Yound Caterina Francesco talks about her favorite Puerto Rican musical group, Menudo and their impact on Puerto Rican culture: how it changed the culture and how it brings their traditions onto a new stage... the radio.
(To the right: Menudo, a Puerto Rican Music group created in 1977).
My favorite music group is our native Puerto Rican group known as Menudo. The band brothers (Carlos, Oscar, Rickey Melendez and various others) make music that caused my heart to sing. For the most part, many Puerto Rican music groups were traditional, and they were not known world wide, yet this group of boys have made it to the top… the very very top. I remember reading a magazine where Menudo’s producer said that “If we play it cool, I know, I feel, that Menudo will be successful around the world” and look at them, they have become one of the most successful music groups in the world. On top of playing music, they have been in a weekly TV show and even made a movie. They have been in the Guinness book of World Records for having one of the largest recorded audiences ever and have played concerts in places like Mexico City and in the United States. Apparently while they were in New York, they came during a Puerto Rican parade; they were able to show New York City their nationalist pride by being there. They were also the first Latin American group to record their music in various languages. While my copy of their CD is in Spanish, they have also made CDs in English, Portuguese, Italian and Tagalo. It is amazing how music, one band, one group, can bring so many nations together with one common interest other then an interest of war. With these boys, Puerto Rico has finally made a name for itself in the world. Puerto Rico is no longer only known for its sugar economy, but also for the production of one of the most famous music groups in the world. One of their most notably famous songs is “Quiero Ser” which means “I want to be” and can be heard not only here in Puerto Rican homes, but translated and on American radio stations. They have made over fifty albums and in 1984, only a mere six years ago, they released an album called “Reaching Out” which is still very famous in the United States today. It is funny how these boys have given the Americans some of our culture while we have also taken theirs. Just imagine, Puerto Rican culture has been spread and welcomed by the United States in cities like New York and San Francisco while we have been embracing American customs as well.Menudo is just one type of music that is made here in Puerto Rico and is notably a form of the more modern and more western pop. In Puerto Rico, music is a branch of our culture that goes back all the way to our native roots. Every nation that has influenced us or tried to change us has only made our traditions greater and stronger. Anyone can observe these changes and triumphs by looking at the instruments that make our music so famous. We have incorporated many different instruments into our music. You have more traditional instruments such as the Guichno to instruments that are from the Western world such as violins, cellos, brass instruments (trumpet, trombone, and saxophone) and also the piano. A Guichno is a Taino instrument that consists of a hollowed out gourd. It has been played in Puerto Rican music for centuries and it is very inspiring to see and hear it in our modern music.
Maybe being a commonwealth under the United States is not going to be that bad in the future since they have showed us that we can be our own nation and still have our own customs and traditions. Their rule and support may actually benefit our nation in other ways and will help us grow as Puerto Ricans. With all the American customs we have acquired and grown used to, we can still recognize our own roots and our own background and as we have learned from our pop music groups, we can mix the American traditions and our Caribbean traditions to form something much greater. The ability to be Puerto Ricans and the ability to notice, understand and believe in our cultures is what makes us Puerto Ricans and not Americans. Through music we can be ourselves and well as incorporate western ideas and learn from other nations.
Caterina Francesco
(Picture Citation:http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Menudo-puerto-rico-357039_509_508.jpg)
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