El GPS Boricua

A friend (you know who you are!) posted this video and I thought it was just too funny to not post. If you've ever been driving in Puerto Rico you'll know exactly what this is talking about. It is in Spanish though.

Nación nómada - Nomad Nation

El Nuevo Día has got an interesting article up at the moment about Puerto Rican migration. Today's level could potentially overcome that of the 40's and 50's--which wouldn't surprise me one bit. With the economy of the moment hitting Puerto Rico even harder than it is the U.S., I'm sure we could easy reach unprecedented levels of migration soon. This migration wave is very different though, as the article points out. Skilled, educated workers are unable to find jobs on the island and are accepting offers on the mainland instead. Worth reading.

Word of the Week: El Difícil, and Puerto Rico does not speak English

Sometimes it seems near impossible to find people who won't speak to you in English on the island: one tiny whiff of gringo-ness and you may find yourself having to explain in your native tongue* that no, you don't know their second cousin living in the state adjacent to yours. But the truth is that plenty of people of don't speak English well on the island. I was particularly interested in this article which claims that an entire 137 potential jury members couldn't serve in the jury for the famous Aníbal case (still ongoing, of course) because their English wasn't at an appropriate level.

They make some interesting points in the article, mostly because they start drifting into politics in a way they normally avoid. Honestly it reads more like something I'd write than something produced by El Nuevo Día based on the positions they take, surprisingly.

La mayoría de los que saben inglés en el país pertenecen a la clase media y alta, mientras que la inmensa mayoría del país es de la clase pobre, subrayó el antropólogo Jorge Duany.

“La distribución de las destrezas lingüísticas en inglés está mal distribuida, la mayoría de las personas que lo hablan vienen de escuelas privadas, donde se enseña inglés como único idioma. Esto crea un discrimen por razón de clase, porque sólo la clase media y alta pueden pagar por el colegio donde enseñan en inglés”, expresó Duany.

Las razones que explican el escaso dominio del inglés en la Isla incluyen las deficiencias en la enseñanza pública; la poca migración de estadounidenses hacia la Isla, distinto de Texas y Hawai, donde el inglés no es la lengua original; y que en la vida cotidiana en Puerto Rico no hace falta inglés, dijo Duany. Además, en Puerto Rico ha habido una resistencia lingüística, porque en la primera mitad del siglo XX se trató de imponer el inglés como idioma de enseñanza.

“El español se ha visto como un símbolo de la identidad puertorriqueña”, dijo Duany.

The majority of those who speak English in Puerto Rico belong to the upper and middle classes, while the country is mostly comprised of the lower class, emphasized the anthropologist Jorge Duany.

"The distribution of linguistic skills isn't even; the majority of people who speak [English] come from private schools, where English is taught as the only language [as in all the classes are taught in English]. This creates class discrimination, because only upper and middle classes can pay for schools that teach in English," Duany expressed.

The reasons for scarcity of the command of English on the island include deficiencies in public education; the lack of American migration to the island, unlike Texas and Hawaii, where English is also not the original language; and that English isn't necessary for daily life in Puerto Rico, said Duany. Additionally, there has been a linguistic resistance in Puerto Rico because in the first half of the 20th century the U.S. attempted to impose English as the language of all education on the island.

"Spanish has been seen as a symbol of Puerto Rican identity," said Duany.

Along with this point the scholar Jorge Duany makes (shoddily translated by yours truly--although to be fair some of the writing wasn't too great), I'd like to point out something in the title--"el difícil".

El difícil (literally "the difficult one") is a Puerto Rican term coined to describe English. I think the term is very telling, especially in this context: while no other countries have similar nicknames for English (as far as I know; fill me in if you know anything), Puerto Rico, due to its uneasy and persistent relationship with English, has nicknamed it in a way that reflects its position as an obstacle, rather than a method of ascension (professionally, socially, politically, or otherwise)--while it can be used that way, more often than not it isn't.

Anyways... I'm not really sure where I'm going with this and it's getting a little longer than I'd like, so I'll cut it off here. Comments, criticisms, and the like are, as always, welcome.

* This occasionally happens to Puerto Ricans as well if they happen to seem like gringos for whatever reason, despite having lived their whole lives on the island. So don't take it too hard if it happens to you.

