Puerto Rican music has long wrestled between the opposing forces of European music and emerging Afro-Caribbean influences. What won, more often than not, was the "danza," or the "national" dance of Puerto Rico, as dictated by the upper classes. But all that changed in 1917 when American citizenship was granted to Puerto Ricans and a wave of immigrants flocked to the US, particularly New York, in pursuit of economic opportunities. Confronted with wrenching changes of a new country, Puerto Ricans held tight to their culture, often taking comfort in their music -- which, away from the constraints of their home island, was free to bloom.
With Puerto Rican consumers buying records stateside by the end of the 1920s, American record labels saw a niche to fill. They began recording Puerto Rican artists, many of whom had relocated to New York by that time. With the new job possibilities in the US came numerous musical opportunities as well. Freed of the class-imposed restrictions of the island, immigrants tackled new forms of music. Traditional folk styles -- such as the bomba that featured two booming bass drums -- mixed with a myriad of influences to create vibrant and contagious new sounds. New genres were born, older ones were updated, and Puerto Rico, along with Cuba and Mexico, blazed a trail into the American and Caribbean musical markets.
If all that sounds like a history lesson, take comfort in this: no other history makes you shake your tail feathers like Lamento Borincano does. This survey, presented on two CDs, spans the period from 1916 to 1939. Arhoolie Records, renowned for its diligence, has once again unearthed over two dozen long-forgotten gems, each one of which is meticulously detailed in the tremendous liner notes. Even without the help of the notes, the evolution of this music is as obvious as it is captivating. With the passing years came the introduction of new sounds, instruments and styles. No longer mere folk music, the Puerto Rican tunes evolved to include bolero, jazz, two step and rumba sounds. The fifty cuts presented herein showcase some twenty artists who were both pioneers and opportunists, in the best sense of the word. While reverent toward their homeland's traditional music, they were wise enough to bend the rules and mix the styles so that the songs resonated with new audiences hungry for the latest trends. These were clever and talented artists, and this remarkable menagerie of their gems is nothing short of fascinating.
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