Puerto Rico

Famous Puerto Rican People: Puerto Rican Artists, Scientists, Leaders, Musicians, Politicians and Athletes

Some of these notable Puerto Ricans have dedicated their life to exploring the full breadth and depth of Puerto Rican music and contributed greatly to a worldwide phenomenon: SALSA, the most widely heard and influential form of music from „La Isla del Encanto”! Salsa has definitely made Puerto Rico famous in the world of international music. There are times when the meaning of words seem to fade away, they seem so poor, so entirely does our language fail to express the reality. Salsa is more than a music or a dance, it is the motion of intense rhythm, being in the beat and on top of things, it is the rhythm of the islands, Salsa is more than a trend, a form of entertainment it is an escape, a passion and a way to reconnect with long lost cultural roots, Salsa is LIFE!

Salsa is literally translated as “sauce” to denote music that spices and enlivens things. Hot and spicy, highly danceable, rhythmically sophisticated, and compelling, Salsa originally developed within the Puerto Rican community of New York. It draws heavily from the musical roots of the Cuban and the African-Caribbean experience.

According to Tijiana Ilich, between 1930 and 1960 there were musicians from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico and South America coming to New York to perform. They brought their own native rhythms and musical forms with them, but as they listened to each other and played music together, the musical influences mixed, fused and evolved.This type of musical hybridization gave birth to the 1950s creation of the mambo from son, conjunto and jazz traditions. Continuing musical fusion went on to include what we know today as the cha cha cha, rhumba, conga and, in the 1960s, salsa.

Among the Salsa legends and pioneers are: Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Willie Colon, Ruben Blades, El Gran Combo, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Baretto, Ismael Miranda, Pete El Conte Rodriguez, Gilberto Santa Rosa and many many others.

:: List of Famous People from Puerto Rico ::

Gilberto Santa Rosa – El Caballero de la Salsa
Gilberto Santa Rosa is known as “El Caballero de la Salsa” (the gentleman of salsa). He is a famous Puerto Rican singer of salsa, bolero, and bandleader. Gilberto Santa Rosa is considered one of the true “soneros” of his generation. In 1976 Santa Rosa made his recording debut as a backup singer with the Mario Ortiz Orchestra and soon after became the lead singer for La Grande Orchestra, followed by a stint with the Puerto Rican All-Stars in 1979. Gilberto Santa Rosa is one of the most successful vocalists in Puerto Rico. His albums have all achieved platinum status in Puerto Rico and Latin America. He is known for his exceptional interpretation of “salsa romantica” as well.

Rivera Zuleyka
Puerto Rico is famous not only for its music, but also for its natural beauties: Zuleyka is a Puerto Rican beauty queen who has held the titles Miss Puerto Rico Universe and Miss Universe 2006. Rivera was the fifth Puerto Rican to win the title, which makes the island, along with Venezuela(2008) the second most successful entity in the pageant (behind the United States).

Clemente Roberto Walker
Roberto Clemente was a professional baseball player and a Major League Baseball right fielder. Moreover, he was first Puerto Rican member of Baseball Hall of Fame. Clemente played eighteen seasons in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1972, all with Pittsburgh. He was awarded the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1966. He won twelve Gold Glove Awards and led the league in batting average four different seasons.

Jennifer Lopez
J. Lo. is an American Golden Globe-nominated actress, Grammy Award-nominated singer, record producer, dancer, fashion designer and television producer. According to Reuters, she is the richest person of Latin American descent in Hollywood according to Forbes, and the most influential Hispanic entertainer in the U.S. according to People en Español’s list of “100 Most Influential Hispanics”. Jennifer Lopez is one of the prominent Latin American performers in the world.

Tapia y Rivera, Alejandro
Tapia y Rivera is one of the most prolific authors of the nineteenth century, a Puerto Rican poet, dramaturg, essayist and writer. Tapia is considered to be the father of Puerto Rican literature and as the person who has contributed the most to the cultural advancement of Puerto Rico’s literature. Some of his outstanding works include: the novels Póstumo el transmigrado (1872), Póstumo el envirginado (1882), and Cofresí (1876); the plays Roberto D’Evreux (1856), Bernardo de Palissy, or El heroísmo del trabajo (1857), and La parte del león (1878); the poem La Sataniada (1874) and many others. In addition to his writing, Rivera was also a fervent abolitionist and a women’s rights advocate.

Oscar de la Renta
Even if Oscar de la Renta was born in the Dominican Republic, his father is of Puerto Rican origins. Oscar de la Renta is a leading fashion designer. His talent received continual international recognition. he received the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in 2000 and in 2007 (tied with Proenza Schouler). In February 1990, he was honored with the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award. From 1973 to 1976, and from 1986 to 1988, he served as President of the CFDA. He is also a two-time winner of the
American Fashion Critic’s Award.

“Oscar de la Renta is one of the most acclaimed, luxury fashion designer today who captures the ultimate in fashion for the modern woman. designer’s style and grace is truly represented in the distinctive, elegantdesign of the store and in his exquisite women’s ready-to-wear collection and accessories,” said Nancy A. Nasher.

Dávila Virgilio
Dávila is considered by many to be one of Puerto Rico’s greatest representatives of the modern literary era. He was a Puerto Rican poet, an educator, politician and businessman. Among his better known poems are: “Patria” (1903) “Viviendo y Amando” (1912) “Aromas del Terruño” (1916) “No des tu Tierra al Extaño”.

Dr. Beauchamp Pedro
The first Puerto Rican specialist certified by the American Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Board is Dr. Beauchamp Pedro. He performed the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) technique on the island in 1985. Dr. Beauchamp was responsible and is credited with delivering the first triplets born by in-vitro fertilization in the United States and the first in-vitro baby born in Argentina. His work is known as GIFT (in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer) and TET (Tubal Embryo Transfer).

Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin is a worldwide famous Puerto Rican pop singer. Ricky is one of the greatist preformers of our time, one of the world’s biggest entertainers, an extremly talented person. He won several Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards, MTV Awards and many others. The first and most prominent single was “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” which reached number one in many countries around the world, including the U.S., the U.K., Argentina, Australia, Brazil, France, Turkey, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Guatemala, Mexico, Russia.

José Feliciano
José Feliciano, known to some as the “greatest living guitarist”, is a Puerto Rican singer and virtuoso guitarist, known for many international hits. When he was five years old he moved to New York and could play the concertina by six using records as his teacher. He started his musical life playing accordion until his grandfather gave him a guitar and has since won over 40 gold and platinum records, 6 out of 14 Grammy nominations, and prestigious awards all over the world. He is even a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His most famous works are Light My Fire, Chico & the Man, Destiny, Ay cariño, Cuando el amor se acaba.

Ed Figueroa
is a former Major League Baseball player. Figueroa played in the majors from 1974-1981 for the California Angels, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics. He was the first Puerto Rican to win 20 games in Major League. His best season came in 1978 with the Yankees as a starting pitcher, when he posted a won-loss record of 20-9 and helped the Yankees win the World Series.