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Puerto Rico
The American Folklife Center was created by Congress in 1976 through Public
Law 94-201 and charged to "preserve and present American folklife." Part
of the Library of Congress, the Center incorporates the Library's Archive
of Folk Culture, founded in 1928. The Center carries out its mandate through
its collections, programs, and services, which have touched all fifty states.
Collections
The collections of the American Folklife Center contain rich and varied
material from Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican Americans that documents its
diverse folk traditions. Among its unique recordings are: many Puerto Rican
songs including two versions of "Contéstame si me amas" (Answer
Me If You Love Me) and "El terruņo" the national song of Puerto Rico; religious
ceremonies recorded in Puerto Rico in 1948; a television broadcast and
two interviews recorded as part of the American Folklife Center's Chicago
Ethnic Arts project as well as the performances of boleros, merengues,
polkas, rancheras, and waltzes; a performance by cuatro player Yomo Toro
and his Conjunto Típico Puertorriqueño, including décimas,
plenas, and aguinaldos; a Puerto Rican church service at the Church of
the Nazarene; and interviews with and songs about Puerto Rican workers.
Puerto Rico participated in the Library's Bicentennial Local Legacies
project, which includes documentation of local traditions and celebrations
for the American Folklife Center's Archive of Folk Culture.
Publications
Published Recordings
- Folk Music of Puerto Rico, AFS L18
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