Been feeling very Puerto Rican today, not entirely sure why. Perhaps hearing a Latina woman pronounce my apellido the correct way did something, or maybe there's some musical DNA from listening to Ismael Rivera in my blood. From "Negro Bembon" to "Calipso, Bomba, y Plena" this band asserts a particularly Black Puerto Rican identity and Pan-Caribbean consciousness. Though heavily influenced by Cuban son and mambo (also the Cuban conjunto format of the 1950s and 1960s), Cortijo and Ismael made it known they were black while playing bombas and plenas from the Afro-Puerto Rican tradition.
I am particularly drawn to Ismael Rivera due to his 'black consciousness' and' pan-African' awareness. The brother sang about the unjust police treatment of blacks, was connected to the Black Christ rituals of Portobelo, Panama, and emphasized the humanity of the "lindas caras de mi gente negra." Indeed, this group was one of the first and most popular black bands in Puerto Rico, and one can hear why in the excellent sonero skills of Rivera. Indeed, I think I like him as a sonero better than Benny More, his Cuban equivalent in vocal skills and improvisation. Also, if you just listen to songs such as this or live performances of Ismael and Rafael, it's pure Afro-Caribbean delight. Salsa, bomba, even the occasional bossa nova are all delightful when handled by collaborative efforts between Cortijo and Rivera, or Rivera alone.
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