Many think Indie music is a genre, but in reality it is a genre of artists and promotion styles that encompases every existing music genre. Being an indie artist means not being managed by any of the major labels of the industry. In other words, the artist depends on themselves, or a small label, for all that entails being an artist in today’s music industry. In this article, I present a variety of genres and subgenres such as rock, hard rock, pop, jazz, salsa, ska, alternative, metal and more in the Puerto Rican Indie music scene.
- Mima (2005), by Mima
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Mima is a recognized singer-songwriter in Puerto Rico’s indie music scene, and they have the work to back it up too. I had the privilege of seeing them live for the first time at the Prende Tu Voto festival back in September 2024. After listening to their organic and profound artistry on stage, I couldn’t help but search them up on Spotify to further explore what they had to share. Regarding the process of listening to an artist for the first time, I’ve heard some people say they think it’s unfair to start with their debut album, but I did it anyway. That way I can (somewhat) relive their growth. I started listening to Mima, their self-titled debut album. Although Mima gave way to a more successful project in the future (El Pozo, 2011), their first album shows more character and the beauty of Mima’s craftsmanship. For me, each track is not only fun to listen to, but it also has a noticeably well-thought out sound that resembles the dynamics of jazz, the cadence of pop, and has the undertone of Latin American folk. The lyrics of the album really stick out because of how they are used; storytelling, onomatopoeia, Mima’s voice resembling an instrument, metaphors, and particularly the emotive delivery of each song. Overall, it is an insightful listen worth adding to your music discovery queue. My most recommended tracks by Mima are: “Ojo avizor,” “Mima,” “Era aquello,” “Fábula para Ivo,” and “Gota dura.”
- Reino Mutante EP (2019), Chango Menas
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I’m just gonna start off by saying “you’re welcome,” seriously. Xavier Rodríguez, also known as Chango Menas, is a nuyorican from the Bronx raised in his homeland Puerto Rico. He currently resides in Mexico, which may explain his sound as an artist. His debut EP Reino Mutante (2018) was his “presentation card” to be signed into Warner Music. This, and the fact that it is an exceptional piece of art that is not talked about enough, are the main two reasons why I added his debut EP to this list. In Reino Mutante, he explores psychedelic rock, alternative, and electronic music in a delightful way while also having amusing lyrics. I believe everyone that gives this EP a listen will love at least one song, if not every track. With this said, it is impossible for me to choose my favorite tracks from the EP. However, I can say that the songs that impacted me the most are “Las Putas” for its polysemic lyrics and “¿Chango A Dónde Fuiste?” for the noticeable nostalgia and relativity being portrayed. He even shared this sentiment in an interview for Kuadro magazine: “When I listen to Reino Mutante I remember where I was at that moment and the nostalgia of not living in Puerto Rico, leaving everything behind to open this new window and enjoy this other life will always follow me; I think I still haven’t gotten over everything that has happened.”
- Salsa Bestial (2011), Orquesta el Macabeo
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Orquesta el Macabeo was formed in Trujillo Alto back in 2008. Famous among salsa enthusiasts, they have the potential to be in the salsa rotation of casual listeners and enjoyers. Through their rich discography, they portray their take on salsa with humorous and impeccable productions. In Salsa Bestial, they are able to show why they are a true gem to the salsa connoisseurs. Not only does their music bring back the iconic and glorious sound of 60s and 70s salsa from NYC, but they do it flawlessly along with their storytelling in songs like “Cuto Medina” and “Supermercado,” cognizance over social issues in songs like “Se Pone Difícil,” and amidst all of this they sure know how to make music to dance to and have fun. With this said, my most recommended tracks would be: “Alacrán,” “La Dieta,” “El sueño,” “La Noche,” and “Músico.”
- Viejo (2000), Vivanativa
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Vivanativa is a renowned Puerto Rican rock band from the late 90s and early 2000s. Listening to their discography sparked my curiosity about their trajectory and why their impressive music catalog isn’t as widely discussed compared to other Puerto Rican rock bands whose hits continue to be recognized by younger generations. I can think of examples of bands like La Secta All Star with their hit “La Locura Automática.” As their biopic on Spotify mentions: “Vivanativa was formed in 1997 by ex-Zyron and Maskin Tape singer/guitarist Javier Gómez and former Ricky Martin’s guitar player Nabeel Abdulrahman.” The band is well-defined in their sound and as mature as the biggest rock bands in Latin America. In “Viejo,” Vivanativa shows mastery of spanish rock, with the lyrics in all tracks also having the melancholic romanticness of a classic spanish rock album. Even if this might not be all new and all that “unknown,” their artistry is worth big recognition for rock fans in Puerto Rico today. Their entire album is amazing, but I think the melodies that stuck out the most to me were: “Puro amor,” “No Quiero Olvidar,” “Me Sobra El Agua,” “Mujer,” and “Sin Ti”; but really, the entire album and discography is extraordinary so consider giving it a listen.
- Potencial (2024), Puya
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Puya is no secret to Puerto Ricans who love metal. In fact, they are a source of great pride for us. I myself am, just now, dipping my toes into the metal scene and I’ve really come to appreciate their discography. I think many more could do the same with Puya as their introduction to the genre. I grew familiar with Puya because of their hit album, Fundamental (1999), and stumbled upon their latest release: “Potencial.” After listening to it one too many times, I chose this one for how they, on this occasion, make the latin metal fusion work in the artistic direction of this particular project in comparison to Fundamental as my reference. If you are looking to expand the genres you listen to and want it to be enjoyable, start with Puya. The songs from the album I still think about quite often are: “Potencial,” “Cultura,” and “Machete y Garabato.”
Since listing my favorite albums in a certain category is something I do quite often in my head, I found this exercise really fun and insightful. I ended up discovering many new albums and added a multitude of new songs to my playlists. When I finished a draft of this list, I struggled with choosing which ones I had to let go. Because I still think there are a lot of albums worth recommending from this Indie Puertorican category, here I list my honorable mentions: Cromo Rx by Epilogio, Pan by Chuwi, Animal by Skapulario, La Rareza by Los Rarxs, and the one that was really close to making it because I’ve loved this band for a long time, Tocando Madera by Sol D’ Menta. Getting to know all these artists just showed me how rich our culture is and how proud we as listeners should be but also how proud these artists sound when contributing in their own genres to such a big part of our cultural identity.