I need to know some information about Puerto Rico?

Question

Like Sports, Culture, Customs Food,and Education. I doing a project on similarities and differences between USA and Puerto Rico.

Answer 1

About the country go to http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rq.html

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1%
male: 93.9%
female: 94.4% (2002 est.)

Here is more:




The Taíno tribe-people, the Spaniards, and the black slaves imported from Africa all contributed to the folklore heritage of Puerto Rico. The Taíno passed their legends down orally; they were first recorded by the Spanish colonialists. Some of the Taíno language was preserved by writers who used Taíno words to describe the alien aspects of their new surroundings, including casabe (a kind of bread) and bohío (a native thatched hut).

As for the tribe's mythology, Fray Damian López de Haro (1581-1648) and Juan de Castellanos (1522-1607) both recorded some of the more frequently recited Taíno folk tales. Today, Puerto Rico anthropologists, writers, and artists are once again examining Taíno folk culture to better understand their "roots".


Many of these legends are ghost tales about demons who roam the island after dark, pursuing food or people or else protecting gold and loot that pirates long ago stashed away for safekeeping. Much of the island's folklore also dealt with the forces of nature that would descend in the form of a "big blow" (hurricane), decimating local crops and settlements. Recently some Puerto Rican writers have made serious attempts to collect this body of written folk tales. Cayetano Coll y Toste (1850-1930), for example, published his literary classic Leyendas y tradiciones puertorriqueñas between 1924 and 1925.

Among many of the African customs and beliefs Santería played and still play an important role in Puerto Rican Folklore. The practice of Santería dates to the fifteenth century when its earliest practitioners - members of the Yoruba people of West Africa - were brought to Puerto Rico as slaves. Not allowed to practice their traditional religion, the Santería priests, called Santeros, hid their rituals under the guise of Roman Catholic figures. To find more about Santería and its rituals you should visit a Botánica, a specialized shops that retail a variety of articles such as figurines of plastic, wood, wax and porcelain, pictures of saints, rosary beads, candles, dried herbs, amulets, prayer books, and other religious pieces, mixing Christian, African and Caribbean motifs.

One of the most prominent Puerto Rican figures is "el jíbaro" (hillbilly), a country person from the mountainous interior, is an idealized folk hero, common in island literature and the arts. The jíbaro continues to fascinate artists of various disciplines, and the term is used on a daily basis as a sign of affection, but occasionally as an insult.

Local Holidays

Christmas

In Puerto Rico, as in most of Latin American countries, Christmas traditions have their roots in Catholicism. Due to the influence of other cultures (such as U.S.), some traditions have evolved and changed through time.

Puerto Rico's Christmas season is long, starting right after Thanksgiving day and officially lasting until Three Kings Day on January 6. Yet, this can extend until "Las Octavitas", eight days after Epiphany. Homes are decorated with lights and poinsettias, Christmas trees and scenes of the Nativity, also known as "nacimientos" or "pesebres" are very popular. The season combines delicious food, great music and festive merry-making. Typical dishes are roast pork, seasoned rice with pigeon peas, fried plantains, cooked green bananas, cooked yam and "pasteles", made of mashed plantains or yucca, filled with meat and other vegetables, wrapped in the leaves of the banana tree. The favorite desserts are "arroz con dulce" (rice cooked with spices, raisins, sugar, milk, and coconut milk) and "tembleque" (a custard made with cornstarch, sugar, and coconut milk). The most famous drinks are rum and "coquito" prepared with coconut milk and rum (Puerto Rico's counterpart to the American eggnog). Other Christmas foods include Spanish "turrón" (a hard white nougat with almonds), Spanish apple cider, nuts, and assorted candies.

Friends often form "parrandas", "asaltos" or "trullas", a more joyful group than typical North American Christmas carolers. Lively music is sung usually to bongo, guitar, güiro and other musical instruments accompaniment as the group goes to visit homes of unsuspecting friend's, eats and drinks, and then moves on to the home of another friend. The cycle repeats itself, usually until next day. Christmas Eve is a more solemn occasion spent at home with family.

On December 24th, a Catholic mass is celebrated at midnight, called "Misa de Gallo", celebrates the birth of Jesus. On this day, commonly known as "Nochebuena", many families organize a special dinner or party to celebrate.

On December 25th, Puerto Ricans celebrates Jesus' birthday. Santa Claus brings gifts to the children who had been good during the year. This tradition originated in the U.S., but since the 1940's has become part of Puerto Rico's Holiday traditions.

On December 28th, marks the day of the Holy Innocents. Catholics commemorate the mass slaying of male children by Herod in Bethlehem following the birth of Christ, as it is told in the Gospel.

