Relive the Historic Musical Past of Puerto Rico

Relive the Historic Musical Past of Puerto Rico

Account of 19th- to 20th-century Puerto Rican music traditions en espanol

HOLYOKE, Mass., Dec. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the Spanish American War and the occupation of the island in 1898 by America, Puerto Rico experienced an economic and cultural crisis: Churches were in poverty, the exchange of currency caused a depression and markets for produce disappeared. Then a devastating hurricane caused widespread suffering. Puerto Ricans responded to these events with insecurity.

Where, then, were Puerto Ricans' cultural activities? Did they cease? Where did they celebrate their musical traditions? In "Actividades Musicales en Puerto Rico" (published by Trafford Publishing) music historian Catherine Dower-Gold presents a survey of the 19th-century musical traditions that did carry over into the 20th century. Because music of that era was not published, much of it may have disappeared without Dower's investigation. Her details of musical festivities, religious feast days, band concerts, public school programs and activities of the popular Puerto Rican composers of the day outline a rich musical tradition which many island author-musicians thought had declined during the era. With photos, musicians' manuscripts and documentation of the musical events, those interested in Puerto Rico and its music will be fascinated by Dower's account. This book is published in Spanish and is a new, updated edition of her 1983 book, "Puerto Rican Music Following the Spanish American War 1898-1910."

About the Author

Catherine A. Dower-Gold is a professor emerita of music at Westfield State College in Massachusetts where she was music department chair and a former professor of the year. A graduate of Hamline University (B.A. in music composition), Smith College (M.A. in musicology), and the Catholic University of America (Ph.D. in musicology), she was on faculty at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a visiting scholar at USC, and a visiting associate professor of music at Herbert Lehman College of the State University of New York. She has written books on Alfred Einstein, Yella Pessl, and on the history of the St. Patrick's Holyoke, Mass., parade. Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis in 1978 presented her a Pride in Performance Award; she is a member of the Academia de Artes y Ciencias de Puerto Rico, and she is well-known among international and American biographical associations and musical societies.

"Actividades Musicales en Puerto Rico"

Available from: http://www.trafford.com/, http://www.bn.com/, and http://www.amazon.com/

Trafford offers a variety of publishing services to help individuals publish, market and sell fiction, poetry and nonfiction books. The company utilizes print-on-demand technology, and is one of the largest self-publishing companies in the U.S. Trafford is based in Bloomington, Indiana.

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Source: Trafford Publishing

CONTACT: Promotional Services Department, Trafford Publishing,
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Web Site: http://www.trafford.com/

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