Ponce Municipal Band

The Ponce Municipal Band (Spanish: Banda Municipal de Ponce) is the band of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The band is the oldest continuously-performing band in the Caribbean.[1] It is the oldest music group in Puerto Rico.[2] It has performed its open-air concerts for over 125 years. The current director is Juan García Germaín. It has 42 members between 25 and 83 years old.[3] It operates within the jurisdiction of the Oficina de Desarrollo Cultural (English: Office of Cultural Development) of the autonomous municipality of Ponce.[4] Its headquarters are located at the Centro Integrado para el Fortalecimiento de las Artes Musicales, next to Teatro La Perla.[5]

Ponce Municipal Band
Banda Municipal de Ponce
Background information
OriginPonce, Puerto Rico
GenresDanza, classical
Occupation(s)Band
Years active1883-present
MembersMusic Director
Juan García Germaín

Founder
Juan Morel Campos

Past Directors
Domingo Cruz "Cocolia"
Julio Alvarado Tricoche
Luis Osvaldo Pino Valdivieso
Rubén Colón Tarrats
Past membersJuan Ríos Ovalle
Other past directors
Emilio Alvarado
Eduardo Cuevas
Tomás Clavel
Eustaquio Pujals

History
Image showing the platform on the south side of Parque de Bombas where the Banda presented its concerts during the 1960s.

The history of the Ponce Municipal Band dates to its predecessor, the Ponce Firefighters' Band,[6] a band that was already operational in 1859.[7] It was founded in September, 1883,[8] by Juan Morel Campos.[9] In 1953, the Band reorganized and was moved from an organization under the Ponce Firefighters Corps to an organization under the Ponce Municipal Government.[10] The directors of the band after its founder have been Domingo Cruz (Cocolia), Julio Alvarado, Emilio Alvarado, Eduardo Cuevas, Tomás Clavel, and Eustaquio Pujals. The current director is Rubén Colón Tarrats.[11] Master Julio Alvarado was the director of the band at the time of its 1953 reorganization.[12] Gregorio Ledesma was the band conductor in 1859.[13]

In late 2010, the Ponce Municipal Government provided the Band its own location for its rehearsals.[14] The new location is next to the legendary Teatro La Perla at a structure named Centro Integrado para el Fortalecimiento de las Artes Musicales (Integrated Center for the Development of the Musical Arts).

Concerts
Current (2018) headquarters of the Banda Municipal de Ponce, next to Teatro La Perla in Barrio Tercero, Ponce, Puerto Rico

The Band originally celebrated its concerts from a since-removed second floor stage at Parque de Bombas.[15] It was then moved to Concha Acústica de Ponce, and later to Paseo Tablado La Guancha, where it performed for a while. It also performed from the Dora Colón Clavell Urban Park[16] for some time, and it is currently performing from a removable stage at front of the Ponce City Hall.[17] Concerts are every Sunday evening. In September, 2011, the Band adopted a new venue philosophy called Retretas en la Comunidad, whereby it started to bring its stage to the various communities of Ponce.[18]

Directors and their terms

As "Banda del Benemérito Cuerpo de Bomberos de Ponce":[19]

  • Juan Morel Campos (1883-1886)–(1893-1896)
  • Eduardo Cuevas (1896? - 1900?)[20]
  • Domingo Cruz ("Cocolia") (ca.1900–1916)[21]
  • Eustaquio Pujals (ca. 1916-1924)[22]
  • Tomás Clavell (ca. 1924[23] - 1928[24])

As "Banda Municipal de Ponce":[25]

Current members

As of March 2011, the Ponce Municipal Band had 42 members as follows:[35]