On December 31, people celebrate the end of the year with relatives and friends. The major event occurs at midnight, when everybody greets and hug each other and wishes good luck and happiness to everyone. Some traditions includes: a) eating 12 grapes, one for every time the clock rings its bells to tell time. It is believed to bring good luck to those who can eat all 12 grapes before the clock stops ringing the bells b) throw out a bucket of water by the balcony or window, it is believed to scare away bad luck.

On January 5th, the feast of Epiphany's Eve, children place water and grass under their beds for the three wise men's (or the Three Kings, as they are better known locally) camels, and in return, the Three King's brings presents, which they leave under the bed, after the camels eat the grass. Children wake up early on January 6 ("Dia de Reyes") to check out what Baltazar, Melchor, and Gaspar left them. Epiphany commemorates the day in which the three wise men arrived bearing gifts for the Christ child. On this day, the Governor's Mansion in the capital of San Juan is opened to large crowds of wellwishers who are treated to toys, refreshments, and musical entertainment.

During this season the San Jose Church in San Juan, features an animated Nativity scene - birth of Christ. In addition, on January 6, the Governor's Mansion in San Juan opens its facilities to large crowds to well wishers who are treated to toys, refreshments, and musical entertainment.

Town Festivals

Each town celebrates an annual festival to honor its patron saint. The festivities usually last as week and features dances, food, parades and religious processions. There are also other holidays, sometimes called carnivals, that have been adopted from Catholic or pagan traditions. Special folk festivals, usually featuring an important product to the region, also take place, such as Yauco's "Festival Nacional del Café".



Traditions and Special Events

Weddings

Throughout history there have been interesting similarities in the wedding traditions all around the world, but there are also some differences in the way they get married and celebrate such event. One unique characteristic of a Puerto Rican wedding is the bridal doll. A bridal doll, in a dress identical to the brides' gown, is usually placed on the head or center table with souvenirs attached to its dress. During the reception, the bride and groom will walk to each person and thank him or her for their presence at the nuptials. Each person is then pinned with a souvenir, some people in return pins dollars into the doll's dress.

Quinceañeros

The quinceañera tradition started centuries ago with the indigenous people as an important social ritual to commemorate the transition from adolescence to womanhood. At that time, fifteen year old girls were taken from their families to prepare for womanhood by learning about the history and traditions of her people. The return of the girl to the community was cause for a great celebration because of her new found knowledge and understanding of what womanhood entailed. Today, this celebration often includes a religious ceremony at church, more often practiced in the Catholic Church, although other religions have similar services to celebrate the young woman's coming of age, followed by a party.

The girl on her special day wears an extravagant white or pastel ball gown, similar in style to a modern day wedding gown. During the festivities, males take turns dancing with the girl and as customary, the first dance is a waltz danced with her father. Dinner is often included as part of the night's festivities and the cutting of the multi-tiered cake.

Spotlight!

The Guayabera - Traditional dress for men on the island. Shaped rather like a jacket or an extended shirt, this is worn as the outer garment over an undershirt or T-shirt. Most are made of cotton and are worn during the day, but there is a more formal version for evening wear, made with pineapple fiber. The guayabera is usually embellished with patterned embroidery, running in stripes down the chest.

Dominoes - Played in just about every bar throughout the Caribbean. The pieces are usually laid on the playing board with a grand flourish and loud slap.

Azabache Bracelets - Mal de ojo, or evil eye, is believed to result of excessive admiration or envious looks by others. Having newborn babies wear an azabache (a gold bracelet or necklace with a black or red coral charm in the form of a fist), is believed to protect them from the evil eye.

Food

Although Puerto Rican cooking is somewhat similar to both Spanish and Mexican cuisine, it is a unique tasty blend of Spanish, African, Taíno, and American influences, using such indigenous seasonings and ingredients as coriander, papaya, cacao, nispero, apio, plantains, and yampee. Locals call their cuisine "cocina criolla".



Cocina criolla (Créole cooking) can be traced back to the Arawaks and Tainos, the original inhabitants of the island, who thrived on a diet of corn, tropical fruit, and seafood. When Ponce de León arrived with Columbus in 1493, the Spanish added beef, pork, rice, wheat, and olive oil to the island's foodstuffs. Soon after, the Spanish began planting sugarcane and importing slaves from Africa, who brought with them okra and taro (known in Puerto Rico as yautia). The mingling of flavors and ingredients passed from generation to generation among the different ethnic groups that settled on the island, resulting in the exotic blend of today's Puerto Rican cuisine.

Appetizers & Soups

Lunch and dinner generally begin with sizzling-hot appetizers such as bacalaitos, crunchy cod fritters; surullitos, sweet plump cornmeal fingers; and empanadillas, crescent-shaped turnovers filled with lobster, crab, conch, or beef.

Soups are a popular beginning for meals on Puerto Rico. There is a debate about whether one of the best-known soups, frijoles ****** (black-bean soup), is Cuban or Puerto Rican in origin. Nevertheless, it is still a savory, if filling, opening to a meal.

