Food, Art & Music
FOOD
MUSIC & PERFORMING ARTS
VISUAL ARTS
Puerto Rican painting was heavily influenced by its Spanish roots. Many painters emulated the style of well-known Spanish artists, creating religious scenes and portraits of important people and families. Photography has also been an important medium in Puerto Rico.
Sources:
(See References page for information on images)
- Rum is the national drink, and you can buy it in almost any shade. Puerto Rico is the world's leading rum producer; 80% of the rum consumed in the United States hails from the island.
- Sofrito is a mixture of fresh garlic, salt, green peppers, and onion mashed together into a paste using a wooden bowl called a pilon that is like a mortar and pestle, then sauteed in hot oil. This mixture is used as a base for many soups and other traditional dishes.
- Adobo is a marinade used for meats that is a combination of lemon, garlic, salt, pepper, and other spices.
- Bacalodo is salt-marinated cod fish that is a staple of the Puerto Rican diet. It is often eaten at breakfast, but can be used in any meals as well.
- Paella (as pictured above) is a traditional arborio rice dish made in a large, flat pan over a number of hours that can include chicken, sausage, and seafood, and many distinctive seasonings and flavors including saffron, oregano, and lemon.
MUSIC & PERFORMING ARTS
- Music is an important part of the culture of Puerto Rico. Family and holiday celebrations are often filled with music and dancing.
- Salsa, as a musical form, was the result of the evolution and fusion of the Cuban son montuno, rumba, bomba, and plena, as well as some of the harmonics of the American Black tradition, which include jazz, rhythm and blues, and funk and soul.
- Ricky Martin was born in Puerto Rico, and is therefore a U.S. citizen. Martin's single, "Livin' La Vida Loca", released in 1999, made him a major sensation in the United States, and initiated the crossover of many other Latino pop stars including Jennifer Lopez.
- Marc Anthony was born in New York City in the 1960s to Puerto Rican parents. He is best known for his tropical salsa musical style, for which he has sold millions of albums.
- Raul Julia was born in Puerto Rico, and is probably best known in the United States for his portrayal of Gomez in the movie remake of "The Addams Family". He was also a well respected stage actor and made a number of films in the U.S. before dying from complications of a stroke at the age of 54.
- Benicio Del Toro is a native of Puerto Rico, and is a well respected actor in the U.S. He received accolades for his role in "The Usual Suspects" in 1995, and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor for his role in Steven Soderbergh's film, "Traffic" in 2000.
VISUAL ARTS
Puerto Rican painting was heavily influenced by its Spanish roots. Many painters emulated the style of well-known Spanish artists, creating religious scenes and portraits of important people and families. Photography has also been an important medium in Puerto Rico.
- Jose Campeche was an 18th century painter in the Americas well known for his Rococo style of portraiture.
- Francisco Oller was a 19th century painter, and the only Latin American artist involved in the Impressionist movement.
- Manuel Rivera-Ortiz is a photographer, born in 1968 in a Puerto Rican barrio. He received his degree in journalism from Columbia, and his photography documents the living conditions of people in less developed nations. His work is reminiscent of Walker Evans' work during the Great Depression, capturing the dignity and strength of people living in difficult circumstances.
Sources:
(See References page for information on images)