Whats New

WHAT ARE WE WORKING ON?

Completing the last stages of publication of a definitive book on the cuatro, based on our oral-history interviews and research

Creating a four-year graded, conservatory -level cuatro method

Beginning work on a new website that focuses on the ancient tradition of saint-carving

Transfering early recorded jíbaro music to digital format

Continuing to refine and organize our knowledge base and continuing to perfect and add content to this website

Our latest newsletter can be found here

An important exhibition of master works of Puerto Rican painting in Worcester, Massachusetts
openining in October, 2006

Francisco Oller, Hacienda Aurora, 1898-99

Mi Puerto Rico: Master Painters of the Island 1780-1952
Organized by the Museo de Arte de Ponce, this is the first comprehensive show of its kind, the show is to be held at the Worcester Art Museum from October 8, 2006 to January 14, 2007. The exhibition will explore the evolution of an artistic vision: how three principal figures in the island’s history saw and represented their surroundings over the course of nearly two centuries. Forty-seven paintings, including portraits, landscapes, still life, and scenes from everyday life, will represent key periods in Puerto Rican history. These works, which will captivate our audience through their beauty, will include all the major masters, among them José Campeche (1751-1809), Francisco Oller (1833-1917), and Miguel Pou (1880-1968). For more information call 508-799-4406 or visit www.worcesterart.org

Grande damme of traditional song
Luz Celenia Tirado
delights lovers of the Puerto Rican décima
in Boston May 27, 2006

Massachusetts residents were treated to an entire day in Boston filled with Puerto Rican traditional delights: music, foods, films, and seminars by the region's greatest artists and artisans on May 27, 2006. Headlining the live performances of the evening was one of Puerto Rico's greatest traditional singers, Luz Celenia Tirado. The roster of stars also included cuatrista Emma Colon Zayas, the seminal cuatro ensemble Mapeyé, with Modesto Nieves and Tony Rivera, the marvelous young singer Lenny Adorno, and many other distinguished artists.

Listen to Luz Celenia Tirado, La Jíbara de las Lomas, singing a décima in seis araucano style, called Triqueño o Blanco [Black man or white man]

Prodigio Claudio returns
to New York and Massachusetts

photo by William Cumpiano
The dazzling pyrotechnics of the prodigious cuatro stylist Eligio "Prodigio" Claudio, together with the group Aventura Jíbara, shook up fans of our national instrument at a great show that stopped in New York and Massachusetts in May 2006

Over the years, Prodigio has participated with and supported the Cuatro Project, and has given freely of his time and attention. Several years back he offered us a number of his interpretations of the classic Puerto Rican seis and aguinaldo genres for our microphones which we are placing here (still under construction).
Meanwhile you can enjoy a dazzling interpretation of the beloved Rafael Hernández piece, Capullito de Aleli, which Prodigio did live for our microphones in 2001 at the Puerto Rico College of Engineering. (3MB mp3)

Emma Colón Zayas
sensational in California

Esteemed cuatrista Emma Colón Zayas made us all US-resident jíbaros proud during her sensational performance at the First California Cuatro Festival held late February at the University of California at Long Beach A clamoring audience filled the large theatre to the rafters and danced joyfully in the aisles. At the end of her show Emma was given an award for her contribution to Puerto Rican culture by the Puerto Rican Women's Association. Listen to two performances recorded live by the Cuatro Project:

Emma with her cuatro, her brother Bill Colón Zayas on guitar and Jaime Torres on percussion present Capullito de Alelí by the great Rafael Hernández
Emma with her cuatro, Bill Colón Zayas onn guitar and Jaime Torres on percussion deliver Mambo #4 by Damaso Pérez Prado

We're building a page dedicated to Emma here (not translated yet)

A 9-minute summary in audio of all the performers of that evening.

Maribel Delgado's brilliant cuatro work was displayed on stage during a recent event. Maribel is one of the island's top young talents of our time who makes all of us proud. We have a page dedicated to Maribel Delgado (yet untranslated)

12/03: Cuatro Project and American Airlines Mount Cultural Exhibits at the San Juan Airport

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – American y American Eagle, with the sponsorship of the Puerto Rican Tourism Bureau celebrates the holiday season with a splash with two activities that feature the artistic and cultural riches of the island. As a gift to its passengers and employees, America celebrates a Cuatro Festival that will take place on the thursday 11 and 18 of December. All those travelling through the American Airlines terminal wil have the opportunity to learn all about the making of the instrument, enjoy lively music and purchase recordings so that samples of our music can travel with them. A concert by Pedrito Guzman will be presented by Bacardi at the site at 11 am on the 18th.

Airport employees comment on the unusual depth of the restored Puerto Rican bordonúa instrument displayed by Cuatro Project Director of Research Juan Sotomayor (left) at Muñoz Marín Airport.

Cuatro Project coordinator and webmaster William Cumpiano plucks a displayed cuatro for curious travelers. The Cuatro Project's video presentation, on continuous display, can be seen in the background.

This is the Cuatro Project: Juan Sotomayor, William Cumpiano and Wilfredo Echevarria pose for the camera at the San Juan Airport cuatro exhibit they mounted at the American Airlines terminal in December '03.

Bordonúa-making class in Aguada

Prizewinning artisan Aurelio Cruz (seated) of Morovis with his bordonúa making class held in 2002 in Aguada

Aurelio's students working on their instruments

ARCHIVE OF PAST EVENTS:

2/5/00
Rhythms of the People
Ritmo de Pueblo
Trinity College, Hartford CT

10/2/99:
First Competition for Makers of the Early Cuatro, Tiple and Bordonúa
Casa Paoli
Ponce, Puerto Rico

11/28/98
Puerto Rican Music and Culture Day at the Smithsonian
National Museum of American History
Washington DC

Yomi Matos (guitar), Alvin Medina (cuatro), Ruben Figueroa (bass), Roberto Rivera (güiro) y Yomo Toro (cuatro) at Carmichael Hall in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History during evening events following an old day music/workshop event at the Hall of Musical Instruments of the museum, produced by the Puerto Rican Cuatro Project.

The event was part of a series commemorating the inauguration of the the opening of the permanent exhibit of the Teodoro Vidal Collection of Puerto Rican Historical and Cultural Artifacts in the National Museum of American History, November 28, 1998

7/11/99:
Conference and Festival of the Cuatro
Chicago

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