Another classic soup is sopón de pollo con arroz -chicken soup with rice- which manages to taste somewhat different in every restaurant. One traditional method of preparing this soup calls for large pieces of pumpkin and diced potatoes or yautias (the starchy root of a large-leaved tropical plant whose flesh is usually yellow or creamy white).

The third classic soup is sopón de pescado (fish soup), prepared with the head and tail intact. Again, this soup varies from restaurant to restaurant and may depend on the catch of the day. Traditionally, it is made with garlic and spices plus onions and tomatoes, the flavor enhanced by a tiny dash of vinegar and a half cup of sherry. Galician broth (caldo gallego) is a dish imported from Spain's northwestern province of Galicia. It is prepared with salt pork, white beans, ham, and berzas (collard greens) or grelos (turnip greens), and the whole kettle is flavored with spicy chorizos (Spanish sausages).

Garbanzos (chickpeas), are often added to give flavor, body, and texture to Puerto Rican soups. One of the most authentic versions of this is sopón de garbanzos con patas de cerdo (chickpea soup with pig's feet). Into this kettle is added a variety of ingredients, including pumpkin, chorizos, salt pork, chile peppers, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, and fresh cilantro leaves.

Not really a soup, the most traditional Puerto Rican dish is asopao, a hearty gumbo made with either chicken or shellfish. One well-known version, consumed when the food budget runs low, is asopao de gandules (pigeon peas). Every Puerto Rican chef has his or her own recipe for asopao. Asopao de pollo (chicken asopao) takes a whole chicken, which is then flavored with spices such as oregano, garlic, and paprika, along with salt pork, cured ham, green peppers, chile peppers, onions, cilantro, olives, tomatoes, chorizos, and pimientos. For a final touch, green peas or asparagus might be added.

Main Dishes

The aroma that wafts from kitchens throughout Puerto Rico comes from adobo and sofrito -blends of herbs and spices that give many of the native foods their distinctive taste and color. Adobo, made by crushing together peppercorns, oregano, garlic, salt, olive oil, and lime juice or vinegar, is rubbed into meats before they are roasted. Sofrito, a potpourri of onions, garlic, coriander, and peppers browned in either olive oil or land and colored with achiote (annatoo seeds), imparts the bright-yellow color to the island's rice, soups, and stews.

Stews loom large in the Puerto Rican diet. They are usually cooked in a caldero or heavy kettle. A popular one is carne guisada puertorriqueña; (Puerto Rican beef stew). The ingredients that flavor the chunks of beef vary according to the cook's whims or whatever happens to be in the larder. These might include green peppers, sweet chile peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, potatoes, olives stuffed with pimientos, or capers. Seeded raisins may be added on occasion. Meat pies (pastelón de carne) are the staple of many Puerto Rican dinners. Salt pork and ham are often used for the filling and are cooked in a caldero. This medley of meats and spices is covered with a pastry top and baked.

Other typical main dishes include fried beefsteak with onions (carne frita con cebolla), veal (ternera) a la parmesana, and roast leg of pork, fresh ham, lamb, or veal, a la criolla. These roasted meats are cooked in the Créole style, flavored with adobo.

Puerto Ricans also like such dishes as breaded calfs brains (sesos empanados), calfs kidney (riñones guisados), and stuffed beef tongue (lengua rellena).

A festive island dish is lechón asado, or barbecued pig, which is usually cooked for a party of 12 or 15. It is traditional for picnics and al fresco parties; one can sometimes catch the aroma of this dish wafting through the palm trees, a smell that must have been familiar to the Taino peoples. The pig is basted with jugo de naranjas agría (sour orange juice) and achiote coloring. Green plantains are peeled and roasted over hot stones, then served with the barbecued pig as a side dish. The traditional dressing served with the pig is ali-li-monjili, a sour garlic sauce. The sauce combines garlic, whole black peppercorns, and sweet seeded chile peppers, flavored further with vinegar, lime juice, and olive oil.

Puerto Ricans adore chicken, which they flower various spices and seasoning. Arroz con pollo (chicken with rice) is the most popular chicken dish on the island, and it was brought long ago to the U.S mainland. Other favorite preparations include chicken in sherry (pollo al jerez), pollo agridulce (sweet and sour chicken), and pollitos asados a la parrilla (broiled chickens).

Most visitors to the island seem to like the fish and shellfish. A popular fried fish with Puerto Rican sauce (mojo isleño). The sauce is made with olives and olive oil, onions, pimientos, capers, tomato sauce, vinegar, and a flavoring of garlic and bay leaves. Fresh fish is often grilled, and perhaps flavored with garlic and an overlay of freshly squeezed lime juice -a very tasty dinner indeed. Caribbean lobster is usually the most expensive item on any menu, followed by shrimp. Puerto Ricans often cook shrimp in beer (camarones en cerveza). Another delectable shellfish dish is boiled crab (jueyes hervidos).

