The Music of Puerto Rico has evolved as a heterogeneous and dynamic product of diverse cultural resources. The most conspicuous musical sources of Puerto Rico have primarily included European, Indigenous, and African influences, although many aspects of Puerto Rican music reflect origins elsewhere in the Caribbean. Puerto Rican music culture today comprises a wide and rich variety of genres, ranging from essentially native genres such as bomba, danza, and plena to more recent hybrid genres such as salsa, Latin trap and reggaeton. Broadly conceived, the realm of "Puerto Rican music" should naturally comprise the music culture of the millions of people of Puerto Rican descent who have lived in the United States, especially in New York City. Their music, from salsa to the boleros of Rafael Hernández, cannot be separated from the music culture of Puerto Rico itself.
The music of Colombia is an expression of Colombian culture, music genres, both traditional and modern, according with the features of each geographic region, although it is not uncommon to find different musical styles in the same region. The diversity in musical expressions found in Colombia can be seen as the result of a mixture of Amerindian, African, and European influences, as well as more modern American.
Bomba is both a traditional dance and musical style of Puerto Rico. Its origins are rooted in the island's history of African slavery but today has evolved into a community expression of Puerto Rican culture. While Bomba can be used as the generic name for a number of rhythms, it is truly about a creative, interactive relationship between dancers, percussionists and singers. Today it's practiced as a communal activity in its centers of origin in Loíza, Santurce, Mayagüez and Ponce. Also, Puerto Rican migrants have brought the tradition to some parts of the U.S. mainland.
Rafael Antonio Cortijo was a Puerto Rican musician, orchestra leader, composer and percussion instrument craftsman.
Gilberto Monroig was a Puerto Rican guitarist, and singer of boleros.
Gilberto Santa Rosa Cortés, nicknamed "El Caballero de la Salsa", is a Puerto Rican bandleader and singer of salsa and bolero. He is a six-time Grammy Award winner and has sold over three million records in the United States and Puerto Rico. Santa Rosa also starred in a comedy.
Fundamental is the second studio album by Puerto Rican progressive metal band Puya. Released in 1999, it is their first release on an international label (MCA).
Los Rabanes is a Latin Grammy winning ska rock fusion band from Chitré, Herrera, Panama. With a career spanning two decades and eight albums, they are considered pioneers in the region, and are the first band from Central America to win a Latin Grammy in the Best Rock Album Category.
Puya is the self-titled debut album of the Puerto Rican progressive metal band of the same name, released in 1995 by the Pompano Beach, Florida independent record label Noiz Boiz.
The bombo criollo, or simply bombo, is a family of Latin American drums derived from the European bass drum and native Latin American drum traditions. These drums are of smaller dimensions than the orchestral bass drum, and their frame can be made of wood or steel. They can be held vertically or diagonally on the body or a stand. The specific make of the instrument depends on the regional tradition. In Argentina, the bombo criollo is called bombo legüero and played in many folkloric styles. In Cuba, bombos are the largest drums played by the street comparsas in Santiago. In other countries, the term tambora is commonly used.
Bomba Estéreo is a Colombian band founded in Bogotá in 2005 by Simón Mejía. Their music has been described as "electro tropical" or "psychedelic cumbia".
Puya is a Puerto Rican progressive metal band. Formed in 1991, the band rose to prominence with their fusion of jazz, salsa and heavy metal.
Tropipop is a music genre that developed in Colombia in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It is a blend of traditional musical forms of the Caribbean Region of Colombia, mainly vallenato, with foreign Latin genres such as salsa and merengue, and pop and pop rock. The term "tropipop" comes from the synthesis of the words "tropical" and "pop music" describing the genre's mix of Latin tropical roots with American popular music.
Areyto is the second EP by Puerto Rican progressive metal band Puya, released digitally in 2010.
Ramón Ortiz is a Puerto Rican guitarist and composer, best known as a founding member and director of the progressive metal band Puya, the heavy metal band Ankla and his solo project ORTIZ. Ramón is a visionary and pioneer of the Latin metal movement internationally. His music is a fusion that blends the power of guitar driven heavy rock and metal with the syncopated beats of Afro-Caribbean music. As once stated by Peavey amplification: "his music is an exercise in contrast and control, like a fist inside a velvet glove. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he started the guitar at age seven. Son and grandson of the guitar and the Puerto Rican cuatro. He studied classical guitar at the Music Conservatory of Puerto Rico during his adolescence."
Message to Venus is an American rock band from Puerto Rico that was formed in 2008 by Jandre Nadal. John Feliciano (guitar), Edgar Ramos (bass), and Juan Font (drums) then completed the current lineup.
Fusion Jonda is a Puerto Rican band that blends Caribbean music with gypsy-flamenco sounds, melodies, and rhythms. The band also centers its music around Afrobeat, jazz, Arabic, and Indian music and has a contemporary approach.
Released in 2016, Sol Boricua is Cafêzz' second album.
Juan “Juancito” Torres Velez also known as "La Trompeta Nacional De Puerto Rico" was a Puerto Rican salsa and jazz trumpet player, composer, arranger, producer and musical director best known for his association with the Fania All-Stars from 1979 to 1985. He was known as a great soloist, specializing in upper register.
