My mother is Puerto Rican, so I have chosen to write about music from Puerto Rico. A genre of music which originates from Puerto Rico is the “Danza”. This is a genre of music which would be best for ballroom dancing and can be compared to the waltz. They are considered to have a mostly romantic feeling, but it can also sometimes have a depressing or melancholy feeling. They are fast paced and considered very lively. Some of the instruments used include violins, trumpets, and flutes. There are other versions however which use different instruments, such as guitars and drums. It was first made sometime during the 19th century, however there are not many history records of the music in Puerto Rico. The dance is still performed to this day, and the same style is still used. It is not very well known, so the only places where you would find this dance performed is at a wedding or family event held by very cultured Puerto Ricans.
I have a close friend who is Puerto Rican and I’ve been to a few of his family events and have saw this dance. It’s always seemed very traditional to me. I was always curious about this dance and what the story was during the events and I had no clear understanding on it until reading your post.
Hi Brandon!
My mom is Puerto Rican as well, and I remember growing up and listening to this type of music. However, I never really understood the history so thanks for explaining that. I also never really seen the dance associated with this music, so I feel like your post really helped me understand more about Puerto Rican culture.