Many tasty egg dishes are served, especially tortilla española (Spanish omelet), cooked with finely chopped onions, cubed potatoes, and olive oil.

The rich and fertile fields of Puerto Rico produce a wide variety of vegetables. A favorite is the chayote, a pear-shaped vegetable called christophone throughout most of the English-speaking Caribbean. Its delicately flavored flesh is often compared to that of summer squash. Breadfruit, prepared in a number of ways, frequently accompanies main dishes. This large, round fruit from a tropical tree has a thick green rind covering its starchy, sweet flesh. The flavor is evocative of a sweet potato. Tostones -fried green breadfruit slices- accompany most meat, fish, or poultry dishes served on the island.

Tostones may also be made with plantains. In fact, the plantains seems to be the single most popular side dish served on the island. Plantains are a variety of banana that cannot be eaten raw. They are much coarser in texture that ordinary bananas and are harvested while green, then baked, fried, or boiled. When made into tostones, they are usually served as a appetizer with before-dinner drinks. Fried to a deep golden-yellow, plantains may accompany fish, meat, or poultry dishes.



Interesting Fact
Plantains are an important crop in many agricultural sectors of the island. However, demand is so high that many plantains are also imported, usually from the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.


Desserts

Desserts usually include some form of flan (custard) or perhaps nisperos de batata (sweet-potato balls with coconut, cloves and cinnamon). Equally traditional would be a portion of guava jelly with queso blanco (white cheese). Chefs take the bountiful harvest of Puerto Rican fruits and create any number of desserts, including orange layer cake, banana cupcakes, and guava cake. The most delicious dessert may be a freshly prepared fruit cocktail. the pumpkin, which grows in abundance on Puerto Rico, is used not only to flavor soups and as a side vegetable, but also to make the succulent base of a traditional Puerto Rican cake. Similarly, the sweet potato is used both as a side vegetable and in making a regional sweet-potato cake.

Coconut is probably the most common dessert ingredient. Many delectable desserts are made with its milk (leche de coco), including coconut flan, coconut cream desserts, crunchy coconut squares, coconut with meringue, and candied coconut rice. Another classic preparation is coconut bread pudding (boudin de pasas con coco). Polvo de amor ("love powder") is prepared with grated coconut meat after the milk has been extracted. The coconut is mixed with a lot of sugar and placed in a kettle to cook rapidly, then served crisp and golden brown.

Puerto Ricans make a number of preserves and jellies. Both sweet and sour guavas are used for various concoctions -not only guava jelly, but guava shells in syrup, guava paste, and guava pudding. Papayas are made into preserved or desserts with sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. A mango dessert is made with virtually the same ingredients. Mangoes may be used for mamey preserve (dulce de mamey) or may be consumed raw.

Drinks

Finish your meal with strong, black, aromatic Puerto Rican coffee, which has been produced in the island's high-altitude interior for more than 300 years. Originally imported from the nearby Dominican Republic, coffee is still among the island's exports and is a suitable ending for any well-presented meal.

Because the island does not produce wine, it is entirely proper to order a cold beer before even looking at the menu. Beer, of course, is called cerveza throughout the Spanish-speaking world, the most popular brand on Puerto Rico is Medalla.

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.

Today's rum bears little resemblance to the raw and grainy beverage consumed by the renegades and pirates of the Spanish Main. Christopher Columbus brought sugarcane, from which rum is distilled, to the Caribbean on his second voyage to the New World, and in virtually no time it became the regional drink.

It is believed that Ponce de León introduced rum to Puerto Rico during his governorship, which began in 1508. In time, there emerged large sugarcane plantations. From Puerto Rico and other West Indian islands, rum was shipped to colonial America, where it lent itself to such popular and hair-raising 18th-century drinks as Kill-Divil and Whistle-Belly Bengance. After America became a nation, rum was largely displaced as the drink of choice by whiskey, distilled from grain grown on the American plains.

It took almost a century before the rum industry regained its former vigor. This occurred during a severe whiskey shortage at the end of the World War II. By the 1950s, sales of rum had fallen off again, as more and different kinds of liquor became available on the U.S. market. Rum had been a questionable drink because of inferior distillation methods and quality. Recognizing this problem, the Puerto Rican government drew up rigid standards for producing, blending, and aging rum. Rum factories were outfitted with the most modern and sanitary equipments, and sales figures (encouraged by aggressive marketing campaign) began to climb.

The color of rum is usually gold, amber, or white. The lightest, driest rum is white. It can easily replace gin or vodka in dozens of mixed drinks that are eminently suited for consumption in the tropics. Many Puerto Ricans make Bloody Marys with rum instead of gin or vodka. The robust flavors of the gold or amber rums make them an effective substitute for whiskey. Whit white (clear) rum, orange juice and tonic water are the most popular mixers; amber rum is often served on the rocks. Puerto Ricans are fond of mixing it with various cola drinks. Gold rums, aged between four and six years (sometimes longer) in wooden casks are called ánejos. They are considered the most flavorful and distinctive on the island rums. They are smooth; drink them straight or on the rocks.