Navidad season

Last year about this time I wrote a whole lot about the Christmas season in Puerto Rico, which I recommend you read. Anyways, today's Yenny comic is about aguinaldos and the ridiculousness of the lyrics... in both English and Spanish.

Julia de Burgos - Íntima

This is one of my favorite poems by Julia de Burgos; I think the reason behind that statement should be clear. If you need a translation, there's one here. I personally don't want to risk the copyright violation (the translation is from Song of the Simple Truth: Obra poética completa/the complete poems of Julia de Burgos by Jack Agüeros).

Íntima
Se recogió la vida para verme pasar.
Me fui perdiendo átomo por átomo de mi carne
y fui resbalándome poco a poco al alma.

Peregrina en mí misma, me anduve un largo instante.
Me prolongué en el rumbo de aquel camino errante
que se abría en mi interior,
y me llegué hasta mí, íntima.

Conmigo cabalgando seguí por la sombra del tiempo
y me hice paisaje lejos de mi visión.

Me conocí mensaje lejos de la palabra.
Me sentí vida al reverso de una superficie de colores y formas.
Y me vi claridad ahuyentando la sombra vaciada en la tierra desde el hombre.

--------

Ha sonado un reloj la hora escogida de todos.
¿La hora? Cualquiera. Todas en una misma.
Las cosas circundantes reconquistan color y forma.
Los hombres se mueven ajenos a sí mismos
para agarrar ese minuto índice
que los conduce por varias direcciones estáticas.

Siempre la misma carne apretándose muda a lo ya hecho.
Me busco. Estoy aún en el paisaje lejos de mi visión.
Sigo siendo mensaje lejos de la palabra.

La forma que se aleja y que fue mía un instante
me ha dejado íntima.
Y me veo claridad ahuyentando la sombra vaciada en la tierra desde el hombre.

Puerto Rican Obama... in Spain?

I saw this and couldn't resist linking to it here... a video of a Puerto Rican "Obama". Supposedly, they look similar (not so much to my eye but whatever). For me the most interesting part is the guy's accent... he mentioned he'd been living in Spain for 5 years, and you can tell that his Puerto Rican accent has been suppressed, but at the same time you can still hear it...

Today's Poetry

Rather than continuing to talk about reggaetón and the election (everyone did see that Calle 13 and Tego are endorsing Rogelio Figueroa and PPR though, right?) and how much it sucks, I thought I'd link to this article about the personal and creative methods of publishing that today's Puerto Rican poets are using. Really interesting stuff. Most notably, they quote Xavier Valcárcel, who's also known for using his blog to spread his poetry with a significant amount of success.

Racial, regional, and political satire--all in one!

This article by El Ñame (Puerto Rico's response to The Onion) is probably the best I've ever read. It is simply hilarious. You must go read it!

Say it ain't so, Héctor el Father!

According to El Nuevo Día, reggaetonero Héctor el Father has decided to devote his life to Jesus and retire from reggaetón. (Those of you who are lost at this point, stick with me)

Wha-a-a-at?

Not only did Héctor el Father (formerly known as Héctor el Bambino... guess he grew up) have a large role in the reggaetón genre, he also was a producer for a lot of other reggaetoneros. So his presence will be missed.

If you were a fan, he's having a farewell concert the 25th of October in the Choliseo (you can get tickets on ticketpop.com). For those of us who can't really make it to the island then (or--ahem--don't really care), you can just watch the Dale Castigo video over and over again. Warning: it's a little strong.

Yeah Puerto Rico!

My friend caught this commercial for me on TV and had to send me the link... then I was forced to post it. First off, it's hilarious, and second, it's so true. This is the essence of Puerto Ricans, I think: they don't always win (or it's a smaller victory; hey, it's a small island you know!), but they're damn proud and enthusiastic anyways. Good stuff.

Yes! Yes! God, Yes! What I've been thinking forever but in better wording

I happened across this moments ago on El Nuevo Día and I really have no choice but to post the entire thing. A most likely shoddy English translation follows, along with my comments.

26-Junio-2008 | Ángel Collado Scharwz -Fundación Voz del Centro

Un país agrícola sin agricultura

En la década del cuarenta, el último gobernador extranjero en Puerto Rico, Rexford G. Tugwell, exclamó con asombro: “Imagínense, la comida es importada. Han perdido el arte del trópico. Nadie bajo ese sol, con buen terreno y con cuarenta pulgadas de lluvia, debe pasar hambre”. Puerto Rico goza del escenario perfecto para ser autosuficiente en lo que respecta a su capacidad terrestre y marina de satisfacer las necesidades alimentarias de sus ciudadanos.

