Marcus Garvey once said, “The Black skin is not a badge of shame, but rather a glorious symbol of national greatness,” exemplifying not only that the African blood that flows through our veins is indeed wonderful, but is more a national treasure than a national tragedy. Countries across the world, in some form have been altered by the touch of the African influence whether that is socially and/or culturally. The same fate lies with the islands of the Caribbean, especially the island of Puerto Rico located in the Greater Antilles. Of all the African influential branches, Puerto Rican music would be one social phenomenon to be ultimately shaped and modified by African influence directly. Beginning with the African slaves, this paper covers the musically genres created over time containing West African elements, as well as covering the ways in which the Puerto Rican society influenced the music as well as how the music effected the society. This paper will also include the ways in which African descendants in Puerto Rico [musicians] would rise to fame despite existing in an era of open racism. Ultimately, explaining how the music and the people go hand in hand.
In analyzing the influence of Africa in Puerto Rico, it would be irresponsible to refuse to acknowledge the initial introduction of African slaves to the island of Puerto Rico that by which serves as the main vessel of contact and cultural integration. By the turn of the 18th century, inhabitants of the island where being substituted for African slaves due to the high death rates resulting from “ war, disease, slavery, emigration,” etc. (Duany, 188) Most of the slaves to whom where enslaved were predominantly, but not limited to the Yoruba and Bantu cultures of West Africa. D...
... middle of paper ...
...a, Cheo Feliciano, and even Tego Caulderon of today’s reggaeton genre. These men not only stood for Latino pride, but the acknowledgement and equal appreciation of the African decent.
In conclusion, it is without a doubt that African blood as well as influence beats within the Puerto Rican national identity to which is embodied and distributed within the music. The most popular music is based off of West African traditions and concepts, and the most infamous artist are black themselves. Although, not entirely accepted within the Puerto Rican and Latino communities, the African presence exemplified in day to day activities such as listening to music are in their own ways acceptance and reaffirmation of African cultural elements within the Puerto Rican realm of society. So instead of ending with a triumphant Viva Puerto Rico, I conclude with a glorious Viva Africa!
To illustrate how the social environment determined ‘The Politics of Plagiarism,” an article written by Jeff Stark exploring how Tom Zé’s unusual music is a result from the flourishing civil society in Brazil and the collective critique of capitalism. During this time period, the Tropicália movement was “set against injustice, restrictive sexuality and a military dictatorship.” Therefore, songs that protested against the state and that claimed freedom rights was the perfect environment for artists such as Zè or Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso. These artists then used music as a tool for creating “a genre of music loosely based on the idea of marrying native sounds with foreign influences or music from other cultures.” Similarly, Professor Ramsey’s ‘I will Forever Remain Faithful” also illustrates how social environment can impact individuals and encourage them to embrace Lil Wayne’s music. When Ramsey points out that he “had a student who would rap a Lil Wayne line if he didn't know the answer to a question”, he shows the fact that the rapper himself had become a part of everyday life. Especially, when "On New Orleans radio, it seems like nearly every song features Lil
The history of Africans in Mexico is an oft-neglected facet of the cultural complexities of that country. In 1519, Hernando Cortes brought 6 African slaves with him to Mexico; these individuals served the conquest as personal servants, carriers, and laborers.[1] In the years to come, slavery would become a critical component of the colonial economy with approximately 2,000 slaves arriving each year 1580-1650; it is estimated that a total of 200,000 Africans were brought to Mexico during the colonial period.[2] Given this large number of slaves, the lengthy period of their importation, and the inevitable mixing of races, which took place throughout the colony, the historical and cultural significance of bozales, criollos, mulattoes, and zambos is far-reaching. The colonial period provides an excellent starting place for an examination of the significance of these groups not only because the institution of African slavery was introduced to New Spain at that time, but also because the regular influx of native Africans combined with the close attention paid to color-based castas in official records allows historians to trace the influence of African culture more readily during that period.
In order to understand the current situation of Puerto Ricans one must look at their history and retrace the sequence of events that led to the current formation of the Puerto Rican people. An important component of this history is the time Puerto Rico spent under Spanish rule. Studying this portion of Puerto Rican history forces us to acknowledge the contribution the Spaniards, European immigrants, and African slaves had on Puerto Rican identity as we consider it today. This also addresses contemporary debates on Puerto Rican identity. An example of this is evident in an essay written by Jose Luis Gonzales entitled "Puerto Rico : Th Four Storied Country". In the article Gonzales points out what he feels is a disregard toward the African contribution to the Puerto Rican identity. He argues that the first Puerto Ricans were black , based on his interpretation that Africans were the first group to come to Puerto Rico and reproduce who did not have ties to a "motherland" because they were slaves. This is unlike the Spaniard elites and Criolles that demonstrated their commitment and loyalty to Spain. Since they had no other place to go, Puerto Rico was their motherland. Gonzalez also points out that the culture of a region is always the culture of the elite, not the popular culture.
The early years of Spanish rule began with the gradual development of a settler society as well as the native Taino Indians. The Taino population was soon drastically reduced and the structure of this society, diversified with the introduction of African Slave laborers. Race is therefore a core element in the discussion of the Puerto Rican identity. The early settlers came from Europe in search of riches that were soon diminished and therefore a natural need for other economic means had to be developed by the people who decided to remain behind. Some of the people who remained in Puerto Rico were coerced into doing so because of...
