#tumblr/Afro Puerto Rican Artist

[sexypinkon]

                                         S   E   X   Y   P   I    N    K

                             Puerto Rican Artist Amber Robles-Gordon

[ohmoguer]

Universal Music Latino and Instagram have joined forces to create a musical moment by launching an original music video to commemorate Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month called #SomosLimitless, which will live exclusively on Instagram starting today at 9am PT/12pm ET. This project highlights  the richness and diversity of the new generation of Latinx emerging game changers who are impacting culture and music through their artistry which pays homage to their proud heritage. The featured artists include: Puerto Rican sensation, Guaynaa (@guaynaa), Latin-trap artist, Mariah Angeliq (@mariahangeliq), regional Mexican artist, Adriel Favela (@adrielfavela), Latin-pop singer, Esteman (@estemanmusic), Panamanian, reggaeton rapper, Elisama @elisama, and producer, Sky Rompiendo (@skyrompiendo) who cooked up the beat along with a special spoken word piece from Afro-Latina poet, Melania Luisa Marte (@melatocatierra). The content showcases the artists’ fusion of unique sounds, beats and flavor inspired by their various cultures made exclusively for Instagram’s global stage. “We are beyond proud and excited to team up with Instagram to celebrate this new generation of artists who cross borders and bend convention with a one of a kind, celebratory genre-bending music video. #SomosLimitless celebrates the fluidity and diversity of the Latinx community through these talented, emerging musical artists on our roster.” - Angel Kaminsky, President, Universal Music Latino #SomosLimitless will be available on each of the featured artists' Instagram pages and can be found below. https://www.instagram.com/p/CUvlr1-shOz/?utm_medium=tumblr

[salsa-history-project]

Why so serious?

As part of our Salsa Un-class taught by Dr. Santos at the The University of Akron, the students will be pitted against one another in a debate concerning the question “Is Salsa Cuban or Puerto Rican”.

I want to acknowledge how great but slightly awkward it is for our class to have this debate. One of the richest parts of life is learning about other people and cultures, and I am grateful that this class exists. At the same time, I cannot help but recognize how odd it is that we as (as far as I know) non-Latino students are attempting to argue a point that people are born knowing about while we are learning about this culture from scholarly articles. I assume that where you are born will determine how someone would argue where Salsa comes from, but does researching both sides as a third party make one well informed or just an outsider?

 I have to admit, when I first heard about the debate, I laughed. I really didn’t understand why there would be a debate.  Why was it so serious? Was this just an exercise for the students to have a more engaged part in learning the history? Thankfully, as the semester went on and I learned more about the history of Latin dance and music and eventually what salsa means, it became more clear that this debate is serious and that people actively take part in it today, though in a less scripted manner and not for a grade. One of the articles that we are reading to prepare for this debate is Marisol Berrios-Miranda “Salsa Music as Expressive Liberation”, which takes the stance that Salsa is Puerto Rican, which is the stance I will be taking as well. Berrios-Miranda explains in her thesis statement how salsa was liberating for the working-class public that danced it. It was “a refuge” for the body and mind, a challenge to hierarchies of race, class and cultural and musical value, and, a way for Puerto Ricans specifically to free themselves from their dependence on and identification with the United States (Berrios-Miranda 162).

So you can see we have a lot to work with and some very strong points to make. But here on Tumblr, instead of writing another history paper, I wanted to comment on some of the less official parts of this study. First of all, it is notable that a culture should have to debate an icon of their cultural identity but is that really a bad thing? I don’t think so, because by arguing about it and considering it, the identity that is being fought for will continue to be remembered and rallied behind. In fact, as Berrios -Miranda noted, for people who were under the bondage of colonialism, the feeling of freedom that dance could provide was a matter of survival. And honestly, what a beautiful culture to defend in a debate. Salsa is the music of Puerto Ricans who were considered outsiders of the cultural and political majority, but they turned this status around to celebrate specifically the Afro-Cuban roots of Puerto-Rican musical culture. Besides this, Salsa became an inclusive artistic expression because Puerto Ricans resonated with the civil rights struggles of African-Americans and the political connotations of Salsa “resonated strongly with other Latin Americans as well” (Berrios-Miranda 169).

All told, the subject of this debate is valuable and fascinating so that it will be worth it to work hard in order for Team Puerto Rico to win.

[blkwata]

“Oye como va” - Santana

[ohmoguer]

Universal Music Latino and Instagram have joined forces to create a musical moment by launching an original music video to commemorate Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month called #SomosLimitless, which will live exclusively on Instagram starting today at 9am PT/12pm ET. This project highlights  the richness and diversity of the new generation of Latinx emerging game changers who are impacting culture and music through their artistry which pays homage to their proud heritage. The featured artists include: Puerto Rican sensation, Guaynaa (@guaynaa), Latin-trap artist, Mariah Angeliq (@mariahangeliq), regional Mexican artist, Adriel Favela (@adrielfavela), Latin-pop singer, Esteman (@estemanmusic), Panamanian, reggaeton rapper, Elisama @elisama, and producer, Sky Rompiendo (@skyrompiendo) who cooked up the beat along with a special spoken word piece from Afro-Latina poet, Melania Luisa Marte (@melatocatierra). The content showcases the artists’ fusion of unique sounds, beats and flavor inspired by their various cultures made exclusively for Instagram’s global stage. “We are beyond proud and excited to team up with Instagram to celebrate this new generation of artists who cross borders and bend convention with a one of a kind, celebratory genre-bending music video. #SomosLimitless celebrates the fluidity and diversity of the Latinx community through these talented, emerging musical artists on our roster.” - Angel Kaminsky, President, Universal Music Latino #SomosLimitless will be available on each of the featured artists' Instagram pages and can be found below. https://www.instagram.com/p/CUvlpmzs544/?utm_medium=tumblr

[ohmoguer]

Universal Music Latino and Instagram have joined forces to create a musical moment by launching an original music video to commemorate Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month called #SomosLimitless, which will live exclusively on Instagram starting today at 9am PT/12pm ET. This project highlights  the richness and diversity of the new generation of Latinx emerging game changers who are impacting culture and music through their artistry which pays homage to their proud heritage. The featured artists include: Puerto Rican sensation, Guaynaa (@guaynaa), Latin-trap artist, Mariah Angeliq (@mariahangeliq), regional Mexican artist, Adriel Favela (@adrielfavela), Latin-pop singer, Esteman (@estemanmusic), Panamanian, reggaeton rapper, Elisama @elisama, and producer, Sky Rompiendo (@skyrompiendo) who cooked up the beat along with a special spoken word piece from Afro-Latina poet, Melania Luisa Marte (@melatocatierra). The content showcases the artists’ fusion of unique sounds, beats and flavor inspired by their various cultures made exclusively for Instagram’s global stage. “We are beyond proud and excited to team up with Instagram to celebrate this new generation of artists who cross borders and bend convention with a one of a kind, celebratory genre-bending music video. #SomosLimitless celebrates the fluidity and diversity of the Latinx community through these talented, emerging musical artists on our roster.” - Angel Kaminsky, President, Universal Music Latino #SomosLimitless will be available on each of the featured artists' Instagram pages and can be found below. https://www.instagram.com/p/CUvlnqAMupY/?utm_medium=tumblr