Hace muchos años la agricultura desempeñó un rol protagónico en nuestra sociedad y nuestra economía. En 1935, el secretario del Interior, Harold Ickes responsabilizó a los Estados Unidos de destruir nuestra agricultura: “Puerto Rico… ha sido víctima de una economía de 'laissez faire' que ha originado el crecimiento rápido de grandes corporaciones azucareras absentistas, las que han acaparado mucha tierra que antes pertenecía a pequeños agricultores independientes, quienes, en consecuencia, se han visto reducidos prácticamente a la servidumbre económica. Si bien es cierto que la inclusión de Puerto Rico dentro de nuestras barreras arancelarias ha sido sumamente beneficiosa para los accionistas de esas corporaciones, los beneficios no han pasado a manos de la masa de puertorriqueños. Éstos, por el contrario, han visto que las tierras en las que antes sembraban cultivos de subsistencia, se han dedicado a la producción de azúcar, mientras ellos han sido empujados gradualmente a importar todos sus alimentos básicos, pagando por éstos los altos precios producidos por el arancel. Hoy día hay más miseria e indigencia y mucho más desempleo en Puerto Rico que en cualquier época previa de su historia”.

Años después, la situación empeoró con la operación Manos a la Obra, la cuál continuó debilitando a la industria agrícola. Se asignó prioridad al programa de industrialización basado en inversiones extranjeras. Se buscaba resultados inmediatos, aunque fuesen temporeros. El propio Teodoro Moscoso me comentó en sus últimos años de vida sobre el grave error que fue abandonar la agricultura.

Es lamentable que hoy día el único alimento cultivado en nuestra tierra que supera el renglón de las plantas ornamentales sean los plátanos. La venta de estas plantas es cuatro veces mayor que la venta de los mangós.

Más lamentable aún es que los mangós cosechados en la Isla sean desplazados por guineos de Costa Rica y piñas de la República Dominicana en los barcos que llevan los productos a Europa. Recientemente se reseñó en la prensa que los barcos llegaban sin cupo para nuestros furgones de mangós. Esta industria produce 700 empleos y genera $18 millones anuales. Pero las leyes de cabotaje federales, al obligarnos a utilizar los transportes marítimos estadounidenses considerados los más costosos e ineficaces, no sólo perjudican la exportación de nuestra producción agrícola: también aumentan el costo de los alimentos que importamos

La calidad de nuestros productos agrícolas es insuperable. Tres ejemplos de reconocimiento internacional son la piña, la cual es considerada por los expertos como superior a la de Hawai; el café, el cual se ofrece en restaurantes de alta cocina en Europa como un delicatessen; y el mangó, el cual recibe en Europa una aceptación formidable. Experimentos como la siembra de arroz en la década del setenta fueron abandonados ante la incapacidad de los gobiernos de turno para incentivar a empresarios locales.Debemos ver a Israel como nuestro principal modelo de desarrollo agrícola. Han conseguido cultivar en el desierto. Satisfacen toda la demanda alimentaria de sus ciudadanos, más exportan su producto agrícola a Europa. Sin embargo, su economía no se limita a la agricultura: ésta complementa una moderna industria de alta tecnología.En Israel, la agricultura representa un 2% del producto bruto mientras que en Puerto Rico es menos de 1%. Israel tiene el doble de la población de Puerto Rico pero cuatro veces el número de empleados en la industria manufacturera.

Israel, al igual que otras colonias antiguas, ha alcanzado estos éxitos económicos desde una plataforma soberana.

En Puerto Rico, aunque el escenario actual permite mejoras a la industria agrícola, el status político limita su desarrollo y potencial. Las leyes de cabotaje federales y la falta de poder para negociar tratados internacionales constituyen una camisa de fuerza para este desarrollo.

El otro aspecto importante es la mano de obra, la cual es muy limitada, pues es mucho más cómodo depender del mantengo federal. Lo irónico de la situación es que tampoco tenemos el poder para importar mano de obra que cultive nuestras tierras.