Bacardi is the Puerto Rican rum most widely consumed in the United States. It is followed by other popular brands, including, Ronrico, Castillo, and Don Q. The ánejos rums carry such labels as Bacardi Gold Reserve, Ron del Barrilito, and Seralles' El Dorado.

Your best introduction to Puerto Rican rum making is to visit the Bacardi distillery in Cataño, just a short ferry-boat ride across the San Juan harbor.


Each bartender worthy of the profession in Puerto Rico likes to concoct his or her own favorite rum libation. Every resort offers the piña colada, which is made with cream of coconut, white Puerto Rican rum, and canned pineapple juice. the ingredients are thoroughly blended and served frappé-style in a tall cool glass, usually garnished with a maraschino cherry and a small paper parasol. But you may want to be more adventurous and sample some of the island's other cocktails, many of which are made with fresh fruit juices. Planter's punch, served over cracked ice, is the second most popular mixed rum drink for tourists. Often, it combines dark Puerto Rican rum, dark-brown Jamaican rum, citrus juice, and Angostura bitters. Of course, you can substitute rum in many mixed drinks such as rum collins, rum sour, rum screwdriver, and rum and tonic. The classic sangría, which is prepared in Spain with dry red wine, sugar, orange juice, and other ingredients, may be given a thoroughly Puerto Rican twist with a hefty dose of the island's rum.



Spotlight

Piraguas: A shaved ice cone covered with syrup of fruity flavors such as: rasberry, pineapple, coconut, guava or tamarind, among others. Those who sells "piraguas" are known as piragüeros. You can find them near plazas in small carts creatively painted with bright colors.


English as a Second Language

Both Spanish and English are the official languages of Puerto Rico, but Spanish is without a doubt the dominant language, as the majority of the people in Puerto Rico are not proficient in English. Fewer than 20 percent of Puerto Ricans speak English fluently, according to the 1990 U.S. Census.

Regardless the fact that Puerto Ricans are taught English as a second language from kindergarten through high school, communicating in English can be a little difficult at times. Sometimes you will find yourself surrounded by Spanish speakers only. There is much diversity in the level of English proficiency.

Body Language and Gestures

Language is more than just words, it is the position of one's body, the look on their face, and their body's motion.

Puerto Ricans are known for their friendliness and warmth. Hand gestures and movements are often used in daily conversation. Puerto Ricans tend to interrupt each other frequently, sometimes even finish the other's thought and are not upset when this occurs.

Many Puerto Ricans will stand fairly close to one another in social settings. In contrast, North Americans and many Europeans believe that people should stand about an arm's length from one another. Moving away from a counterpart may be considered offensive or insulting.

A warm and friendly handshake is the customary form of greeting, but often a nod of the head is sufficient. Men who are close friends will embrace, and women friends will engage in a brief hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Address people by a title, such as Señor, Señora, Professor and Doctor when first introduced or in formal situations. Puerto Ricans have two surnames: one from their father, which is listed first, followed by one from their mother.

One of Puerto Rico's notable exports is its music, which is probably the predominant Caribbean music heard in the United States.

Some of the instruments used in traditional Puerto Rican music originated with the Taíno people. Most noteworthy is the güicharo, or güiro , a notched hollowed-out gourd, which was adapted from pre-Columbian days. The musical traditions of the Spanish and Africans can also be heard in Puerto Rico's music. At least four different instruments were adapted from the six-string Spanish classical guitar: the requinto, the bordonua, the cuatro , and the triple, each of which produces a unique tone and pitch. The most popular of these, and one for which greatest number of adaptions and compositions have been written, is the cuatro, a guitar-like instrument with 10 strings (arranged in five different pairs). The name (translated as "the fourth") is derived from the earlier instrument having four (or four pairs of) strings, but for aims of century 19, around year 1875, already it was custom to make it with five pairs of cords as we know it today. Usually carved from solid blocks of laurel wood and known for resonances and pitches different from those produced by its Spanish counterpart, this instruments graceful baroque body has been revered for decades as the national instrument of Puerto Rico.

Also prevalent on the island are such percussion instruments as tambours (hollowed tree trunks covered with stretched-out animal skin), maracas (gourds filled with pebbles or dried beans and mounted on handles), and a variety of drums whose original designs were brought from Africa by the island's slaves. All these instruments contribute to the rich variety of folk music with roots in the cultural melting pot of the island's Spanish, African, and Taíno traditions.



Classical Music in Puerto Rico

During the conversion of Puerto Rico's Amerindians and slaves to Christianity after its colonization by the early Spanish, the only formal music imported from Spain was chants and religious music. Later, however, as the fortunes of a handful of Puerto Rican planters increased during the 19th century, their social aspirations grew as well. those whose children showed musical promise were after sent abroad -usually to Spain- for the further development of their talents.

