Puerto Rico really is the island of enchantment. Famous for its beaches and urban music culture, the mountain heartland is even more beautiful. Puerto Ricans are friendly and incredibly diverse. The food is delicious.
For Santo Pin Pin (2019-2021) our family house cat who never met anyone he didn’t love.
The island is just four hours from New York City. It is still a United States colony, so travel is easy (but why do we still have a colony?).
Spanish is the day-to-day language. Many people speak English, but you shouldn’t assume that. Please be COVID-19 safe because we don’t have a big medical system.
Celebrate Puerto Rico Emancipation Day!
Monday, March 22, 2021 🇵🇷
Celebrate the Bonfires of St. John’s Eve, Latin Midsummer
Wednesday, June 23, 2021
JUNE 23
Continue Reading Celebrate the Bonfires of St. John’s Eve, Latin Midsummer
The island is a natural paradise that reveals itself little by little, the longer you stay.
Many places retain their Indigenous Taíno names. You’ve probably been taught that we are long dead, but we are still here. Like everywhere else, the First Nations just intermarried. Taíno social structures remain part of Puerto Rican life today.
Social life is all about eating and drinking with family and friends at chinchorros, the roadside bars on the beaches and in the mountains, just as life has been since before the pirates came. There are even famous chinchorro routes through the mountains and beaches.
Puerto Rico Features
For our Padrino Borinquen, the great Nuyorican surrealist photographer Adál Maldonado (1948-2020) who proved that Puerto Ricans were first on the moon. Yes, really.
Puerto Rico has more than its share of talented artists. Puerto Ricans dominate today’s music industry. Adál said Puerto Rico became a cultural superpower because the colonizers denied Puerto Ricans the basic human right of self-determination.
Ama Ríos Flows From Bomba to Reggaeton to Latin Alternative
El Laberinto Series on Puerto Rican Bomba Drummers 🇵🇷🎵
Continue Reading Ama Ríos Flows From Bomba to Reggaeton to Latin Alternative
Héctor “Coco” Barez & El Laberinto del Coco Take Bomba to the World
richmond.edu 🇵🇷 Monday, February 22, 2021, FREE
Continue Reading Héctor “Coco” Barez & El Laberinto del Coco Take Bomba to the World
Puerto Rican Culture
Like all the Latin world, the heart of Puerto Rico is family. The main thing Puerto Ricans do is eat and drink with family and friends on the beaches and in the mountains all over the island.
To “chinchorrear” is to go from one surf shack bar to the next all day long late into the night. Then we start singing and dancing. It’s cultural.
Bomba
Bomba is a living Puerto Rican drum, song and dance tradition of the West African diaspora that has become an expression of Puerto Rican identity.…
Salsa NYC
Salsa is 1950s Cuban son montuno and rumba dance music mixed with Puerto Rican bomba and plena, and Harlem swing by Caribbean musicians in 1960s…
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is today’s global youth music and the sound of young New York City. Like rock and soft rock, salsa dura and salsa romántica, reggaeton…
Salsa is Cuban dance music of the 1950s developed by many Caribbean peoples, but it’s mostly Puerto Rican. It has Puerto Rican bomba and plena in it mixed with New York jazz.
Reggaeton is Jamaican-Panamanian-New Yorker, but Puerto Ricans made it global. Latin trap is the next sound after reggaeton.
Puerto Rico has the world’s longest Christmas holiday traditions. The Parranda is Christmas caroling Puerto Rican style. We celebrate from Puerto Rico Discovery Day (why do we still celebrate that?) on November 19 through Thanksgiving, Christmas, Three Kings, Las Octavitas until the Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastían (San Sebastián Street Festival) ends in mid-January.
We have strong theatre traditions. Chita Rivera, Rita Moreno and Raul Julia are Broadway and film legends. New Yorker Lin-Manuel Miranda (Freestyle Love Supreme, In the Heights) wrote Hamilton which is the Broadway hit of our generation. Raul Julia, Rosie Perez, Benicio del Toro, Gina Rodriguez, Luis Guzmán and Modesto Lacen are just a few of the many amazing Puerto Rican actors.
Start a Parranda, the Puerto Rican Christmas Caroling Tradition
November 19, 2021 to Three Kings Day 🇵🇷🎄
Continue Reading Start a Parranda, the Puerto Rican Christmas Caroling Tradition
Juan Bobo
Juan Bobo (Juan the Fool) is a Puerto Rican folk character who may seem silly, but actually teaches life lessons
Puerto Rico Festivals
Puerto Rico’s biggest festival is Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastían (The SanSe or San Sebastían Street Fair) in San Juan in mid-January. It ends Puerto Rico’s Christmas season, the world’s longest.
