El Puerto Rico

Nine composers come together to write pieces inspired by Puerto Rico, from its music to its landscapes to the experiences of its people. Commissioned by the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts and the Victory Players led by Tian Hui Ng, El Puerto Rico presents a many-faceted look at the "Island of Enchantment."

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

"Ni Fú, Ni Fa: Los Cuentos de Siempre" by Gabriel Bouche Caro

Gabriel Bouche Caro contemplates the implications of Puerto Rico's "neither here nor there" political status, and what options its people have for the future.
Tony Solitro

"Canción Exaltada" by Tony Solitro

The poetry of Julia de Burgos inspired Tony Solitro's joyous song without words

El Puerto Rico

"Island of Enchantment" by Liliya Ugay

The rich sounds and imagery that Puerto Rico brings to mind feature heavily in Liliya Ugay's imaginative portrait of a place she has never visited.
El Puerto Rico

"Prints of Lost Breath" by José J. Peña-Aguayo

Inspired by a "Bomba protest" of George Floyd's murder, J.J. Peña-Aguayo explores the connections between music and social justice.
El Puerto Rico

"Isla Verde" by Omar Surillo

Omar Surillo combines memories of his childhood in Puerto Rico with the musical influence of Olivier Messiaen.
El Puerto Rico

"Belén: Un Canto Sagrado a Mis Ancestros" by Johanny Navarro

Johanny Navarro translates the traditional Afro-Caribbean rhythms of Puerto Rico into a new musical context, honoring the past without being bound by it.
El Puerto Rico

"What My Mother Wrote," by Christian Quiñones

Christian Quiñones asked his mother to write something that he could use as an inspiration. What she gave him was an insight into the mind of a new mother.