26-Junio-2008 | Ángel Collado Scharwz -Fundación Voz del Centro

An Agricultural Country without Agriculture

In the 40's, the last foreign governor in Puerto Rico, Rexford G. Tugwell, exclaimed with astonishment: "Imagine, the food is imported. They've lost the art of the tropic. No one under this sun, with good terrain and 40 inches of rain, should suffer hunger". Puerto Rico enjoys the perfect scenario to be self-sufficient in respect to its terrestrial and marine capacity to satisfy the gastronomical needs of its citizens.

Many years ago agriculture occupied a lead roll in our society and our economy. In 1935, the secretary of the Interior, Harold Ickes blamed the United States for destroying our agriculture: "Puerto Rico... has been victim of a 'laissez faire' economy that has given rise to rapid growth of huge sugar corporations run by absentee business owners, which have seized great quantities of land that belonged to small independent farmers before, who, in consequence, have practically been reduced to economic servitude. If it's true that the inclusion of Puerto Rico in our national boundaries has been extremely beneficial for the shareholders of these corporations, the benefits have not been passed down to the hands of the Puerto Rican masses. They, on the contrary, have seen that the lands in which before they planted subsistence crops have been dedicated to sugar production, while they have been gradually pushed to import all of their basic food, paying for these the high prices produced by customs. Today there is more misery and poverty, and much more unemployment, in Puerto Rico than in any other previous era in its history."

Years later, the situation worsened with the Manos a la Obra operation ("Operation Bootstrap", the nickname for it--and not translation per se--commonly used), which continued debilitating the agricultural industry. It assigned priority to the industrialization program based on foreign investments. It sought out immediate results, even if they were temporary. Teodoro Moscoso himself (the man for whom the large and famous bridge in San Juan, with the Puerto Rican and American flags in pairs, is named) commented to me in the last years of his life on the grave error that was abandoning agriculture.

It's regrettable that the only food cultivated in our land that exceeds ornamental plants in count is the plantain. The sale of these plants is four times greater than the same of mangos.

Even more regrettable is that the mangos harvested in the Island are displaced by bananas from Costa Rica and pinapples from the Dominican Republic in the ships that carry the products to Europe. Recently it was reviewed in the press that the ships arrived without space for our tons of mangos. This industry produces 700 employees and generates $18 million annually. But the federal coastal shipping laws, by obliging us to use the American maritime transportation considered the most costly and ineffective, not only damage the export of our agricultural production; they also increase the cost of the food we import.

The quality of our agricultural products is unsurpassable. Three examples of international recognition include the pineapple, which is considered by experts to be superior to that of Hawaii; coffee, which is offered in gourmet restaurants in Europe as a delicacy; and the mango, which has had formidable levels of success in Europe. Experiments like the planting of rice in the 70's were abandoned thanks to the incapacity of the governments to provide incentives to local businesses.

We should look to Israel as our lead model for agricultural development. They've figured out how to grow food in the desert. They satisfy all the demand of their citizens, plus they export their agricultural products to Europe. Nevertheless, their economy is not limited to agriculture; it compliments a modern industry with advanced technology.

In Israel, agriculture represents 2% of the gross product while in Puerto Rico it's less than 1%. Israel has double the population of Puerto Rico but four times the number of employees in the manufacturing industry.

Israel, like other old colonies, has reached these economic successes from a superb platform.

In Puerto Rico, although the current scenario permits improvements to the agricultural industry, the political status limits its development and potential. The federal coastal trade laws and the lack of power to negotiate international treaties are a straight jacket for this development.

The other aspect is labor, which is very limited, seeing as it's much more comfortable depending on federal welfare. The irony here is that we don't have the power to import labor to cultivate our lands, either.

Did I ever mention how much I love La voz del centro? I do. I think I have over 100 of their podcasts on my iPod, all interviewing fantastic people about fantastic topics. Thank you, Mr. Collado Schwarz!

Anyways, I want to reiterate the message in this article: Puerto Rico, you can do it!

I sincerely believe that one of the most empowering things Puerto Rico could do for itself to shake the chain of dependence it is now living is to turn to its own resources. Food is a huge part of this. As we are asked in the beginning of this article, why is a tropical island with the ideal natural conditions, practically mistakeable for Eden itself at times, importing food? It can't be that processed, old, preservative-loaded Kraft cheese packages are tastier than fresh (and free) avocado from the backyard.

