Sesquicentennial Celebration
of the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico (1873-1823)
The Center for Folkloric Research of Puerto Rico at Casa Paolib brought together a group of leaders, artists, musicians, humanists, and scholars in a Casa Paoli Commemorative Commission for the Sesquicentennial of the Abolition of Slavery in Puerto Rico.
The country needs, today more than ever, to know and recognize the great contributions of Africans who are forced to reach our shores to join the living forces of our country and by dint of their sweat and blood, they offered their lives to our people. People of African descent continue to contribute to the material and spiritual development of Puerto Rico.
We are confident that in March 2022 and next year, the entire country will commemorate with pride and dignity its 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery. The activities of the Commission began with three talks, sponsored by the Puerto Rican Foundation for the Humanities, the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, the Flamboyán Fund for the Arts, and the Society of Friends of the Center-Casa Paoli, on the historical contribution of Afro-descendants, in Puerto Rico and in the so-called diaspora, by three important humanists and concluded a year later with three talks on the subject by important humanists. The entirety of the two-year effort is indicated below.
EVENTOS ASOCIADOS A LA INICIATIVA
MARCH 8, 2022
SEMINAR: Voices of freedom: Negotiations and conflicts of freedmen during the post-abolition period in the South and Southwest of Puerto Rico, 1873-1876" by Raúl Mayo Santana and Daniel Morales-Armstrong
The presentation describes and discusses, first, the types of labor negotiations that manifest in freedmen's contracts and, second, the existence of a variety of freedmen incidents and conflicts as recorded - and recovered from the archives. to date‒ in various towns and villages in the South and Southwest of Puerto Rico during the period of forced contracting after the abolition of slavery, from 1873 to 1876. The more than 1,800 freedman contracts examined have been found for the following towns in the region : Maunabo, Yabucoa, Guayama, Santa Isabel and Mayagüez. Among the conflicts where freedmen are involved, a series of investigations are described and examined
Pueden bajar una transcripción del texto completo de la charla del Dr. Moscoso haciendo clic sobre el ícono PDF
MARCH 8, 2022
SEMINAR: Voices of freedom: Negotiations and conflicts of freedmen during the post-abolition period in the South and Southwest of Puerto Rico, 1873-1876" by Raúl Mayo Santana and Daniel Morales-Armstrong
The presentation describes and discusses, first, the types of labor negotiations that manifest in freedmen's contracts and, second, the existence of a variety of freedmen incidents and conflicts as recorded - and recovered from the archives. to date‒ in various towns and villages in the South and Southwest of Puerto Rico during the period of forced contracting after the abolition of slavery, from 1873 to 1876. The more than 1,800 freedman contracts examined have been found for the following towns in the region : Maunabo, Yabucoa, Guayama, Santa Isabel and Mayagüez. Among the conflicts where freedmen are involved, a series of investigations are described and examined
by incidents in Patillas, Santa Isabel, Ponce and Guayanilla, as well as a strike by freedmen on a farm in the town of San Germán and a similar incident in the town of Añasco. The nature of the negotiations and the conflicts expressed by the freedmen are illustrations that the ex-slaves used different modes of action to assert their new freedoms and resist the restrictions and limitations on them. Through the study of these emancipatory voices, the authors question the historiographical image of passivity of ex-slaves and freedmen before the announcement of abolition and the incessant siege of freedom.
Large commemorative banner created for the Center
YOU CAN GET A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CONTENTS OF THE WORK HERE
MARCH 8, 2022
SEMINAR: "Taking Afro-Puerto Rican folk tales into the classroom" by Dr. Julia Cristina Ortiz Lugo
GOALS:
1. Define folklore, oral storytelling, and folktale
2. Describe and examine representative folk tales from the traditional sources of Puerto Rican culture.
3. Show and discuss versions of stories with specific exercises
4. Analyze the exercises proposing practices and activities aimed at using stories as a means to promote analytical and critical reading.
5. Examine samples of Afro-Puerto Rican folk tales to practice alternative questions that stimulate other perspectives and possible reasoning.
THE LECTURER: Julia Cristina Ortiz Lugo is from Mayagüez. With a PhD in Philosophy and Letters from Tulane University in New Orleans, she is a retired UPR Professor in Mayagüez. His professional life was dedicated to teaching and publishing about writing and reading, and more specifically to researching the Afro-Puerto Rican folk tale.
