Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
The Puerto Rican rockers Circo never do explain what the accidente was exactly, but it doesn’t make this music video any less entertaining to hear. Lead singer Fofé (aka José Luis Abreu, formerly of El Manjar de los Dioses) sounds at times like a latin Robert Smith of the Cure. But maybe it’s the other way around, since Smith is said to be a fan....
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
Oye, Vivanativa puts the effee in funky! This grupo boricua has been taking the island, and now the world, like a category five hurricane heading straight for San Juan.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
Have you ever had una sospecha (a suspicion)? Puerto Rico’s Circo explores restless uncertainty and mines a treasure chest of carnivalesque imagery from the world of Santeria, that mix of African deity worship and Catholicism that sprouted after African slaves arrived on the shores of the new world.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
Of course tuve is the preterite yo form tener, so one might be misled to think that the refrain of this tune is “I had, I had.” However, in casual speech on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, tú ve’ is short for tú ves (“you see”), but the uninitiated could easily mistake it for the verb tuve (“I had”). ¿Tú ve’?
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican by birth, Luis Fonsi moved at an early age to Orlando, Florida. Despite having participated in a number of minor “boy bands,” it wasn’t until he was discovered by the president of the music school at the University of Florida, where he was a student, that he was offered a sizable recording contract. Success came quickly as his reputation spread throughout Latin America.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
Deep in the heart of Old San Juan you can hear live salsa music playing most any night at the Nuyorican Cafe. We stepped into the alley for a breather and had a little chat with two lovely salseras to get an insider view of what brings them back to the dance floor night after night.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
“Rock en español” is what we refer to the relatively new movement of musicians from Spanish speaking countries singing in their native language. Back in the sixties and seventies, these musicians were taken up with rock like much of the rest of the world, but they sang in English. Puerto Rican Carli Muñoz explains while looking back over his career.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
We asked Carli Muñoz if he’d play a few bars of his latest compositions, and, luckily for us, he obliged. One of the tunes, “Portrait of Mia,” was written for his brand-new hija, Mia. We’re wondering if he’ll ever address her as mi’ja.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
Michael Stuart, born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, received his musical education from his uncle Israel Timbalero Stuart, who helped him secure background vocal gigs for Johnny Rivera and Marc Antony. Since 1996, Stuart has released nine records, his latest a salsa album entitled Sentimiento de un Rumbero released on Machete Records in 2007.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
Being a rebel is an undeniable part of becoming a rock star, and that’s something that Carli Muñoz couldn’t avoid when he was a kid. He had a head full of music, but little patience for music lessons. Lucky for him, the owner of the instrument store let him pound out his own musical education on the store piano.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
Some people say that rock ‘n roll is half attitude and half talent. We already know that Carli had enough disrespect for the rules to make it and in this video he makes it clear that he has enough respect for the music to complete the equation.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican half-brothers Residente (René Pérez Joglar) and Visitante (Eduardo José Cabra Martínez)—nicknamed for their respective roles in their weekly step-family visits to 13th Street—together make Calle 13. The music of Calle 13 is a sort of hip-hop/reggaeton with a sense of humor and playfulness. Watch out for the bleeped naughty words.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
The kings of Alternative Reggeaton, Calle 13, are well known for their smart, fast and funny lyrics; they disrespect anybody and everybody. That’s why "Un beso de desayuno" is a surprise: for the first time we are tempted to leave off the viewer discretion sign in a Calle 13 video!
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
No is a big word. Well, it has only two letters, but we all know how powerful it is. Ednita Nazario, here featuring Natalia Jiménez – lead singer of La Quinta Estación – wants to change her life, leave the past behind, close that door, finish that chapter. And there is only one way to do it: putting together a little “N” and a little “O.”
Difficulty: Intermediate
Puerto Rico
Kany García has been enjoying a successful career and winning some of the most prestigious Spanish music awards, but if you go by this song, her love life hasn’t been quite as satisfying. Well, luckily, she’s found a solution to this problem (batteries sold separately).
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