I think Collado Schwarz doesn't quite show the truly devasting effects the American corporations intially had on Puerto Rico. While he does touch on it, it is one of those big deals, a monumental and decisive moment in history that even today still dictates what you find in each grocery store today. Having done my own minimal research on that period, I can promise that the period from the American invasion through the 30's was one of the most tragic moments Puerto Rico lived, only following slavery and the explosive results of the initial Spanish arrival.

Industry changed overnight from coffee (and tobacco to a certain extent) to sugar (Puerto Rican coffee was too strong for American tastes). The conversion from peso to dollar was very poorly managed, seeing as most merchants just changed the currency symbol and not the number next to it, in essence increasing prices by up to 40%, particularly in markets for the poorer sectors of the population. The owners of small farms, due to the change in industry and rising prices, soon had to sell their land and become migrant farmers. The land was bought up by the aforementioned absentee businessmen, who sped up Puerto Rico's path to monoculture with giant sugar cane plantations, all while making the island poorer by funneling the money into the United States rather than Puerto Rico. Within a short time period of this, 75% of all food was imported (practically all from the United States), and rural families, often previous land-owners, spent a whopping 94% of their income on food. Coupled with skyrocketing unemployment and an education that insisted on English even though both the students and the teachers didn't speak the language, opportunities to improve quality of life were few.

I don't really think I need to even say that many of the protests at the time were met with official censorship and state-sponsored violence. It should be obvious.

Now obviously things have improved in Puerto Rico, but looking back in history, we can also see that many haven't. Old habits and impracticalities are about to reach their centennial. It's just sad to see these idiocies that have obviously been harmful survive long past their expiration date.

The blame falls both ways. For one, Puerto Ricans earn some for complacency and an undeserved satisfaction with things how they are. Puerto Rico should be constantly striving for improvement... and no, I don't mean new SUV or widescreen improvement, but a better life for everyone regardless of what they can buy. This can only come about through breaking the chain of dependence. No, I am not calling for the independence movement to suddenly take over the country (although if that's what Puerto Rico wants, so be it). I am talking about a Puerto Rico that concerns itself with Puerto Rico over the United States. Less imports. In regards to this article, I think that the biggest step that Puerto Rico could take would be limiting imports, or, even better, putting tariffs on them (even though it would never be allowed by the U.S. government), and then pumping the money made from tariffs or not wasted on jacked-up import costs into agriculture. Puerto Rico can sustain itself. With the rising costs of both food and gas, hopefully soon it will realize the value of that message.

An equal part of the blame, however, also lands on the United States. The only surviving pretext for the current status is that corporations make a killing importing all that food and other consumer goods. They completely manipulate the market, making it nearly impossible for Puerto Ricans to compete. Do we really continue mantaining colonialism just to make the extra buck?

I am not necessarily against capitalism... it'd be a bit hypocritical, seeing as it's a part of my daily life and the lives of others. I don't want to say that Puerto Ricans don't have a right to want the same things I want, frivolous though they may be. But when the process for acquiring it becomes harmful and inescapable, I think we must find a solution. Clearly colonialism and capitalism are a deadly combination. How many years would it take to resolve this... if an effort is ever made?

Wait... what?

The Decolonization Committee unanimously agreed to approve Aníbal's request for a revision of the UN's view of the status.

Huh?

I don't really know what this means for Puerto Rico (the consequences, if any, are unclear) but I do know at least for Aníbal and his cohorts this is kind of a change in party ideology. I wonder if the party will move more towards independence now.

Here's a BBC article in English, which is pretty vague but I couldn't find many more reliable English-language news sources, here's a real technical blog post on it along with some other official stuff, and here is the Spanish version.

Hm.

I really just can't believe it

So Walter Mercado, the Latin world's favorite astrologist, is apparently releasing a CD and going on a 23-city tour.

If you don't know who Walter Mercado is (he's on Univisión nearly every day I think), I think his webpage will give you a good idea (warning, there's music).

Anyways, the CD is going to be called "El secreto de los ángeles" and the shows are going to be Cirque de Soleil-like. Supposedly.

Honestly the whole Walter Mercado empire scares me a little and I don't understand why he had to do this. But...

What was I thinking--as if I could really get away from politics!

