Danza puertorriqueña
A nineteenth century ballroom genre, elegant and slow, that was the music of urban society in Ponce and San Juan. Its central composer is Juan Morel Campos and its best known piece is La Borinqueña, whose melody is the anthem of Puerto Rico. Today it turns up at concerts, official events and the danza festival in Ponce.
Example
If you hear a piano piece with European air and Caribbean pulse at a formal event, it is almost certainly a danza.
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Frequently asked questions
Is it the same as Cuban contradanza?
They are related. The Puerto Rican danza developed through the nineteenth century with its own phrasing and Morel Campos at its center.
Where do I hear it today?
At Puerto Rican music concerts, official events and in Ponce, the city most tied to it.