  • Flute
    • Carlos Torres, Marines Aviles, Jose Rentas
  • Clarinet
    • Ada I. Rodriguez, Ricardo Velazquez, Julio Alvarado, Ramon Galindo, Juan Garcia, Estrella Cruz, Feliz Varela, Hector Lopez de Victoria, Cynthia Rodriguez, Nilda Cruz, Guillermo Silvagnoli
  • Saxophone
    • Leslie Pagan, Moises Ortiz, Jorge L. Torres, Jose P. Santiago, Jose R. Santiago
  • Bassoon
    • Jesus Acevedo
  • Trumpet
    • Jose M. Ruiz, Jose Quiñones, Victor Caquias, Edgardo Ruiz, Elder Arroyo, Victor Rodriguez
  • Horn
    • Hector I. Maldonado, Felipe Gonzalez, Rohel Ortiz, Orlando Zayas
  • Trombone
    • David Perez, Israel Negron, Irving Gonzalez
  • Euphonium
    • Angel Santos, Lester Perez Cancel
  • Tuba
    • Lester Perez Flores, Arnaldo Tarrio
  • Perdussion
    • Dimas Rodriguez, Luis M. Valentin, Sergio Gonzalez, Jose Alvarado
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References
  1. Banda Municipal de Ponce celebra 125 años. Edward Zayas Torres. El Vocero. 14 March 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  2. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades. Ponce Ciudad Museo 2001. 2001. p. 67.
  3. Edward Zayas Torres. Banda Municipal de Ponce celebra 125 años. El Vocero. 14 March 2008.
  4. Concierto de Navidad Banda Municipal de Ponce. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 16 December 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  5. Ponce: Mensaje del Presupuesto 2012-2013. Archived 2013-08-05 at the Wayback Machine Mayor Maria Melendez. Municipality of Ponce. Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Municipal Budget. Page 15. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  6. Juan Morel Campos: un Beethoven boricua que antecedió a la salsa Fundación Nacional Para la Cultura Popular. 18 May 2007.
  7. Emilio Pasarell. Esculcando el Siglo XIX en Puerto Rico. Barcelona: M. Pareja. 1967. p.74.
  8. Las fiestas populares de Ponce. By Ramón Marín. Page 24.
  9. Edward Zayas Torres. Banda Municipal de Ponce celebra 125 años. El Vocero. 14 March 2008.
  10. Edward Zayas Torres. Banda Municipal de Ponce celebra 125 años. El Vocero. 14 March 2008.
  11. Edward Zayas Torres. Banda Municipal de Ponce celebra 125 años. El Vocero. 14 March 2008.
  12. Concierto de clausura aniversario 125 de la Banda Municipal de Ponce. El Sur a la Vista. (Portada » Arte y Cultura, Ponce.) 17 Dec 2009.
  13. Louis Moreau Gottschalk. S. Frederick Starr. Page 267.
  14. Con nueva casa la centenaria Banda Municipal de Ponce. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
  15. Imagen Ponce: Public and Private Interest in the Design of a Free Zone within the Port of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Archived 2011-06-05 at the Wayback Machine Hermann Ferre III. Department of Architecture, MIT. June 1989. Page 38. Photo. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  16. Harry S. Pariser. Explore Puerto Rico. Page 250.
  17. Visita Ponce. Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
  18. Retreta especial en la Playa de Ponce por la Banda Municipal de Ponce. 9 September 2011. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  19. The Ponce Municipal Band. Travel-Ponce. Accessed 2 May 2016.
  20. Luis Fortuño Janeiro. "Album Historico de Ponce (1692-1963)". Page 38. 1963. Imprenta Fortuño Ponce, Puerto Rico.
  21. Don Domingo Cruz (Cocolia). Museo del Parque de Bombas de Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. March 2, 2011.
  22. Luis Fortuño Janeiro. "Album Historico de Ponce (1692-1963)". Page 38. 1963. Imprenta Fortuño Ponce, Puerto Rico.
  23. Luis Fortuño Janeiro. "Album Historico de Ponce (1692-1963)". Page 38. 1963. Imprenta Fortuño Ponce, Puerto Rico.
  24. Museo Parque de Bombas. Primer Piso. Sala de Exhibicion. "Cronologia del Cuerpo de Bomberos Municipal de Ponce." Hoja 4. Año 1924. Accessed 2 Marzo 2011.
  25. The Ponce Municipal Band. Travel-Ponce. Accessed 2 May 2016.
  26. Arturo Pasarell y La Sinfonica: Pilares del Renacer Musical Ponceño. Nestor Murray Irizarry. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 35. Issue 1792. 4 to 10 April 2018. Page 8. Accessed 4 April 2018.
  27. Luis Fortuño Janeiro. "Album Historico de Ponce (1692-1963)". Page 38. 1963. Imprenta Fortuño Ponce, Puerto Rico.
  28. ¿Quien es Don Julio Alvarado Tricoche?. Biblioteca Elemental Julio Alvarado Tricoche - Ponce. 2016. Accessed 2 May 2016
  29. Luis Fortuño Janeiro. "Album Historico de Ponce (1692-1963)". Page 38. 1963. Imprenta Fortuño Ponce, Puerto Rico.
  30. Julito Alvarado. Fundacion Nacional para la Cultura Popular. Accessed 3 May 2016.
  31. Ordenanza Numero 32 (Serie 2010-2011): Para Autorizar a la Alcaldesa de Ponce, Hon. Maria Melendez Altieri Designar Al Edificio Anexo Al Teatro La Perla de Ponce con el Nombre de "Centro Integrado Para el Fortalecimiento de las Artes Musicales Luis Osvaldo Pino Valdivieso". Legislatura Municipal. Ponce Municipal Government. 7 December 2010. Accessed 2 May 2016.
  32. The Ponce Municipal Band. Travel-Ponce. 2016. Accessed 2 May 2016.
  33. Se despide Rubén Colón Tarrats. Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 6 November 2013. Year 31. (Note: The printed version mistakenly states "Año 32/Year 32") Issue 1562. Page 23. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  34. Velada excepcional en el Panteón Nacional: El concierto de este jueves será dirigido por el profesor Juan García Germain. Ponce, Puerto Rico. La Perla del Sur. Year 35. Issue 1822. Page 16. 31 October 2018. Accessed 31 October 2018.
  35. "La Retreta: Banda Municipal de Ponce", brochure. Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Office of Cultural Development. March 2010.

See also

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