The music of Puerto Rico

This Saturday saw us in Old San Juan at the Conservatory. In addition to our lessons several of the music faculty put on a special production and overview of Puerto Rican music. Featured here are typical instruments. From left to right... the Guiro, a hollow and dried gourd, stroked with a wire or wooden brush, the Bongo's, the Conga, the Cuatro and the Guitar, and not seen are the cowbell or the tiple.

The concert presented the genres of typical music: Plena (a bit like our country music), Aguinaldo (like Christmas carols), Seis (originally a 17th century Spanish dance music), Vals (a bit like a waltz) and Danza (a structured stylized formal dance music). Within the types are the basic rhythms - each with a different beat. The instruments each have their own role in either establishing melody, foundational beats and supporting or filling melodies and rhythms.

The cuatro always began the musical piece as that instrument was playing the melody and then the others joined in. The guitar to play the chords corresponding to the key of the melody, the bongo and conga with traditional drum beats of the music and the guiro either following the melody or the beats, depending upon the song. Most traditional Puerto Rican music is very fast, regardless of the time (4/4 or 3/4 or 2/4) and vigorous. Listening to the melodies and beats, the excitment became contagious and soon everyone was tapping their feet or gently clapping their hands...impossible to sit still!