Puerto Rico is an island rich in cultural diversity and the Puerto Rican people (Boricuas or Puertorriquenos) are very proud of their heritage.



Any Boricua will tell you they are a little bit Taíno, a little bit European and a little bit African.  This comes through clearly in every aspect of Puerto Rican culture – language, food, music, dance, and more.  Some of the interesting cultural activities we got to explore first-hand are detailed below.

Boricuas

Tobacco

El Museo del Tobacco in Caguas is a fascinating place to visit!  When you first walk in, the smell of tobacco is overwhelming.  But the interesting history of tobacco on the island (for example, it was one of the first industries to employ women) is worth exploring.



So is the small cigar hand-rolling operation located within the museum.  If you get a chance, you should especially take the time to visit with Ramona, who began working in the tobacco industry when she was 16 years old…and after retiring decided to work at the museum, where she has been for the last 22 years!

Dance

We had the chance to visit the Casa del Compositor in Caguas.  While we went there expecting to learn about Puerto Rican music – and we did – the most fascinating thing we learned about was the secret messages passed between young ladies and their beaus during social dances using the ladies’ fans, or abanicos, during social dances of the late 19th century.

 

We also learned that social dancing in Puerto Rico gave rise to all sorts of local music and dancing styles.

Music

Salsa is a lively musical style so named because it spices things up whenever it is played.  While many argue that salsa is more Cuban than Puerto Rican, there is no denying that Puerto Rico played an important role in the evolution of salsa.

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And not just in salsa’s formation, but also its spread across the world.  One of Puerto Rico’s greatest ambassadors for salsa was the legendary Tite Alonso.

Another musical style we learned about in Puerto Rico is trovador.  We visited the Casa del Trovador in Caguas and met trovador musician (and tour guide extraordinaire) Don Chema.
For more on the music of the trovador, click here.