Juan Boria
Encyclopedia
Juan Boria also known as the Negro Verse Pharaoh, was a Puerto Rican
poet known for his Afro-Caribbean poetry.
where he studied elementary school
. After that, he followed studies in the nearby town of Toa Baja. During weekends, he worked as a mason
and carpenter
to pay for his studies. He finished his studies in Santurce
in 1923.
At this time, his family moved to the town of Cataño
and he started studies in the University of Puerto Rico
in Río Piedras. He received his Bachelor's degree
as a teacher of industrial arts
, drawing
, and carpentry
. After several years working in several places, he started working as a teacher in 1937 at a school in San Germán. From there, he was transferred to another school in Canóvanas.
poem "La negra curandera." He liked it so much that he asked him for a copy to learn and recite at his friends meetings. After some time, his friends prompted him to participate in a program at the WKAQ
radio station. The poet Fortunato Vizcarrondo, considered the most important Negro poet in the island at the time, heard him and visited him. Vizcarrondo then offered him other of his poems for him to recite at the program.
In 1941, he participated in a show at Loíza, where he met fellow poets Ramón Rivero
(known as "Diplo") and José Luis Torregrosa. They were so impressed with Boria's performance that they incorporated him to his troupe called La Farándula Bohemia. He then traveled all around the island performing at several theaters both as a poet and as an actor. In 1944, he was sent to the Panama Canal
to entertain the soldiers stationed there.
. He planned to stay there for 15 days but was so sought after that he ended up staying two months. He followed with travels to the Dominican Republic
, Colombia
, Venezuela
, Spain, and Portugal, as well as New York, where he headlined at the Teatro Puerto Rico
, and other cities in the United States. Afterward, he alternated his artistic activities with his job as a teacher in Río Piedras
.
In 1954, Boria debuted in television on the show Tribuna del Arte from Telemundo
. He also performed in La Taberna India with "Diplo." He followed with his debut in film in 1964 in the Mexican
/Puerto Rican
film Mientras Puerto Rico duerme, directed by Julián Soler. He also appeared in several short films produced by the Division of Community Education.
From 1965 he traveled several cultural centers, schools, and public squares in Puerto Rico reciting at events sponsored by the Puerto Rican Culture Institute. He also participated at the Cultural Olympics in 1979.
y Plena
celebrated in his hometown of Dorado was dedicated to him. Also, the show Nuestra Noche that same year was held in his honor. The show was celebrated in the Roberto Clemente Coliseum
and featured singers like Wilkins
, Haciendo Punto en Otro Son
, and others.
In 1983, the mayor of Dorado, Alfonso López Chaar, acquired the Juana de Arco Theater at the entrance of the town and renamed it as Juan Boria Theater. On November 1, 1984, Boria himself presented his first show at the theater.
Boria retired from teaching in 1974. Afterward, he started his own shop in Cupey
.
Boria died May 29, 1995 in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
.
, his repertoire included poems from:
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
poet known for his Afro-Caribbean poetry.
Early years
Juan Boria was born in Dorado, Puerto RicoDorado, Puerto Rico
Dorado is a small tourist town in the northern coast of Puerto Rico, west of San Juan and is located in the northern region of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Toa Alta, east of Vega Alta, and west of Toa Baja. Dorado is spread over five barrios and Dorado Pueblo...
where he studied elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
. After that, he followed studies in the nearby town of Toa Baja. During weekends, he worked as a mason
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
and carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
to pay for his studies. He finished his studies in Santurce
Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santurce is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Summary:Santurce is one of the top ten most populated areas of the island holding Miramar, Loíza, Isla Grande, Barrio Obrero, and Condado as main cultural hot spots for art, music, cuisine, fashion, hotels, technology, multimedia, film, textile and...
in 1923.
At this time, his family moved to the town of Cataño
Cataño, Puerto Rico
Cataño is a municipality located on northern coast of Puerto Rico bordering the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent to the north and east by San Juan; north of Bayamón and Guaynabo; east of Toa Baja and west of Guaynabo and is part of the San Juan Metropolitan Area. Cataño is spread over 7 wards and...
and he started studies in the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus
The University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras , also referred to as UPR-RP, is a public research university located on a campus in Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico...
in Río Piedras. He received his Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
as a teacher of industrial arts
Industrial arts
Industrial Arts is an umbrella term originally conceived in the late 19th century to describe educational programs which featured fabrication of objects in wood and/or metal using a variety of hand, power, or machine tools...
, drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
, and carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
. After several years working in several places, he started working as a teacher in 1937 at a school in San Germán. From there, he was transferred to another school in Canóvanas.
Starting his career
In 1938, during a show at the school in Canóvanas, he heard a colleague — Pablito Rivera — recite the NegroNegro
The word Negro is used in the English-speaking world to refer to a person of black ancestry or appearance, whether of African descent or not...
poem "La negra curandera." He liked it so much that he asked him for a copy to learn and recite at his friends meetings. After some time, his friends prompted him to participate in a program at the WKAQ
WKAQ (AM)
WKAQ is a radio station in San Juan, Puerto Rico that broadcasts on 580 kHz with a Spanish language talk radio format. The station is currently owned by Univision Radio. Its programming is repeated on WUKQ, which broadcasts on 1420 kHz in Ponce, and WYEL which broadcasts on 600 kHz in Mayagüez...
radio station. The poet Fortunato Vizcarrondo, considered the most important Negro poet in the island at the time, heard him and visited him. Vizcarrondo then offered him other of his poems for him to recite at the program.
