The title for composer Armando Bayolo's contribution to El Puerto Rico, "Nadie Puede Dar Lo Que No Lo Tiene," comes from Ramón Emeterio Betances, the leader of a failed uprising against Spanish rule in 1868.
"No one can give you what they do not have," encapsulates the frustration that Betances and many others in Puerto Rico have felt with the colonial powers that have controlled the island — first Spain and now the U.S.
Bayolo also incorporates the popular nationalist anthem, "Que Bonita Bandera," into his piece, often musically "hidden" to reflect the history of repressed and underground political activity in Puerto Rico.
"Nadie Puede Dar Lo Que No Lo Tiene" grapples with the past, present and possible future of the push for independence and self-determination by the people of Puerto Rico.
The Victory Players:
Tianhui Ng, music director
Angela Santiago, ensemble manager
Nathan Ben-Yehuda, piano
Clare Monfredo, cello
Giovanni A. Perez, flute
Robert Rocheteau, percussion
Eric Schultz, clarinet
Elly Toyoda, violin
You can watch an interview with Armando below, with a transcript in both English and Spanish.
Spanish language translation: Damaris Pérez-Pizarro
El Puerto Rico is a collaboration of the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA), New England Public Media and GBH Music, which originally published a version of this post.