One of these was Puerto Rican -born Manuel Tavares, a composer whose orchestral techniques matured within the musical traditions of 19th-century Spain and whose success encouraged other generations of Puerto Rican classicist to follow in his footsteps.

By 1850, another group of island composers, many only informally trained, had adapted a Puerto Rican interpretation of the most popular dance of that era -the minuet- into a musical form known as the danza. Based on a refined, somewhat rigid classical score, with and underlying lilt that is unmistakably Caribbean, its most popular early advocate was composer Juan Morel Campos. Later, this dance style evolved into the dance rhythms still popular today. Also popular during the early and mid-1800s was a narrative tale set to music, sometimes embellished on the spot by a skilled storyteller known as a decime; the tales originated as rigidly metered 10-line stanzas of eight-syllable lines with a rhyme structure that could vary according to the inspiration on the composer. Their musical form -which might have been the closest thing to a troubador tradition ever development in Puerto Rico- was after used to convey moral lessons, love tragedies, and stories of other kinds.

One world-class operatic tenor was Antonio Paoli (1872-46). Also noteworthy was Jesús María Sanroma (1902-84), a pianist who performed both Puerto Rican danzas and works from the classical European repertoire.

Puerto Rico's classical and orchestral tradition reached its height with cellist Pablo Casals, who was of partial Puerto Rican descent. At 81, he chose to spend the last years of his life on the island. He brought musical fame to San Juan by establishing the internationally acclaimed Casals Music Festival. This event brings many musicians from around the world to take part in an orchestra and chamber music program.

Puerto Rican Folk Music

During Puerto Rico's colonial years, a series of musical traditions evolved based on the folk songs and romantic ballads of 18th- and 19th-century Spain. Eventually these became fused with music either imported or native to the Hispanic New World. Dealing with life, death, and everyday events of an agrarian society far removed from the royal courts of Europe, this music has been studiously collected and re-orchestrated for modern audiences.

One collector of this music was Don Felo, whose 19-century compositions are based on the melodic traditions of both Spain and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. In the 20th century, Narciso Figueroa continuated the tradition of collecting folk songs and re-orchestrating them for chamber orchestras; his recordings have been sponsored by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture.

Today, the most widely applauded -and, to many, most enjoyable- of the island's folk music are the hillbilly pieces created by the mountain-dwelling jíbaros. Using the full array of stringed and percussion instruments described above they give lyrical performances whose live or recorded version are popular at everything from island weddings to commencement exercises. Despite the appeal other island musical forms, such as salsa, it could be argued that the jíbaro tradition of cuatro with drums is the island's most notable -and the one most likely to evoke homesickness in the hearts of any expatriate Puerto Rican.

Bomba y Plena

Although usually grouped together, bomba y plena are actually town entirely different types of music that are coupled with dance. Bomba pure African, was brought over by black slaves who worked on the island's sugar plantations in the 17th century. It's a rhythmic music using barrel-shapped drums covered with tightly stretched animal skins and played by hand. This form of music is produced by one large drum plus a smaller drum called a subidor. The drums are accompanied by the rhythmical beating of sticks and maracas to create a swelling tide of drumbeats, in which "aficionados" can hear drummers bang out a series of responses one to another.

Bomba is described as a dialogue between dancer and drummer. It's as if the drummer were challenging the dancer to a rhythmic duel. The dance can go on just a long as the dancer can continue. Although critics are uncertain about the exact origin of bomba, it is divided into different rhythmic backgrounds and variations, such as the Euba, Cocobale, and Sica. As the dance and the most purely African version of this music and dance, may come from the northeastern coast town of Loíza Aldea.

Whereas bomba is purely African origin, plena blends elements from Puerto Ricans' wide cultural backgrounds, including music that the Taíno tribes may have used during their ceremonies. This type of music first appeared in Ponce about 100 years ago, when performing the plena became a hallmark of Spanish tradition and coquetry.


Instruments used in plena include the güiro, a dried-out gourd whose surface is cuts with parallel grooves and, when rubbed with a stick, produces a raspy and rhythmical percussive noise. The Taínos may have invented this instrument. From the guitars brought to the New World by the Spanish "conquistadores" emerged the 10-stringed cuatro. To the güiro and cuatro added the tambourine, known as panderos, originally derived from Africa. Dancing plena became a kind of living newspaper. Singers recited the events of the day and often satirized local politicians or scandals. Sometimes plenas were filled with biting satire; at other times, they commented on major news events of the day, such as a devastating hurricane.

Bomba y plena remain the most popular forms of folk music on the island, and many cultural events highlight this music for entertainment.

