Boricua Boricuas!!! On this page I plan to provide many links to the homeland of my ancestors, the beautiful island of "Puerto Rico", these links will provide information on our culture and history. I will include some excellent links to some great music.

HISTORY

IN NOVEMBER OF 1493 A MAN ON HIS SECOND VOYAGE LANDED ON AN ISLAND. ADMIRING THE VIEW HE NAMED IT "SAN JUAN BAUTISTA". THIS MAN WAS NONE OTHER THAN CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, WHO WAS ON HIS SECOND VOYAGE TO THE "NEW WORLD". LATER THOUGH, THE ISLAND WAS RENAMED PUERTO RICO (MEANING RICH PORT) AND THE CAPITAL WAS NAMED SAN JUAN. COLUMBUS WASN'T THE FIRST ON THE ISLAND. PUERTO RICO WAS INHABITED BY THE NATIVES CALLED THE "TAINO" INDIANS. THESE PEACEFULL INDIANS LOVED THEIR LAND WHICH THEY CALLED "BORIQUEN". BUT WHEN THE SPANISH ARRIVED THEY WERE TAKEN AS SLAVES AND EVENTUALLY THE RACE VANISHED.

PUERTO RICO WAS A SPANISH TERRITORY FOR QUITE SOME TIME UNTIL THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR IN 1898 WHEN THE SPANISH GAVE PUERTO RICO TO THE UNITED STATES AS PART OF THE TREATY OF PARIS WHICH OFFICIALLY ENDED THE WAR. PUERTO RICO HAD BECOME JUST ANOTHER U.S. TERRITORY UNTIL THE 1950'S WHEN THE "ESTADO LIBRE ASSOCIADO" WAS FORMED AND PUERTO RICO WAS OFFICIALLY PROCLAIMED A COMMONWEALTH OF THE UNITED STATES.

Puerto Ricans have music in their spirit and in their souls...It seems to be ever present in their lives from their childhood and sweetens their very existence ...from the soft rhythm of the Puerto Rican danza to the native plenas to hot salsa..Puerto Ricans sing while they play and work...

No one quite agrees about who is the king of salsa today, but Willie Colón, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, and Hector Lavoe are on everyone's list as the "Grand Masters of today's salsa beat." Hundreds of young salseros are waiting to take their thrones as the popularity (and income levels) of the emerging salsa stars continues to climb.

Listen to these Puerto Rican radio stations live on the Net !!!

If you are interested in some of the hottest *Puerto Rican* and *Latino* links on the net! Then visit my *Links Page*