The Secret Legacy of Punks: Toward a History of Rock en Español in Puerto Rico

Abstract

The phenomenon of rock en español (rock in Spanish) has been central to the evolution of rock music in Latin America.  As such, the concept encompasses a form of complex cultural production that is both assimilationist and autochthonous. While a long history of rock en español has been strongly present in Latin America for decades, the phenomenon is historically recent in Puerto Rico, despite a deeply rooted rock culture.  This article examines the role of Puerto Rican punk culture in shaping the emergence of rock en español in Puerto Rico.  Using fanzines, media artifacts, first-hand accounts, and interviews, it structures a sketch of the emergence of both rock culture and punk culture in Puerto Rico in order to reveal both the complexities and importance of historicizing rock en español in the island.