Que Bonita Bandera

In honor of this weekend's festivities, we will salute Puerto Rican men. On Sunday, June 8, the streets of Fifth Avenue will fill with millions of Puerto Rican men, women and children. There is much I could say about the state of Puerto Rican men today--the cheating, the drugs, the jail time, the paternity suits, child support cases, etc., but today is not the day for that. There are still intelligent, decent looking Puerto Ricans out there with jobs and without records or children. To them, we dedicate this blog. We would like to celebrate famous Puerto Rican men today that have changed our culture forever. The contributions of these Puerto Ricans have not only helped shape the lives of all Latinos but Americans as a whole.

First, to Roberto Clemente, for paving the way for young Puerto Ricans in professional sports. Today, it is not a anomaly to see a Latino playing professional baseball. In fact, it was Roberto Clemente that began the long-standing tradition of FINE *SS men in MLB. Latinos are now present in all major league sports (even NASCAR, and yes, its a sport), but we truly hold it down in baseball. Whether on base, at bat, or in the outfield, the physique of the Puerto Rican man looks very nice in the uniform. Today, we are proud to say many Latinos have made it successfully and have looked oh-so-good in doing it. Look at the entire Mets team. Try to name one player whose name doesn't end in an A, O, or a Z (white players excluded). Tough right? Special shout to Carlos Delgado, who in homage to his Puerto Rican compay, bears Roberto's number on his Mets jersey. Love you, Carlos!


To Hector Lavoe for transcending salsa into mainstream culture. El repertorio de la musica latina would not be the same without this man..... we are also grateful to him for showing us that we can achieve fame and fortune despite crippling drug habits. A special mention to Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez, two very influential Puerto Ricans in their own right. They have kept his memory alive with their 2007 film, "El Cantante" that flopped in theaters, but every Puerto Rican I know went to see it (more than once). I personally own the DVD. Yes, he can't act in the movie. But he cares? It's not about Marc, its all about Hector.....

To Gran Combo and Tito Puente (R.I.P. timbalero), for keeping the tradition of salsa alive well after its popularity in the 70's and 80's. Gran Combo is one of last original orchestras to keep the fire going, and we are grateful. Summers in the Bronx would not be the same without the sounds of "Un Verano en Nueva York." To the legacy of Tito Puente, which still influences young musicians today... little boys everywhere bang on their mother's calderos in their project apartments hoping to one day be like the King....

To Menudo, for giving us a boy band to obsess over in the late 80's, early 90's. NKOTB was cool but they didn't have anything on Ricky back in the day. Special shout out to Ricky Martin (known as Ricky Melendez back in those days) for showing us that you can be super sexy, super gay and a sell-out all at the same time. The new TRIPLE THREAT! Ricky Martin made us admit to the prevelance of homosexuality in our community, despite his denials. Finally, glad that secret is out of the closet (no pun intended). Today being gay in Puerto Rican culture can still be tough, but it is not unheard of, thanks to Ricky.
Show your pride, boys!

To Tego Calderon, for doing for reggaeton what El General could not do--make it stick. Tego's use of old school salsa over reggae and hip-hop beats made it popular with old and young generations. We are also grateful to him for reminding us that yes, Puerto Ricans can be black, and that yes, that they often mix with Dominicans and it ain't that much of a difference (Tego was born in PR, but his parents are Dominican born). We thought he was gonna wreck poor Daddy Yankee's face at one point in the midst of all the beef, but thank god he didn't because there would be no one left to look at.... In this vain, we will also congratulate all the reggaeton artists whose names we can never remember but keep us dancing in the club.

To N.O.R.E -- keep eatin'; RIP Big Pun; to Big Dennis Rivera and Cipha Sounds making it happen for Puerto Rican DJs. There are so many more wonderful Puerto Ricans that I know we are forgetting to mention, but please know that we love you and are happy to call you one of ours. Most importantly, to the Puerto Rican women everywhere that have put up with their "entertaining" ways and have managed to stay strong and beautiful in the process.

And finally, to the ultimate sucker who couldn't keep Cuban Linx from tapping his wife: Fat Joe. He claims he is Puerto Rican but you may have recently seen him making records with no other Puerto Ricans. He is currently riding the DJ Khaled wave (he claims to be Bori, but we aren't so sure), making cameos on a host of songs by Southern rappers and occassionally making an appearance or two in videos. He is NOT cute and his songs are ok (we did like the one with J Holiday yum) but he recently told me that I could not have a picture with him at Summer Jam and then 10 minutes later proceeded to take a picture with a white girl in an 80's outfit. Do I sense a lil self-hate Joe? We thought he was a little corny before the incident but now he is certified as having a bad attitude. And he is often spotted in fast food joints like KFC and Subways (true story). With all that money, you can't afford a better diet and a personal trainer? He gets the "We Wish He Weren't Bori" award for 2008.

To all my Puerto Ricans out there, boricua hasta el fin. See you at the parade.