Puerto Rico
International jazz musician Fabiola Méndez and her cuatro
April 30th is International Jazz Day, declared by the United Nations in 2011, “to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.” On this annual celebration of the smooth form of music, Puerto Rican folk musician Fabiola Méndez came into The World’s studio to talk with Host Carolyn Beeler about her music and the traditional stringed instrument she plays, the cuatro – associated with the island’s countryside, older generations, and family gatherings.
It may be getting harder for Puerto Rico’s national forest to recover from storms
Tropical forests like El Yunque have evolved to recover from hurricanes. But if those storms grow more intense or frequent, forests may be less able to bounce back. And that could hurt communities that depend on the forest for water.
A year after Maria, Puerto Rican college students find home – on the island and off
Rosamari Palerm transferred to a school in Miami last fall after her school shut down in the wake of Hurricane Maria. She’s returned home to San Juan, but some of her classmates have stayed, making new homes in Miami.