Salsa

The major type of music coming out of Puerto Rico is salsa, the rhythm of the islands. Its name literally translated as the "sauce" that makes parties happen. Originally developed within the Puerto Rican community of New York, it draws heavily from the musical roots of the Cuban and the African-Caribbean experience. Highly danceable, its rhythms are hot, urba, rhythmically sophisticated, and compelling. Today, the center of salsa has probable shifted from New York back to Puerto Rico.

Salsa is not an old form of music at all. Music critics claim that it originated in New York City night clubs in the years following World War II, an evolution of the era's Big Band tradition. The first great salsa musician was Tito Puente, who, after a stint with the U.S. Navy, studied percussion at New York's Juilliard School of Music. He went on to organize his own band, Puente's Latin Jazz Ensemble, which has been heard by audiences around the world. One critic said that the music is what results when the sounds of Big Band jazz meet African-Caribbean rhythms. Others critics say that salsa is a combination of fast Latin music that embraces the rumba, mambo, cha-cha, guanguanco, and merengue.

Salsa has definitely made Puerto Rico famous in the world of international music. Salsa bands require access to a huge array of percussion instruments, including güiros, the gourds on which the Taíno people may have played music. Other instruments include maracas, bongos, timbales, conga drums , and claves -and, to add the jíbaro (hillbilly) touch, a clanging cow bell. Of course, it also takes a bass, a horn section, a chorus and, a lead vocalist to get the combination right.

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 trown as the popularity (and income levels) of the emerging salsa stars continues to climb.

Today's Music

Puerto Rican Ricky Martin has the world singing Living La Vida Loca, winner of the 1999 Grammy Award for "Best Latin Pop Performance" and named by the Los Angeles Times as "The Latin Artist to Watch for 1999." Ricky Martin is now -without a doubt- one of the most famous Latin artist in the world.

Recreation
Baseball

Baseball fans are devoted to the sport. The season champs head out to the Caribbean Series to face championship teams from several other Caribbean countries, including Venezuela, México and the Dominican Republic.


Basketball

There is a well-organized amateur league with 16 teams and a new 6 team pro league. A current schedule is available from the "Federación de Baloncesto". Basketball courts can be found everywhere.


Biking & Skating

Enjoy the scenery as you ride thru the island. "Parque Central" has facilities for biking & skating, located in the heart of Santurce, San Juan.


Boating & Sailing

With the blue waters of Puerto Rico beckoning, it's small wonder that sailing is so popular here. The west coast from Mayagüez Bay south to Boquerón gets a lot of action.


Bowling

You'll find professionally maintained lanes in Levittown at Tower Lane Bowling, Paradise Bowling in Hato Rey, Cupey in Trujillo Alto, Western Bowling in Mayagüez and Ponce Bowling.


Camping

Hundreds of beaches rim Puerto Rico and it a offshore sister islands, ranging from busy stretches alongside metropolitan hotels to desired beauties next to rural pasture land. The government runs five campgrounds with cabins at Boquerón, Maricao, Humacao, Punta Guilarte and Añasco. (For information, call the government's Recreation Development Company at: 787-722-1551 or 787-722-1772). There are other privately-held camping areas, offering both cabins and tent sites, throughout the island. Camping is also allowed in some of the nature reserves, but a permit is required. (For information, call the Department of Natural Resources at 723-1770.) A law was passed in 1995 forbidding camping on public beaches, unless camping facilities are available.


Cockfighting ("peleas de gallos")
The sport of pitting game-cocks to fight and the breeding and training of them for that purpose. Cockfighting pits are circular with a matted stage about 20 feet (6 meters) in diameter and surrounded by a barrier to keep the birds from falling off. The main (matches) usually consisted of fights between an agreed number of pairs birds, the majority of victories deciding the main, but there is two other varieties that aroused the particular ire of moralist. Cocks usually are put to the main when between one and two years of age. Before a fight, spurs of metal or bone are slipped over the natural spurs of the game-cocks. The modern short sput is 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) or less in length; the longer spur scales from 2 to 2 1/2 inches (5 to 6 cm). In ancient times, cocks were permitted to fight until one or the other was killed. Later, although some fights still are to an absolute finish, rules have sometimes permitted the withdrawal at any time of a badly damaged cock. Other rules fix a time limit for each fight. At all mains, the judges word is absolute law, even as to gambling. There is no appeal from his decisions.


Cycling

Each year during the second week of May, some 100-120 athletes from cycling clubs around Puerto Rico and the Caribbean come together for the International Cycling Competition in Sabana Grande. Current racing information can be had from the Cycling Federation.


Diving

Puerto Rican coastal waters are prone to be a little murkier than the rest of the Caribbean. There are a few places where visibility exceeds 100 feet, but even the more normal range of 70 feet is still a good three times what you're lucky to get in California or much of the United States. Plus, the freshman runoffs attract teeming multitudes of fish, including large pelagics not normally seen so close to shore and mammoth "mermaids."