MARCH 8, 2022
Commission for the Sesquicentennial of the Abolition of Slavery in Puerto Rico commissions two musical compositions
The Casa Paoli Commission to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the Abolition of Slavery in Puerto Rico commissioned two musical compositions to university professors J. Emanuel Dufrasne González from the UPR/Río Piedras and Roig Berrios Hernández from the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico , Fajardo enclosure. The first author prepares his work, Southern Sones: Five Movements for Trombone and Bomba Barrel; and Berrios will finish his work for chamber ensemble, Loíza.
Dufrasne Gonzalez is a professor in the Department of Humanities of the Faculty of General Studies of the Río Piedras Campus of the University of Puerto Rico. He is an ethnomusicologist and founded, together with his wife, Nelie Lebrón Robles, the Paracumbé Workshop-group, which in 2015 was invited to play with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra. His musical work has been interpreted by trombonist William Pagán Pérez and Bartolo Vargas, euphonium player. The internationally renowned Japanese flutist, Rie Akagi, recorded for him, like Lucesita Benítez, his well-known son de bomba, Mamá, cuídame a Belén. Dufrasne also wrote the music for the documentary La Tercera Raíz.
Berrios Hernandez is a musicologist and also a music professor at the Escuela Especializada Libre de Música de Humacao. His compositions have been performed by the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, the Orlando Symphony Orchestra, the Miami Symphonic Orchestra, and the Venezuela Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Both musical creations, inspired by the abolition of slavery, are expected to be performed in Loíza during the week of March 19 to 25, 2023, on the occasion of the Sesquicentennial commemoration of the Abolition of Slavery, on Wednesday, March 22. March 2023.
MARCH 8, 2022
THE POPULARITY OF AFRICAN CULTURE WITHIN THE
PUERTO RICAN DIASPORA: Perspectives
While the contributions of Afro-descendants are often overlooked in Puerto Rico, their cultural contributions to the island are significant. There is also a vibrant Afro-Puerto Rican presence in New York's Puerto Rican culture. The speaker will talk about her experiences with Afro-Puerto Rican cultural manifestations in New York and her presence in the creative live of the diaspora.
VIEW HER TALK HERE IN ITS ENTIRETY
La profesora Nellie Lebrón Robles es natural de Guayama. Posee un Bachillerato en Educación especializado en Educación musical y una concentración menor en español de la UPR /Río Piedras; además, tiene una Maestría en Educación de niños talentosos de la misma institución universitaria. Su tesis giró en torno a La música puertorriqueña como medio para el desarrollo de la identidad. Trabajó durante 17 años como maestra de Educación Especial en el Departamento de Educación. Es profesora de Educación Musical, desde 2000, en el Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico. Actualmente dirige el Departamento al que pertenece desde sus inicios en el Conservatorio. Fundó en 1979, junto con su esposo Dufrasne González, el grupo de música tradicional afropuertorriqueña, Paracumbé. Mantiene un programa para niños: Ambos a dos: cuentos y canciones en Radio Universidad.
J. Emanuel Dufrasne González, etnomusicólogo graduado del departamento de Música de la UPR/Río Piedras y de la Universidad de California en Los Ángeles (UCLA).
Se ha escrito sobre este renombrado maestro que: ‘’Su labor a través de Paracumbé y sus investigaciones son de gran importancia para el conocimiento de la historia y la difusión de la cultura musical puertorriqueña, y es un notable estudioso de sus influencias africanas y de ritmos como la plena y la bomba. Dufrasne fue el primero en explicar la historia de la bomba en el contexto de una economía que se industrializó rápidamente y afirmó que la comercialización del género llevó a su decadencia.’’
Es Catedrático jubilado del Departamento de Humanidades de la Facultad de Estudios Generales de la UPR/ Río Piedras, donde enseñó música por más de 32 años. Es uno de los discípulos más aventajados del destacado Maestro - etnomusicólogo Robert Stevenson, quien fue su consejero y director de su tesis doctoral.
Uno de los proyectos que estará apoyando La Escuela es la institución educativa conocida como San Antón-Casa Negra, fundada en 1995 y registrada en 2018. La Casa Negra desarrollará una serie de proyectos de gran alcance educativo en uno de los barrios de la Ciudad donde el por ciento de la presencia del elemento poblacional de origen afrodescendiente es mayoritario. Está dirigida por la gestora cultural y educadora María Judith Banchs-Cabrera.
Estudió una Maestría en Archivística, Museología e Historia del Arte en la Caribbean University. En 2004-2006 fue representante de Promoción Cultural en la Zona Sur del Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. Además, fue directora del 2014-2016 del Programa de Limitaciones Lingüísticas en español e inmigrantes, Titulo III Federal, de la secretaría de Asuntos Académicos del Departamento de Educación.