In 1941, he participated in a show at Loíza, where he met fellow poets Ramón Rivero
Ramón Rivero (Diplo)
Ramón Rivero — known as Diplo — was a comedian, actor, composer and a pioneer in Puerto Rico's television and cinema industries...
(known as "Diplo") and José Luis Torregrosa. They were so impressed with Boria's performance that they incorporated him to his troupe called La Farándula Bohemia. He then traveled all around the island performing at several theaters both as a poet and as an actor. In 1944, he was sent to the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
to entertain the soldiers stationed there.
International fame
In 1950, he traveled to Havana, Cuba under the recommendation of "Diplo" and Luis Palés MatosLuis Palés Matos
Luis Palés Matos was a Puerto Rican poet who is credited with creating the poetry genre known as Afro-Antillano.-Early years:...
. He planned to stay there for 15 days but was so sought after that he ended up staying two months. He followed with travels to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Spain, and Portugal, as well as New York, where he headlined at the Teatro Puerto Rico
Teatro Puerto Rico
The Teatro Puerto Rico was to the Latino community in the South Bronx what the Apollo Theater was to the African American community in the Harlem section of Manhattan. During its 1940s to 1950s "golden era," it was the hub of la farándula, a vaudeville-style package of Spanish-language events, and...
, and other cities in the United States. Afterward, he alternated his artistic activities with his job as a teacher in Río Piedras
Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
Río Piedras is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Founded in 1714, it has been the home of the University of Puerto Rico's main campus since 1903, earning the town the popular name of Ciudad Universitaria...
.
In 1954, Boria debuted in television on the show Tribuna del Arte from Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
. He also performed in La Taberna India with "Diplo." He followed with his debut in film in 1964 in the Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
/Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
film Mientras Puerto Rico duerme, directed by Julián Soler. He also appeared in several short films produced by the Division of Community Education.
From 1965 he traveled several cultural centers, schools, and public squares in Puerto Rico reciting at events sponsored by the Puerto Rican Culture Institute. He also participated at the Cultural Olympics in 1979.
Recognitions
In October, 1980, the 7th Festival of BombaBomba
Bomba is one of the traditional musical styles of Puerto Rico. it is a largely African-derived music. The rhythm and beat are played by a set of floor drums, cuá and a maraca. Dance is an integral part of the music: the dancers move their bodies to every beat of the drum, making bomba a very...
y Plena
Plena
Plena is a folkloric genre native to Puerto Rico. Its creation was influenced by African and Spanish music.-History:The music is generally folkloric. The music's beat and rhythm are usually played using hand drums called panderetas, but also known as panderos or pleneras. The music is accompanied...
celebrated in his hometown of Dorado was dedicated to him. Also, the show Nuestra Noche that same year was held in his honor. The show was celebrated in the Roberto Clemente Coliseum
Roberto Clemente Coliseum
The Roberto Clemente Coliseum is a sporting events and concert arena in San Juan, Puerto Rico.It was, for many years, Puerto Rico's largest indoor event facility, and it continues being one of the largest....
and featured singers like Wilkins
Wilkins Vélez
German Wilkins Vélez, commonly known as Wilkins , is a Puerto Rican pop music singer and composer.-Early years:Wilkins was born in the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, but raised in Mexico City, Mexico. His father, Germán Vélez Forestier, was a radio announcer and part-time singer...
, Haciendo Punto en Otro Son
Haciendo Punto en Otro Son
Haciendo Punto en Otro Son is a Nueva Trova band from Puerto Rico, founded in 1975. They recorded fourteen albums and performed in Latin America, the Caribbean and USA....
, and others.
In 1983, the mayor of Dorado, Alfonso López Chaar, acquired the Juana de Arco Theater at the entrance of the town and renamed it as Juan Boria Theater. On November 1, 1984, Boria himself presented his first show at the theater.
Boria retired from teaching in 1974. Afterward, he started his own shop in Cupey
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
.
Boria died May 29, 1995 in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
Río Piedras is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Founded in 1714, it has been the home of the University of Puerto Rico's main campus since 1903, earning the town the popular name of Ciudad Universitaria...
.
Personal life
Boria married Emérita Rodríguez in 1941 with whom he had two daughters: Norma and Zayda. He also had another son: Cruz, from another marriage.Influences
Although he identified with the works of Vizcarrondo, Palés Matos and Nicolás GuillénNicolás Guillén
Nicolás Cristóbal Guillén Batista was a Cuban poet, journalist, political activist, and writer. He is best remembered as the national poet of Cuba.Guillén was born in Camagüey, Cuba...
, his repertoire included poems from:
- Emilio Ballagas
- Félix B. Caignet
- Gonzalo Castañón
- Marcelino Arozamena
- Lorenzo Coballés
- Alfonso Camín
- Pablo Motito
- Gilberto Hernández Santana
- Enrique Montijo
- María Teresa Vallés
- Luis Manuel Ruiz
- Rubén Suro
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Ricans of African descent