicated. It is not my intention to diminish the quality, uniqueness, or distinctiveness of Puerto Rican music, but rather to acknowledge the role the United States has played in its evolution and its depiction to the rest of the world.