The Festival is a giant celebration of Puerto Rican music and arts. Dozens of artisans bring their uniquely crafted work for display and sale along El Barrio's 106 Street, between Lexington and 3rd Avenue. Like the troubadours, these artisans continue to keep the story of the Puerto Rican experience alive through their particular crafts of paint, photography, sculpture, wood carving and of course, music.

The Puerto Rican cuisine is also an important element of the rich Puerto Rican culture and the Trova Festival is certainly the place where you will find plenty of examples of the Boricua culinary arts. La Fonda Boricua restaurant, one of Spanish Harlem’s social and cultural highlights, has been a partner of Trova, NY, Inc. for many years. And in addition to their pernil and arroz con gandules, you will also find a vast sampling of Puerto Rican and Latino delicacies from other vendors as well.

But of course, the main event is the music. The centerpiece of the Troubadour Festival is a thrilling competition where singers, young and old, vie for first place honors.  The last line of a verse, known as pie forzado, is selected at random and becomes the theme around which singers must create the rest of the verse, forming a ten line stanza. The pie forzado is the last line. One has to observe a particular rhyming pattern and remember to end on that same line of verse which is given. This is not easy if you do it sitting down at home, with a word processor and rhyming dictionary -- now imagine doing it on stage, in front of thousands of people and with a short time to compose it in your head! In addition to sticking to the rhyming pattern, not only does the verse need to make sense but it should be creative and colorful in order to gain favor with the judges.

MTV has nothing on this! The Trova Festival competition is an exercise of raw talent and intellect.

The suspense mounts as contestants advance to the final rounds, playfully interweaving friendly jibes and taunts aimed at their competitors into their improvised lines.  In the end, only two remain for the climactic crowd-pleasing final round. This is Trova!

In 2007, the Ninth Annual Troubadour Festival will bring singers from Puerto Rico and the United States to battle for top honors in the world's premiere event for improvised Puerto Rican jibaro music.


¿QUE PASO EN
TROVA 2005?
La competencia el pasado año fue intensa desde el principio. Fueron 25 competidores inscritos aunque solo ocho pasaron a la segunda ronda. Estos ocho fueron Omar Santiago (Hatillo), Jerry Rodriguez (Lajas), Roberto Silva (San Lorenzo), Casiano Betancourt (Carolina), Ray Rodriguez (Carolina), Carlos Torres (Comerío), Marcelino Ortiz (Aibonito), Arturito Santiago (Ciales). Arturito, Jerry, Omar y Casiano pasaron a la próxima vuelta eliminando respectivamente a Ray Rodriguez, Carlos Torres, Roberto Silva Y Marcelino Ortiz. En la ronda semifinal Arturito Santiago elimina a Omar y Jerry Rodríguez se encarga de Casiano Betancourt. Arturito y Jerry se enfrascaron en el duelo poético para eligir al campeón y magistralmente Jerry salio por la puerta ancha coronándose Campeón de Trova 2005. La alegría del público fue contagiosa aunque no todos estuvieron de acuerdo con las decisiones del jurado lo que es tradición en competencias de esta índole.

La noche culmino con la presentación de Los Soneros del Barrio quienes también tuvieron la oportunidad de probar la depurada técnica improvisada de algunos Trovadores. Al ritmo salsero de “Ven Trovador vamos a cantar, ven Trovador” los soneros intercambiaron cuartetas con los trovadores Eddie Rosa, Omar Santiago, Eduardo Villanueva y Arturito Santiago.

Al Final La Décima y La Trova puertorriqueña fue la verdadera ganadora paseando sus galas ante un público niuyorquino hambriento y sediento de este alimento cultural.


REMEMBERING THE
2004 FESTIVAL

PARTICIPANTS IN THE 2004
TROUBADOUR COMPETITION
1. Adrián Collazo-Juana Diaz
2. Juan Rosa-Naranjito
3. Edwin Soto-Morovis
4. Ricardo Villanueva -Comerio
5. Jerry Rodríguez(Lajas)
6. Roberto Silva-San Lorenzo (Miami-2002, Instituto de Cultura PR)
7. Luis Nieves-Naranjito (Bacardi)
8. Miguel Santiago-Comerio (Bacardi, Instituto de Cultura PR)
9. Raúl Rodríguez-Guaynabo
10. Rey Rodríguez -Carolina
11. Marcelino Ortiz-Aibonito
12. Ricardo Abril-Bayamon (Bacardi, Instituto de Cultura PR)
13. Arturo Santiago Guzmán-Ciales (Instituto de Cultura PR-twice)
14. Casiano Betancourt-Carolina (Massachussets 2000, Bacardi)
15. Omar Santiago-Hatillo (New York 1999)
16. José Ortiz-Toa baja
17. Wilfredo Morales- New Jersey
18. Hiram Martinez- Chicago (Bacardi)
19. Eddie Rosa- New York
20. Jovino González-Ciales (Vineland, NJ 2002)
21. Carlos Torres- Comerio
22. Eduardo Villanueva- Comerio

MUSICIANS
Ecos de Borinquen: (Grammy Award and Grammy Latino nominated Group, 2004)
Raymond Vazquez-Guitarra
Arnaldo Martinez- Primer cuatro
Jose Delgado- Segundo Cuatro
Pablo Figueroa- guiro
Luis Cruz-Bongoces

Mapeye: (Orquesta Criolla Nacional)
Carlos Martínez-Guitarra
Modesto Nieves- Primer Cuatro
Tony Rivera- Segundo Cuatro
Gilberto Ortiz-guiro
Edgardo Aponte-Bongocero

THE JUDGES IN THE 2004
TROUBADOUR COMPETITION
Miguel Santiago
Miguel Trinidad
Ricardo Abril

SPECIAL GUEST
Frankie Vazquez y Los Soneros del Barrio
Adalberto Quiles y Adalberto Quiles Jr.


MASTER OF CEREMONY: OSCAR CRUZ
The event is dedicated to Carlos Torres, known as “El Cuatricantor”, celebrating 45 years in the jibaro music and the art of improvisation.