So I heard about the song from Lin Manuel Miranda to raise money for the relief efforts after the island was hit by Hurricane Maria in September 2017. Then I went to listen to the song. And I didn't get it. So I am making this page on my site.
My questions:
1) Puerto Rico isn't a state, is it?
2) Why do so many Puerto Ricans live in the US?
3) I haven't heard or half the "celebrity" singers. Who are they?
4) West Side Story?
5) Lyrics?
1) Puerto Rico isn't a state, is it?
119 years ago, in 1898, the US acquired Puerto Rico at the end of the Spanish-American War. Why people don't know that is baffling.
2) Why do so many Puerto Ricans live in the US?
Because Puerto Rico is a US territory, they are American citizens (yet they don't have the right to vote)
3) I haven't heard of half the "celebrity" singers. Who are they?
4) West Side Story?
In 1957 a broadway musical came out that was an american spin off of Romeo & Juliet that was about two teen "gangs" in NYC. One was white, and one was puerto rican. A white gang member fell in love with the sister of the puerto rican gang leader. Her name was Maria. The white gang member who fell in love sang a song about her where he mostly sang her name over and over. "Say it loud and there's music playing, say it soft and it's almost like praying," is a line in the song.
5) Lyrics?
Most of the lyrics are the names of the 78 towns.