El emblema de La Escuela es la obra África-Tríptico del maestro-pintor ponceño Julio Micheli-Lebron (1937-2014)
MARCH 8, 2022
Comisión del Sesquicentenario de la Abolición de la Esclavitud en Puerto Rico comisiona dos composiciones musicales
La Comisión de la Casa Paoli para conmemorar el Sesquicentenario de la Abolicion de la Esclavitud en Puerto Rico le comisionó dos composiciones musicales a los profesores universitarios J. Emanuel Dufrasne González de la UPR/ Río Piedras y Roig Berrios Hernández de la Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, recinto de Fajardo. El primer autor prepara su obra Sones sureños: cinco movimientos para trombón y barril de bomba; y Berrios finalizará su obra para conjunto de cámara, Loíza.
Dufrasne González es catedrático del Departamento de Humanidades de la Facultad de Estudios Generales del Recinto de Río Piedras de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. Es etnomusicólogo y fundó, junto a su esposa, Nelie Lebrón Robles, el Taller-conjunto Paracumbé, que en 2015 fue invitado a tocar junto a la Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico. Su obra musical ha sido interpretada por el trombonista William Pagán Pérez y Bartolo Vargas, músico de eufonio. La flautista japonesa de renombre internacional, Rie Akagi, le grabó, al igual que Lucesita Benítez, su conocido son de bomba Mamá, cuídame a Belén. Dufrasne también escribió la música para el documental La Tercera Raíz.
Berríos Hernandez es musicólogo y también profesor de música en la Escuela Especializada Libre de Música de Humacao. Sus composiciones han sido interpretadas por la Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico, la Orquesta Sinfónica de Orlando, Miami Symphonic Orchestra y la Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de Venezuela.
Se espera que ambas creaciones musicales, inspiradas en la Abolición de la Esclavitud, sean interpretadas en Loíza durante la semana del 19 al 25 de marzo de 2023, en ocasión de la conmemoración del Sesquicentenario de la Abolición de la Esclavitud, el miercoles, 22 de marzo de 2023.
MARCH 8, 2022
THE POPULARITY OF AFRICAN CULTURE WITHIN THE
PUERTO RICAN DIASPORA: Perspectives
Dr. Myrna Nieves, writer, cultural activist and educator
While the contributions of Afro-descendants are often overlooked in Puerto Rico, their cultural contributions to the island are significant. There is also a vibrant Afro-Puerto Rican presence in New York's Puerto Rican culture. The speaker will talk about her experiences with Afro-Puerto Rican cultural manifestations in New York and her presence in the creative live of the diaspora.
VIEW HER TALK HERE IN ITS ENTIRETY
MARCH 10, 2022
INDIANS AND BLACKS IN THE SPANISH CONQUEST OF
PUERTO RICO, 16TH CENTURY: Free and Slave
Francisco Moscoso, historian, professor
The theme of the participation of blacks from Spain and various regions of Africa in the conquest and colonization of Puerto Rico will be analyzed. We will explore the circumstances in which those identified as black participated in the colonizing process from the early 1510s, initially in small numbers, and beginning in 1519, as part of the massive slave trade. Blacks and Indians, who also met for the first time, as free, some, and as slaves, most, shared in the imposed economic tasks, both in gold mining, commercial sugar production, agriculture and domestic service. Likewise, the interaction promoted the unfolding of a new social formation, the Creole, and unprecedented cultural traits such as, for example, incorporating Taino and Yoruba, Bantu and other languages into Spanish.
SEE IT HERE IN ITS ENTIRETY
MARCH 10, 2022
INDIANS AND BLACKS IN THE SPANISH CONQUEST OF
PUERTO RICO, 16TH CENTURY: Free and Slave
Francisco Moscoso, historian, professor
The theme of the participation of blacks from Spain and various regions of Africa in the conquest and colonization of Puerto Rico will be analyzed. We will explore the circumstances in which those identified as black participated in the colonizing process from the early 1510s, initially in small numbers, and beginning in 1519, as part of the massive slave trade. Blacks and Indians, who also met for the first time, as free, some, and as slaves, most, shared in the imposed economic tasks, both in gold mining, commercial sugar production, agriculture and domestic service. Likewise, the interaction promoted the unfolding of a new social formation, the Creole, and unprecedented cultural traits such as, for example, incorporating Taino and Yoruba, Bantu and other languages into Spanish.
SEE IT HERE IN ITS ENTIRETY
