Musical Echoes

Oral histories, life stories, testimonios, are individual expressions that have endless possibilities. As individuals we perceive and experience life differently, but this allows for diverse and unique stories. History, as I often argue, filters out, creates division, blurs experiences, generalizes, and creates misconceptions about narratives of underrepresented communities. It is very unfortunate that kids of color often don't feel as part of “the history” or are often dehumanized by settler colonialists narratives that are taught in school.  A lot of these communities' narratives have been historically expressed through music, poetry, and song. Music in a way has been an integral part of humanity and ideas around collective identity. In Puerto Rico, music creates community through the beat of the drums, the maracas, the electric melodies of the cuatro and the call and response. 

When we think of a parranda, we think of gatherings, conversations, food, but it all starts with a joint song. The jolgorio y los coritos might be off key but are filled with the deepest joy that is rooted in friendship and community. Puerto Rico’s complicated narratives always come back to music. People even say we have a “cantao” when we speak, meaning that we speak like if we were singing. Having this in mind, I want to be able to engage in conversations that can get us through different musicians journeys and how music and the latino identity have manifested in Lorain, Ohio.

I remember how much joy the staff from El Centro had when they spoke about the many parrandas that they do around las navidades. They mentioned how Pepe Rivera would bring his cuatro and accompany the many coritos that Puerto Ricans have been carrying in their hearts all the way from the island and passing them down to their kids and so on. In doing some research I was able to see how these parrandas were also prominent in churches, such as Sacred Heart Chapel, a place where many latinos have found community in Lorain. Here members of the church enjoy Puerto Rican music, food, and participate in a coquito contest, a delicious traditional drink that is often associated with Christmas. 

These narratives bring so much joy to my heart. I really do believe that music plays a vital role in the Puerto Rican community. For these reasons, I want to be able to create an archive where we display the musical history of Puerto Rican in Lorain and celebrate the history of these communities in Lorain.