The big carnivals are Carnaval de Ponce (Ponce Carnival) in February and Loíza’s Festival de Santiago Apóstol (St. James Festival) in July.
There are normally several fiestas patronales (patron saint festivals) every weekend of the year somewhere in Puerto Rico. These small town carnivals are beautiful expressions of their local communities. Like big carnivals, the communities get busy a month before and local events in the week before the big party. Salsa and merengue bands play the fiestas patronales. Many of them are world-famous artists.
Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastían is Puerto Rico’s Big Festival
OLD SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 Friday-Monday, January 14-17, 2022
Continue Reading Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastían is Puerto Rico’s Big Festival
Carnaval de Ponce 2022 Ponce Carnival
PONCE, Puerto Rico 🇵🇷🪘🪘🪘Expected Friday, February 25 – Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Aibonito Flower Festival
Daily June 28-July 7, 2019
Puerto Rican festival
AIBONITO, Puerto Rico ~ This country fair has amazing flowers, kiddie rides, and lots of food, drink and dancing to live salsa legends
RAMAS Festival ~ Rincón Alternative Music Art Surf
RINCÓN, PUERTO RICO; Fri-Sun Mar 22-24, 2019; Surfing art music festival ~ Big party for the surfers in Puerto Rico this weekend. Yellow Man, Pirulo y La Tribu and Fofé y Los Fetiches headline. “Ja man”
Continue Reading RAMAS Festival ~ Rincón Alternative Music Art Surf
Regions of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico’s regions are Metro (San Juan), East, West, North, South and the Central Mountains.
The mountains of Puerto Rico’s Cordillera Central are a beautiful countryside with rainforests and everything that goes with that. They are the cultural heart of Puerto Rico.
One of Puerto Rico’s surprises is how much regional and local variation there is in people, culture, and even language.
Famous Puerto Ricans
Many people travel back and forth between Puerto Rico and New York City, but being island Puerto Rican is very different from being New York Puerto Rican. We cover New York Puerto Ricans on our Puerto Rican NYC page.
Remember Tito Rojas, “El Gallo Salsero”
Monday, June 14, 2021 🇵🇷
Happy Birthday Jerry Rivera!
Saturday, July 31, 2021 🇵🇷
Happy Birthday Gilberto Santa Rosa
Saturday, August 21, 2021 🇵🇷
Happy Birthday Roberto Roena!
Sunday, January 16, 2022 🇵🇷
Happy Birthday Daddy Yankee!
Thursday, February 3, 2022 🇵🇷
Ama Ríos Flows From Bomba to Reggaeton to Latin Alternative
El Laberinto Series on Puerto Rican Bomba Drummers 🇵🇷🎵
Continue Reading Ama Ríos Flows From Bomba to Reggaeton to Latin Alternative
Héctor “Coco” Barez & El Laberinto del Coco Take Bomba to the World
richmond.edu 🇵🇷 Monday, February 22, 2021, FREE
Continue Reading Héctor “Coco” Barez & El Laberinto del Coco Take Bomba to the World
Vico C does Instagram Live
Monday, March 23, 2020
Instagram
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El Filósofo del Rap gives a virtual concert on Instagram to keep spirits up during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Maelo Ruiz
Friday, March 20, 2020
LA BOOM NYC
Woodside, Queens
The Puerto Rican salsa romántica singer is joined by Colombian Vallenato group Binomio de Oro.
La Sonora Ponceña
Saturday, April 4, 2020
ANAIS LOUNGE
Passaic, New Jersey
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One of Puerto Rico’s legendary salsa bands. “Moreno soy,” “Hacheros pa’ un palo,” “Fuego en el 23.”
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico is the Most Popular Salsa Band Ever
March 12, 2020
RITZ THEATRE
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Original Sponsor
Madison Square Garden
Continue Reading El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico is the Most Popular Salsa Band Ever
Bad Bunny
Friday, December 6, 2019
PROSPECT HEIGHTS, Brooklyn ~ The Puerto Rican bad boy of Latin trap and reggaeton brings his X100Pre Tour (Para Siempre, Forever) to Barclays Center
Farruko puts the Reggae back in Reggaeton
Friday, November 29, 2019
Newark, New Jersey ~ ‘Baila Baila Baila’ and ‘Calma’ at the Mega Bash at Prudential Center
Zilia Sánchez: Eros
Tuesday-Saturday
Nov 21, 2019 – Jan 18, 2020
Galerie Lelong
CHELSEA, NYC
The Cuban artist’s new freestanding work and first marble and bronze sculptures
Visitante Eduardo Cabra is Trending Tropics
Wed, September 4, 2019
HUDSON SQUARE, NYC ~ Eduardo Cabra of Calle 13, one of the producers who seems to be unlimited in the types of Latin music he makes well, brings his latest project, Trending Tropics to SOB’s
Continue Reading Visitante Eduardo Cabra is Trending Tropics
Lalo Rodríguez, Salsa Romantica
Friday, July 26, 2019
SUMMERSTAGE
SOUNDVIEW PARK
Clason Point, The Bronx
Ricardo Rosselló, it’s time to go. ¡Ricky Renuncia!
