THE INFLUENCE OF PUERTO RICAN MUSIC IN THE UNITED STATES Guest Speaker: Dr. Raymond Torres-Santos

RAFAEL HERNANDEZ AND THE POPULAR MUSIC OF PUERTO RICO IN THE TWENTIES AND THIRTIES

Now back in Puerto Rico, Rafael Hernandez became the major exponent of popular music. His Cumbanchero has been recorded by vocalists and orchestras around the world. A resident of New York since the 1920´s, Hernandez had the ability to evoke through his music the collective anger, frustrations, struggles and challenges among Puerto Ricans living in the metropolis at the time. In 1929, he composed in New York Lamento Borincano. Together with Pedro Flores and other composers, he was responsible for disseminating the true spirit of popular music from Puerto Rico all over Latin America and the United States. During the thirties, Puerto Rican, African and Spanish-derived music were at their peak, with interpretations by El Canario and his group. By 1957 both Bomba and Plena became popular in New York through Cortijo, Ismael Rivera and Mon Rivera.

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