The Pandora’s box of information that I have discovered about Puerto Rico under early U.S rule provide some fascinating details on the background of contradictions that characterize debates on the political, economic and social issues concerning the island. Since its invasion in 1898, the United States has shaped the policies of the island according to its own discretion in spite of the people of Puerto Rico. The country did not have time to shed the skin of Spanish colonial rule before the United States set foot on the island to add its own layer of imperial legacy. The island was taken as a compromise to end the Spanish American War. How the newly acquired territory would take shape, and some of the local and international influences that might have contributed to the evolution of the Puerto Rican political, social and economical structure are some of the issues that I hope to address. As is customary an attempted commentary of this sort cannot be complete without the subject of identity, after all, this issue seems to be at the core of the status of the island.
African music has had a major influence on Cuban culture beginning in the early 1550’s through slave trade. Thousands of slaves were brought to Spain in the 1400’s and eventually migrated to Cuba. Since these “Ladinos” were accustomed to Spanish culture and language, they easily were able to get by in Cuba and even escape slavery. As a result, Slave owners in Cuba brought more slaves directly from Africa. In 1526, a Royal Decree allowed slaves to buy their freedom, resulting in increased interaction and ethnic mixing among Cubans and Africans. All aspects of both cultures began to blend, especially among working class Cubans and Africans. Music became a common bond between the two groups
Emilio Pantojas-García. “The Puerto Rican Paradox: Colonialism Revisited, 2005.” University of Texas Press Latin American Research Review 40.3 (2005) 163-176
Another week passes by and this time around we go deeper into ideas of Oral traditions, we read Las Casas' Devastation of the Indies, Couvade" by Wilson Harris, and "The Amerindian Legacy" by Wilson Harris. In these pieces, we went over the “nature of the development of the arts in Caribbean Society” and how their program is designed to inform students about their heritage and spark discussions. Then we talk about Bartolomé de las Casas story about the slaughterer of the Indie. The story is told from a priest point of view who talks down about the Indians and call the Spaniard's savages for killing without a second thought and holding gold above God. “Are still acting like the ravening beast, killing, terrorizing, afflicting, torturing, and
Ray Allen, Lois Wilcken. "Island Sounds in the Global City: Caribbean Popular Music and Identity in New York." 1-6. Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1988.
My paper will guide you through the history of Jamaican slavery, while inserting popular reggae music which I feel exemplifies the point I am trying to make: the history or Jamaica has affected reggae music. My paper describes the Transatlantic Journey, British rule in Jamaica, and what happened to the Jamaican people once they were emancipated. I feel that the lyrics I have chosen to incorporate into my paper are prime examples of how such popular reggae artists, such as Bob Marley and Burning Spear, were influenced by the oppression of their people.
Elizabeth Bowen once said, “Art is one thing that can go on mattering once it has stopped hurting.(Bowen, Exploitation)” This rings true in terms of what art has done and continues to do for Caribbean peoples. In the Caribbean, art plays a very important and large role in the way people live their lives. In the days of slavery, art was used to help them cope with their daily traumas. Today, art is used to enhance and preserve Caribbean culture. Art has been used in multiple mediums to allow Caribbean people to express themselves, to challenge Western norms, and to showcase Caribbean culture. Through an analysis of music, dance, and celebration this essay will explore the ways in which Caribbean people resist, perform and represent the vibrant
Powell, A. (2007). The Music of African Americans and its Impact on the American Culture in the 1960’s and the 1970’s. Miller African Centered Academy, 1. Retrieved from http://www.chatham.edu/pti/curriculum/units/2007/Powell.pdf
Music played a very important role in the lives of people is diaspora communities. It served as a reminder for the immigrants of their homeland, which allowed them to proudly express their national and cultural identities. Diaspora refers to an international network of communities linked together by the identification of a common ancestral homeland and culture. People in these communities are no longer living in their homelands, with no guarantee of a return either. (Bakan, 19). Music played a large role in African diaspora communities. This was first started by the slave trades many years ago when slave traders traveled to the coast of West Africa to capture Africans and brought them back to the United States to be slaves on plantations. Slaves were more prone to loose a sense of their own culture because every new aspect of their lives was forced upon them, therefore they were undoubtedly forced to abandon their n...
The study of the “expressive culture” of African descended peoples in Latin America can reveal quite a lot about their history and their contributions to the historical formation of peoples and nations in modern Latin America. Their expressive culture in both Cuba and Brazil, and in much of Latin America, was initially shunned and viewed as something barbaric and distinctly ‘other.’ Cuba and Brazil in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were focused on protecting, preserving, and promoting whiteness and a culture almost entirely derived from European tradition. This changed in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s, as Afro-Latin American culture and tradition gained acceptance and national publicity as something uniquely their own. As part of a larger
Music has played a role in society since the dawn of man. Said to be the beginning of communication in early civilization, music and dance have influenced how we think, act and treat members of our own society. Song and dance is used in rites of passage ceremonies such as births, weddings and funerals throughout the world. Jamaican and Yoruba cultures have made many contributions to our society. The uses of this music as a vehicle for political issues, values, and beliefs have been used by many musicians from different cultures. I intend to discuss the Contribution of these two contemporary cultures music and their effect on society.