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico ~ The inept and corrupt governor has entered popular culture like Juan Bobo, but Bobo is always saved in the end by his good heart. What will save you? ¡Ricky Renuncia!
Continue Reading Ricardo Rosselló, it’s time to go. ¡Ricky Renuncia!
“iLe” the Multi Grammy-Winning Ileana Cabra is her Own Woman after Calle 13
Saturday, March 16, 2019
CARNEGIE HALL CITYWIDE
EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO
El Barrio East Harlem, NYC
FREE
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Sponsored by
Carnegie Hall
Continue Reading “iLe” the Multi Grammy-Winning Ileana Cabra is her Own Woman after Calle 13
Luis Fonsi
I don’t know why he’s asking. I always get blamed.
Radio City Music Hall
Midtown, Manhattan
Monday, August 20, 2018
Wisin y Yandel
Madison Square Garden
Chelsea, Manhattan
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Laurie Hernandez is a star Gymnast, dancer, author and beyond
National Puerto Rican Day Parade 2017 Athlete of the Year
Continue Reading Laurie Hernandez is a star Gymnast, dancer, author and beyond
Modesto Lacen
The Puerto Rican actor best known for his role as Pedro Knight, the husband of Celia Cruz in the telenovela “Celia.”
Beatriz Santiago Muñoz ‘Fragile Mirrors’ at El Museo del Barrio
EAST HARLEM, Jan 11 – Apr 30, 2017 ~ Puerto Rican performance artist.
# puerto rican performance art exhibition
Continue Reading Beatriz Santiago Muñoz ‘Fragile Mirrors’ at El Museo del Barrio
Papo Colo ~ Procesión-Migración
The Puerto Rican performance artist gets support for his latest performance Procesión-Migración with the Puertos Ricos Festival at MoMA PS1 Jan 6-8, 2017
Puerto Rico Government
The government is supposed to work for the people. Make them work for you.
The Puerto Rican Government is at pr.gov
Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi is on Twitter @fortalezapr and @GovPierluisi
Senate President José Luis Dalmau is on Twitter @JoseLuisDalmau
Speaker of the House of Representatives Rafael “Tatito” Hernández is on Twitter @tatitohdz
Police
Call the police by dialing 911
Compañia de Turismo de Puerto Rico
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company promotes tourism.
- Tourist information is at discoverpuertorico.com (COVID-19 Quarantine information) and Twitter @discover_PR
- Business information is at prtourism.com and Twitter @CTPuertoRico
Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (ICP)
The Puerto Rican Culture Institute preserves and promotes Puerto Rico’s rich cultural diversity at icp.pr.gov and on Twitter @icppr
Non-Governmental Organizations
The Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce is a business advocate at camarapr.org and Twitter @Camarapr
The Sociedad Protectora de Animales de Puerto Rico (Humane Society of Puerto Rico) protects animal rights at hspr.org
ACOIPR / PR Animal Cruelty Officer/Investigator is on Facebook @acoipr
Federal Government and U.S. Organizations
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is probably the highest ranking member of the U.S. government with a Puerto Rico Rican heritage. She is a New York Puerto Rican from The Bronx.
As a colony, Puerto Rico lacks voting representation in the U.S. Congress, but these organizations and members of Congress regularly support the interests of Puerto Ricans.
- Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) and Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico (House of Representatives) Jenniffer González Colón
- New York Senator Chuck Schumer
- New York Representative Nydia Velázquez (NY District 7)
- New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY District 14)
Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico (FOMBPR or La Junta)
Puerto Rico is working through a functional bankruptcy. The federal law PROMESA created this organization to oversee Puerto Rico’s budget at juntasupervision.pr.gov and Twitter @FOMBPR
FEMA
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA District 2, has been active in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria in 2017. fema.gov and Twitter @femaregion2
Non-Governmental Organizations
ASPCA / American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals advocates for animal rights at aspca.org and Twitter @ASPCA
PETA / People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is at peta.org and on Twitter @peta