I'm not really going to go into huge detail here, because I... just won't, but remember how I mentioned yesterday that Aníbal claimed the primaries were a huge boost for the Commonwealth (and his party)? Now the independentistas and--now this one surprised me a little--the socialistas are following suit. I didn't know there was enough of a socialist presence in the island to even make the paper. I mean, I was sure there were some, but I thought they'd be just a couple of people. Well, you learn things every day.

I'm still waiting for the estadistas to figure out a way to jump in on this too.

Hillary won... duh

So not surprisingly Hillary has completely dominated the Puerto Rican primaries. My goodness, the excitement is killing me.

I did find it interesting, though, that only about 15% of the island showed up to vote, which is a remarkably low turnout. Plus the independentistas pulled off a 2000-people protest in San Juan--pretty impressive considering school was out (UPR in Río Piedras is notorious for having large protests for just about anything, either for political motives or because it cancels classes for a couple of days). I feel as if it were all for a lost cause, however, since American media didn't even bat an eyelash (I checked).

Also, a certain pompous governor has claimed the victory for the status he supports and his own political motives, rather than for Hillary. I found this a little strange...

"Felicito a la senadora Clinton por su victoria de hoy, pero el verdadero triunfador de estas primarias en Puerto Rico fue el Estado Libre Asociado, porque tanto la senadora por Nueva York como el también aspirante a la nominación presidencial demócrata, Barack Obama, asumieron compromisos firmes con Puerto Rico sin condicionarlos a un cambio de status”, dijo Acevedo Vilá.
"I congratulate Senator Clinton for her victory today, but the real winner of these primaries in Puerto Rico was the Free Associated State (Commonwealth), because both the New York Senator as well as the additional candidate to the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama, made firm commitments with Puerto Rico without determining those to be a change in status," said Acevedo Vilá.

So... this entire primary lunacy has actually just been about the preservation of your political agenda? Wow. Nevermind that both candidates offered up statehood (or as close as they could get to describing it without straying away from please-everyone-middle-of-the-road politics) as a viable alternative to the current status. Well, I'm impressed.

Tomorrow: something other than politics. I know, I'm thrilled too.

Hillary on the island

So tomorrow are the primaries in Puerto Rico. Real quick I thought I'd leave a few articles on Hillary's visits there, since I haven't really mentioned it much... or something like that.

First off, I have to link to this article for two reasons; 1, there is a cute kid dancing for her, and 2, the title is "After brouhaha, Clinton tries to look ahead". Points for the word brouhaha! That's really about it for that article, but I enjoyed that all the same.

Apparently right now she's traipsing around Carolina, San Juan, Guaynabo, Bayamón, and Trujillo Alto. Road trip! She also stopped by the Medical school to talk about Medicare blah blah (important issue there though). On the other hand, a bunch of latin artists including Don Omar and Voltio made a music video supporting Obama. Hmm...

Here's another one about what the election means to Puerto Rico; it's not really about the result but rather the attention, it's still a waste because very likely the politicians will forget about Puerto Rico immediately afterwards, etc. Oops, it's not about Hill. Ah well. I think everyone knows I'm a sucker for these now and real sick of the candidates. Yep, that's all on politics until tomorrow. I've gotten so cynical about this whole mess that just thinking about it makes my head hurt. So it's time for a break.

Oh American Airlines...

So it seems as if American's cuts are going to take a hit on Puerto Rico, starting this September. American Eagle is only going to have about 33 flights this fall, and a whole bunch of people are losing their jobs. More flights will probably be affected as time goes on, so... be careful, I guess.

And on an unrelated note: why, Ricky, why?

Puerto Rico on the Front Page

So I grab this morning's Washington Post and excitedly notice that Puerto Rico is on the front page in an article about Obama's visit (Hillary also stopped by Aguadilla but so far I've seen very little about it). Reading on, though, I begin to lose some enthusiasm...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 24 -- Sen. Barack Obama swept across this island commonwealth Saturday, a visit that had the markings of a coda to a grueling primary campaign.

"Hóla, Puerto Rico! How's everybody doing today?" Obama shouted to a crowd gathered in Old San Juan, before he led dancing supporters along the seaside battlements for a raucous caminata, the traditional candidate parade. "I am thankful, I am grateful. . . . If we do well in Puerto Rico, there is no reason I will not be announcing that I am the Democratic nominee for president of the United States of America!"

Hóla?! Who does that? There's no accent by any means.

