La Brega

The writer Esmeralda Santiago’s latest book, “Las Madres,” is an intergenerational story about Puerto Rico, our history, and what it means to remember it. She recently spoke with The New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham in an episode for The New Yorker Radio Hour, and we thought La Brega listeners would appreciate hearing this conversation about language and the longing. In 2008, Santiago suffered a stroke and had to relearn how to read words using some of the same strategies she had used to first learn English after moving to the States. In “Las Madres” a character named Luz has a similar experience. “For me, Luz is almost representative of Puerto Rico itself. We have this very long history that we don’t necessarily have access to. . . . Those of us who live outside of the island, we live the history but we don’t really know it.” You can find more of the The New Yorker Radio Hour from WNYC Studios here, or wherever you get podcasts.

Una notita: This episode is in Spanglish. This season, we explored songs that tell the complicated, beautiful story of Puerto Rico. We wanted to bring that exploration into the present moment, so we called up some of the most innovative Puerto Rican artists making music today and we gave them a challenge: what would you do with these classic anthems? In this special bonus episode of the show, we go behind the music with the artists featured on La Brega: El Álbum — including ​​RaiNao, Xenia Rubinos, ÌFÉ and Ana Macho. Plus, in an interview recorded live at On Air Fest, host Alana Casanova-Burgess speaks with Angélica Negrón and José Olivares of the band Balún, who composed music for La Brega and recorded a cover for the album. The band members talk about how they incorporated a broad palette of sounds and instruments into their score. “Balún es estar en la brega todo el tiempo,” Angélica explains. “Tener una banda entre diferentes lugares entre Puerto Rico entre San Juan … It's about that kind of layered complexity of ‘ni de aquí ni de allá,’ pero de aquí, siempre, también.” They also unpack their cover of Sylvia Rexach’s “Olas y Arenas,” featured on the album. Listen to the album here! Learn more about the voices featured on the album: • Ana Macho • Balún • ÌFÉ • La Tribu de Abrante • Mireya Ramos • RaiNao • Velcro • Xenia Rubinos La Brega: El Álbum is sponsored by Marguerite Casey Foundation. This season of La Brega is made possible by the Mellon Foundation.

Puerto Rico’s beautiful beaches are an integral part of Puerto Rican life. They form a ring of pleasure that encircles the whole island — an escape valve. And they’re one of the few places that are truly public. At least, that’s what the law says. Yet in practice, that stretch of land where the water meets the shore is the most contested space in all of Puerto Rico. And it’s rapidly disappearing, due to development and coastal erosion. In “Olas y Arenas,” Sylvia Rexach plays the role of the sand: she sings longingly for the ebb and flow of the sea, yearning for the waves that never quite reach her. The bolero is a classic unrequited love song, and our final episode of the season takes place in that same eternal tide. We explore the push and pull between lifelong residents and real estate developers, amidst the rapidly changing coastline, the rising tide, and the elusive letter of the law. Learn more about the voices in this episode: • Mariana Nogales Molinelli, representative-at-large in the Puerto Rican legislature • iLe, singer and composer • Verónica González Rodríguez, environmental lawyer and professor at the Interamerican University in San Juan • Paco Diaz-Fournier, co-founder of Luxury Collection • The band Los Rivera Destino provided original music and set the zona maritimo terrestre definition to song for us Our cover of “Olas y Arenas” is by Balún (out in April). Listen to our Spotify playlist, featuring music from this episode — and this season. Special thanks this week to David Rodriguez Andino, Deepak Lamba Nieves, Aurelio Mercado, Ismael Cancel, Yarimar Bonilla, Tracie Hunte, Samantha Fields and Paul Dryden. Fact checking this season is by Istra Pacheco and María Soledad Davila Calero. This season of La Brega is made possible by the Mellon Foundation.

Las hermosas playas de Puerto Rico son una parte integral de la vida puertorriqueña. Las costas forman un anillo de placer que rodea toda la isla, una válvula de escape. Y son uno de los pocos espacios que son verdaderamente públicos. Al menos, eso es lo que dice la ley. En la práctica, sin embargo, esa franja de tierra donde el agua se encuentra con la orilla es la zona más disputada de todo Puerto Rico. Y está desapareciendo rápidamente debido al desarrollo y la erosión costera. En "Olas y arenas", Sylvia Rexach desempeña el papel de la arena: ella le canta con nostalgia al flujo y el reflujo del mar, anhelando por las olas que nunca llegan a tocarla. Este bolero clásico es una canción de amor no correspondido, y nuestro último episodio de la temporada tiene lugar en esa misma eterna marea. Exploramos el tira y afloje entre los residentes de toda la vida y los desarrolladores inmobiliarios, en medio de la costa que cambia rápidamente, la marea creciente y una ley escrita que se esquiva. Aprende más sobre las voces de este episodio: • Mariana Nogales Molinelli, representante por acumulación electa en la Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico • iLe, cantante y compositora • Verónica González Rodríguez, abogada ambiental y profesora en la Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico • Paco Diaz-Fournier, cofundador de Luxury Collection • La banda Los Rivera Destino proporcionó música original y adaptó musicalmente la definición de zona marítimo terrestre Nuestra versión de "Olas y arenas" es de Balún (saldrá en abril). Escucha nuestra lista de reproducción de Spotify, con música de este episodio y de esta temporada. Un agradecimiento especial esta semana a David Rodríguez Andino, Ismael Cancel, Yarimar Bonilla, Tracie Hunte, Deepak Lamba Nieves y Aurelio Mercado. El chequeo de datos y la verificación de los hechos de esta temporada fue realizado por Istra Pacheco y Maria Soledad. Esta temporada de La Brega es posible gracias a la Mellon Foundation.

La Brega: El Álbum explores classic songs that tell the complicated, beautiful story of Puerto Rico — through a series of covers by some of the most innovative Puerto Rican artists making music today. Produced by WNYC Studios and Futuro Studios, the album is an eclectic mixtape of bomba, pop, electro-roots and amapiano. It drops April 11 wherever you stream music.

In our first single release, Xenia Rubinos brings Rafael Hernandez’s bolero and unofficial anthem for Puerto Rico — "Preciosa" — into the 21st century as minimalist alt-R&B. She performs it live in New York.

La Brega: El Álbum is sponsored by Marguerite Casey Foundation.