The Strange Sounds of a Caribbean Archipelago: Representing Puerto Rican Music in the US, 1898–1899

In April 1898, the US declared war against Spain after the explosion of the USS Maine battleship in Caribbean waters. As part of the Spanish‐American War, the US invaded Puerto Rico and established a military government. During and after the war, Puerto Rico and its music became a topic of conversation and public discourse in the US. This article examines how Puerto Rican music was represented in US newspapers between 1898 and 1899. The major themes that emerge in these articles are music and the war, otherness, musical education, and gratitude.