The heart of salsa beats in Santurce, and this Saturday it will beat to the clave. "Así Suena Maelo," the festival celebrating the legacy of Ismael Rivera, returns for its sixth edition: 12 hours of music, dance and culture, all free, set to make the barrio the center of Puerto Rican salsa identity.
The event is a joint effort by the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (ICP), the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (MAC) and the Fundación Ismael Rivera. This year brings a key addition: two active venues with simultaneous programming. Casa Maelo on Calle Loíza and the MAC will be connected by a free shuttle running every 15 minutes between 2:00 and 6:00 p.m.
"I think he is the greatest exponent of salsa we have in Puerto Rico and in the world," Fátima Cedano, deputy director of the ICP, said in an interview with Platea.
🎶 The playlist before you arrive
To get in the mood, Cedano recommends these essential anthems:
The barrio where he was born
The foundation's coordinator, Windy Cosme, explained that the event aims for people to "take away a community experience, to be able to feel that Ismael Rivera in familiarity, in the barrio where he was born."
"To have the chance to reflect on the importance of our legacies, because Rafael Cortijo and Ismael Rivera left us an invaluable intangible heritage," she said in an interview with Platea.
Casa Maelo kicks off at noon with a community gathering, followed by:
Salsa workshops with Salsa y Ternura de Amalís Cintrón at 2:30 p.m. and bomba workshops with Lio Villahermosa at 3:30 p.m.
At 5:00 p.m., Fabiola Muñoz and her sextet take the stage, and the day closes with an audiovisual projection by Alzerreca.
For those who can't attend, Casa Maelo will continue opening its doors every Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
At the MAC, the action begins at 2:00 p.m. At 3:00, "Sereno No Me Mandes a Dormir," an exhibition by Christopher Gregory Rivera about the communities of Caño Martín Peña, will open. There will also be:
Guided tours starting at 4:00 p.m.,
Workshops inspired by Maelo, "Un Soneo pa' Maelo" by José "Osto" Ostolaza and "Todas Mis Flores" by Joudy Santaliz Cuevas.
A salsa workshop with Rafy Villegas at 6:00 p.m.
The Party Until Midnight
The highlight arrives at 7:00 p.m. in the MAC's interior courtyard: five hours of live music with the orchestra of Carlitos García, which has spent years performing Maelo's repertoire, and DJ Cano Cangrejo, a collector and music curator who put together a special set drawn from the complete catalog of the Sonero Mayor.
"This program has been grounded in the idea of reaffirming the identity of our communities and how music can be a vehicle for that," Marianne Ramírez, executive director of the MAC, said in an interview with Platea.
The bonus: The exhibition "Amistades en Clave," open during the event, documents the friendship between Ismael Rivera and Rafael Cortijo and their connection to Santurce. Both musicians studied at the Escuela Rafael María de Labra, the same building that today houses the MAC.
Three keys to understanding Maelo's legacy
For newer generations who didn't live through the golden era of Cortijo y su Combo:
Three keys to understanding the legacy of Ismael Rivera
01
The father of soneo
"He is the father of soneo as such. That improvisation within salsa, like trova or décima, in the world of salsa is Ismael Rivera. His contribution is extremely important and is something that must not die," says ICP deputy director Fátima Cedano.
02
The pride of Blackness
"He and Rafael Cortijo were the representatives of Blackness," says Fundación Ismael Rivera spokesperson Windy Cosme. "It wasn't just about showcasing Afro-descendant music, it was about making our faces visible. They were those representatives, and that is very important."
03
The ambassadors of bomba and plena
"People need to know that the ones responsible for taking our native Afro-Puerto Rican rhythms, bomba and plena, to an international audience were Ismael Rivera and Rafael Cortijo." Cosme also highlights Maelo's way with people: "He is remembered for his ability to connect through his soneo, but also for that love, for that human quality he reflected."
A call to younger generations
The MAC's executive director sees this as an opportunity for younger people to identify with Puerto Rican roots: "What you're hearing now, what you're enjoying now, it really was born here."
For Ramírez, this festival goes beyond remembrance: "It is essential that our young people know that we did not come from nothing. This project captures an important chapter in our musical history. We want people to enjoy the music, to come and dance, but knowing that background is equally valuable."
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
