Lesson 5: Puerto Rico

This week in music class we travel to the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, which is formally a commonwealth of the United States. We’ll learn some of the ins and outs of Puerto Rico’s history, present statues and possible future as we enjoy the island’s amply awesome music.

OVERVIEW: Puerto Rico’s history started with the Tainos, ran into Christoper Columbus, cast its lot for centuries with Spain, then landed very firmly, though not always comfortably, within the sphere of the U.S.

MUSIC:Puerto Rico’s most striking musical genres, like bomba, draw inspiration from directly from the rhythms and song structures of Africa.

LANGUAGE: Puerto Rican Spanish is a unique mix of traditional Spanish, English, Taino, and African languages.

WHEN YOU GO THERE: Puerto Rico is a land of contradictions, which natural wonders and centuries of history existing in literally the same spaces as things that are hip, modern and new.

PUERTO RICAN BOMBA: Dancers lead the drummers in this Afro-Caribbean art form.

Explore the All Around This World songs from Puerto Rico:

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Explore these musical genres from Puerto Rico:

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