Fishing

While Puerto Rico is especially known for its blue marlin, numerous other billfish and big game fish thrive here as well. Fisherman with their own equipment can try Lake Dos Bocas in Utuado and Lake Guajataca in Quebradillas.


Golf

Puerto Rico's magnificently conditioned links stood up to the world's best golfers. Both the ladies PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour finish their season in Puerto Rico. Some places for golfing: Hyatt Beach Hotel and Bahia Beach Plantation in San Juan, Club Río Mar in Río Grande, Palmas del Mar in Humacao, Berwind Country Club in Río Grande, Mayagüez Hilton and Cerromar Hotel.


Hiking

For hikers, there are Commonwealth Forest Reserves scattered around the island. These range from bird-filled mangrove forest along the coast to dense sierra palm forest in the mountains.


Horses

Horse lovers of beauty alike will want to take a relaxing ride along the island's many trails, beaches and parks.


Puerto Rico has its own unique breed of horses -- the Paso Fino horse -- a beautiful, naturally-gaited horse whose exact origins are uncertain. Some Spanish authorities feel that the horse is a descendent of the Berber, the Andalusian and the extinct Spanish Jennet. What is known is that in 1510, Captain Martin de Salazar brought some horses under the orders of Puerto Rico's first governor, Don Juan Ponce de León.


The Puerto Rican Paso Fino is the most well known and has been developed as a show horse with a great deal of style. Today The Paso Fino's are used in all equine disciplines and are unequaled when it comes to the luxurious ride that they produce.


There are over 7,000 registered paso fino horses on the island and many special events and competitions are held throughout the year which are well worth attending. The two best known are the Dulce Sueño Fair, Guayama, the first weekend in Mar, and the Fiesta La Candelaria, Manatí, the first weekend in February. Riding instruction and rentals are available at the Equestrian Center and Hacienda Carabali.


Horse Racing

El Comandante, located at Route 3, Km 5.5, in Canóvanas, is one of the hemisphere’s most beautiful race courses. Races are held all the year round (Wed, Fri, Sun and holidays).


Marathons

With the many races and marathons held in Puerto Rico every year, one would think that running is the national pastime. The most important race is the San Blás Marathon held in Coamo in February. Others marathons are: the Enrique Rámirez Marathon in Lajas, the Women's Marathon in Guayanilla, the Modesto Carrión in Juncos, the Diet Pepsi 5mi in San Juan, and the La Guadalupe Marathon in Ponce.


Surfing

The Puerto Rican surf has challenged tube-shooters and curl-riders since the World Championships were hosted at Rincón in 1968. Good places for surfing are: La Concha in San Juan, Aviones in Piñones, Pine Gorve in Isla Verde, Stop Eight and Condado Beach Lagoon in San Juan. Arecibo and La Pared in Luquillo, Los Tubos in Manati, Aguadilla and Jobos, near to Isabela, Ensenada Honda in Culebra. Surfing rentals are available at many water sports shops.


Scuba & Snorkeling

Puerto Rico is known for its easy access to coral reefs and their natural beauty. You will find a vast variety of places where you can obtain boats, equipment and certified professionals to make this experience and unforgettable one.


Swimming

Puerto Rico has developed a very extensive system of attractive public beaches complete with changing rooms, showers and concession stands. On the weekends, these areas are packed with all manner of people and water toys.


Tennis

With over 100 tennis courts are available, mostly in the larger hotels, you will have a wide range to choose from. There are also 17 lit public courts in San Juans Central Park, open daily.




Wind Surfing

Board sailors of all abilities will find conditions to suit them on the waters of Puerto Rico.


Volleyball

The favorite of many, facilities can be found around the island.

Answer 2

The easiest way to learn golf like a pro is by following "The Simple Golf Swing" program. It's primarily a 31 page eBook that teaches golfers how to make solid contact with the ball, how to avoid hitting fat, how to avoid slicing, how get more power, accuracy, and consistency in your swing. Consistency being the number 1 golf skill.

You not only get the eBook though, you also receive a ton of extra material including video, lessons on putting, driving, chipping, sand play etc. Here is their official site: http://www.golfswingguru.net

Answer 3

Use a vegetable bean dip such as hummus instead of ranch dressing or maybe a fatty cream-based dip.

Answer 4

Enroll in an active fine art class, such as sculpture or even ceramics.

Answer 5

3

Answer 6

2

Answer 7

Both are good for you, each fruit/vegetable has different vitamins. Therefore as more variety, as better. Vegetables have generally less sugar than fruits.

Answer 8

Obtain a plant for your office—watering it will eventually make you more active.

Answer 9

1

Answer 10

Decaf coffee is a superb low-calorie fluid when you're having cravings (and an incredible source of antioxidants).

Answer 11

Decaf coffee is a good low-calorie fluid when you're having cravings (and an excellent source of antioxidants).