Anyways, the article goes on to talk about that elusive "Hispanic Vote" while hardly touching on the realities of the Puerto Rican primary or what Puerto Ricans want. Very frustrating read. Who let this guy write this?

Then I headed over to El Nuevo Día to find an interview with Obama, in which he basically says he can't do anything and that it's up to Puerto Ricans to decide their status. Also frustrating, I loathe evasive answers.

Well... we'll see what happens in a couple days. All this attention from the press certainly can't hurt his campaign. Hillary... I don't even know. You should be campaigning on the island!

Sie7e's New CD

So I just happened to catch on iTunes that Sie7e has released a new CD called Para Mí.

But wait... who is Sie7e? Okay, I have to admit that I don't really know much about the guy except that he's Puerto Rican. I just happened to catch one of his videos in Puerto Rican MTV one night while flipping channels and ended up enjoying the song. And about two weeks ago I figured out that his first CD was on iTunes, so I downloaded that, then lo and behold there's another one.

So I buy that one (got to support poor artists, you know). And... I don't know. It does show a lot more musical experience and just tighter sound overall, but I was really unhappy to hear the new version of his single; it has lost the looseness of the original. On the other hand, there are a lot less slow songs (I hate slow songs)--but the one song where it worked on the old CD was a song called "Y Te Vas", a very unoriginal song but beautiful regardless, and on this CD there's nothing to replace that.

One of the highlights on the CD is a song called "Te Repito", which has a chorus about repeating the chorus over and over again so that it sticks in your head (get it? the chorus is about the chorus... yeah). It's a parody of all the songs that are popular just because of that catchy chorus, while also discussing how he has to compromise his lofty career goals with the music he wants to make, and how being "rockero" (into rock rather than reggaetón) shouldn't have to mean absolutely no interest in other genres, particularly latin (he mentions liking Vico C--older, more traditional reggaetón--and El Gran Combo--salsa).

"Rockero, latino caribeño
It didn't work for me cahntar con el aceynto*
La cosa complicada no funcionó
Sonaba muy bonito pero nadie lo entendió."

"Rockero, Caribbean latino
Singing with an accent* didn't work for me
That complicated stuff didn't work
It sounded pretty but no one understood it."

*this part he's singing in a really thick "gringo" accent, making fun of a lot of rockeros who try to only speak English or speak Spanish with an accent to seem more authentic.

That is followed by his "manager" yelling at him to include a catchy chorus and repeat it over and over again. It's a good point to make, seeing as most songs (particularly reggaetón) only get popular because of the chorus and hardly anyone actually knows the other words or what the song is about.

Anyways, not only the song but also the entire album is a great example of how to reconcile this "rockero" identity with Puerto Rican music, which many see as incompatible but really isn't. As a consequence, Sie7e mixes traditional Latin sounds with his own guitar playing and some catchy pop... if you're expecting an actual rock CD, look elsewhere, but if you want pop with a little more umpf, you've found it.

Well, almost. I guess the problem with this CD is that it still sounds intermediary. While many of the topics dealt with in the songs are good, they are not fully developed, and the songs, while decent, are also missing something. They're just a little flat. However, I would definitely keep following Sie7e's music, because I'm pretty sure in a couple of years we'll be hearing something more dynamic from him.

Here's the video I was talking about in the beginning.



The song is called "Cógelo ahora porque después se va" ("Get it now because soon it'll be gone"; a slightly smoother name in English would be "Get it before it's gone"). It's catchy and has a decent message, and I like that he insists on "pa'lante, pa'lante, pa'lante", which is kind of awkwardly translated as "(Go) Forward, forward, forward". Point is we always (individually and as communities) always needed to be reminded to advance with what we're doing and not get distracted in the journey.

In the end I do recommend the CD, but if you didn't enjoy the video I would skip it and wait for his future releases.

Still unsure? Check out this video where he includes a whole bunch of samples of the CD, and here is the video for the title song.

Upcoming Debates in the UN

So, I know I mentioned before that a few countries are going to the UN to present debates about Puerto Rico's colonial status. José Delgado's blog on El Nuevo Día has fortunately come in to fill in the gaps (since most newspapers don't really care enough to say anything). Here's what he has to say. It will be starting June 9th and will involve international as well as Puerto Rican politicians from all three major parties (including Aníbal).

On the other hand... it's really doubtful it will accomplish anything. But it might be interesting...