Defend Puerto Rico

This weekend's music break is dedicated to the isla del encancto.

Culebra island. Image via Pixabay.com

Puerto Rico is currently facing a recent humanitarian crisis caused by a hurricane that has been shamelessly politicized by Donald Trump’s government. While many sources have already done good analysis on the political sideshow accompanying the crisis and people from all over the world have shown solidarity, Africa Is a Country readers know that the island is also one of the hubs of African culture in the Americas. So, to continue our recent trend of humanizing the headlines with #WeekendMusicBreak, we decided to put together a playlist that draws attention to Puerto Rico’s African heritage, its contemporary sounds, as well as its impact on contemporary global popular culture.

If you’d like to assist in Puerto Rico’s recovery efforts, we suggest to visit Defend Puerto Rico, a multimedia “designed to document and celebrate Puerto Rican creativity, resilience, and resistance.”

Enjoy this weekend’s music break dedicated to the isla del encancto:

Weekend Music Break No.111

Tracklist: 1) Bomba y plena live at Loíza. 2) Hector Lavoe y Willie Colon – Aguanile. 3) `IFÉ – 3 Mujeres (Iború Iboya Ibosheshé). 4) El Gran Combo – Mi Isla. 5) India – Dimelo. 6) Tego Calderon – Pa que se lo gozen. 7) Ivy Queen – Yo quiero bailar.  8) Don Omar – Bandolero feat. Tego Calderon. 9) Calma Carmona – 100 Vidas. 10) Big Pun – 100%

Further Reading

From Cape To Cairo

When two Africans—one from the south, the other from the north—set out to cross the continent, they raised the question: how easy is it for an African to move in their own land?

The road to Rafah

The ‘Sumud’ convoy from Tunis to Gaza is reviving the radical promise of pan-African solidarity and reclaiming an anticolonial tactic lost to history.

Sinners and ancestors

Ryan Coogler’s latest film is more than a vampire fable—it’s a bridge between Black American history and African audiences hungry for connection, investment, and storytelling rooted in shared struggle.