Show Notes
Catalino Curet Alonso (known as Don Tite) penned some 2,000 songs during his life — and around 200 were massive hits across Latin America. “Las Caras Lindas (De Mi Gente Negra)” is undeniably personal. Tite, who passed away in 2003, was proud to be an “Antillano of visibly African heritage.” While songs by other writers demean dark skin — or even exoticize it — “Las Caras Lindas” expresses Tite’s deep love for Blackness and Black people. And that love extends beyond Puerto Rico to all dark-skinned people everywhere: Las caras lindas de mi gente negra / The beautiful faces of my Black people Son un desfile de melaza en flor / They are a parade of molasses in bloom. Que cuando pasa frente a mí se alegra / And when I see them walk by, De su negrura todo el corazón / My whole heart rejoices in its Blackness. For anthropologist Bárbara Abadía-Rexach, the song also has personal resonance. In this episode, she explores how Tite’s lyrics and perspective on race and colonialism can serve as a model today, when anti-Black racism continues to be an issue within many communities. Learn more about the voices in this episode: • Susana Baca, songwriter and performer • Watch Ruben Blades perform with Tite at a 1995 tribute concert • Watch Mireya Ramos perform “Las Caras Lindas” live with her band Flor de Toloache and her brother Velcro • Watch a presentation by literature professor Juan Otero Garabis about the representation of race in Tite’s music (in Spanish) • Watch Sonia Fritz’s 2002 documentary about Don Tite (in Spanish) • Read Bárbara’s book entry at Worldcat Our cover of “Las Caras Lindas” is by the artist La Tribu de Abrante (out in April). Listen to our Spotify playlist, featuring music from this episode – and this season. We’ll keep adding to it each week as new episodes come out. Special thanks this week to Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico, Sara Cruz Castro, Osvaldo Rivera Soto, Taller Comunidad La Goyco y Elizabeth Andrade — and it’s dedicated to the memory of Olga Esther Rexach Ayala. Additional music in this episode by Circulo Saqra, Renee Goust, and Ernesto Lucar. Fact checking this season is by Istra Pacheco and María Soledad Dávila Calero. This season of La Brega is made possible by the Mellon Foundation. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts: futuro.supportingcast.fm/la-brega-plus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from La Brega
In August, the Puerto Rican government issued preliminary approvals for Esencia, a controversial $2.7 billion project in Cabo Rojo. This proposed luxury complex includes a private beach club, golf courses, and upscale residences and hotels. But experts, from scientists to government agencies and environmental groups, have all warned that the development would displace locals and threaten wildlife in the area, an ecologically sensitive part of Puerto Rico. In this episode, the La Brega team takes us through this landscape as we hear the natural and wildlife sounds that could be lost if Esencia is built.
En agosto, el gobierno de Puerto Rico aprobó permisos preliminares para un controversial proyecto multimillonario en Cabo Rojo conocido como Esencia. El complejo exclusivo incluiría un club de playa privado, campos de golf, hoteles y residencias de lujo. Pero expertos —desde científicos a grupos ambientalistas y agencias gubernamentales— han advertido que el proyecto desplazaría a los locales y amenaza la flora y fauna de un área de alto valor ecológico. En este episodio, el equipo de La Brega nos lleva en un paseo sonoro por ese entorno para escuchar lo que podríamos perder si Esencia se construye.
La Brega is back, and we’re here to stay! After three seasons, the show has established itself as a town square where people come to hear stories, laugh, and dream together. We’ll continue bringing you fascinating stories about our history and identity, important reports about the latest issues in Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean, and exciting interviews with some of the most creative artists and thinkers of today. New episodes drop on Tuesdays, starting October 20th. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts: futuro.supportingcast.fm/la-brega-plus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
¡La Brega está de vuelta y estamos aquí para quedarnos! Durante tres temporadas nos convertimos en una plaza pública donde nos juntamos a escuchar historias, reír y soñar juntos. Y ahora volvemos para seguir compartiendo historias fascinantes sobre la puertorriqueñidad, reportajes sobre los retos en Puerto Rico y el Caribe y conversaciones urgentes con artistas y pensadores. A partir del 20 octubre busca episodios nuevos los martes. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts: futuro.supportingcast.fm/la-brega-plus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
You’ve seen the Instagram posts and the headlines of Puerto Rican campeones in all kinds of arenas. For this special bonus episode we talk to Camila Lamerre Estevez, an athlete who competed on the Puerto Rican women’s ice hockey team. We share Camila’s story, how she turned into a young hockey star, and what she learned about Puerto Ricanness on the ice.