"Yo Soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo sepas!" (English: I am Puerto Rican, so that you know!) is a song composed in 1995 by Joel Bosch or (Bosh) a.k.a. Taino.[1][2] The song was born out of a moment of frustration and pride, as Taino overheard an engineer insulting Puerto Ricans in English during a recording session.[3] In response, Taino wrote the chorus "Yo soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas" ("I am Puerto Rican, so that you know it") on a piece of paper and quickly turned it into a full song, hoping to assert his identity and defend his culture. Since then, "Yo soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas" has become a beloved anthem [4] for Puerto Ricans worldwide, representing a statement of social and cultural identity and pride.[5]
"Yo soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas" has been chanted [6] by many Puerto Ricans around the world, at specific events. It has been chanted at the Puerto Rican Day Parade held in New York City [7][8] The Desfile Puertorriqueño de Florida [9] protests[10] sporting events[11] and political events.[12] In December 2022, the phrase of the song was cited by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during a discussion on the Puerto Rico Status Act,[13][14] marking the first time it was entered into the Congressional Record.[15] This historical reference highlights the significance of the song as a symbol of Puerto Rican culture and identity. The song has been widely recognized as a symbol of Puerto Rican identity and pride, and has been covered by various artists throughout the years.[16] In 2019, Taino released a compilation EP album, Titled "Yo Soy Boricua Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas," featuring new and remixed versions of the song
Legal
editJoel Bosch, also known as Taino, holds the US Copyright for the song [17][18] and a valid trademark for the phrase "Yo Soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas."[19][20] In 2018, there were several legal cases where Bosch alleged that companies like Sony Music, T-Mobile, Coca Cola, and Popular Inc infringed on his copyright by using the song in their products without permission.[21] All cases were settled out of court amicably. In the case of Popular Inc., they acknowledged Joel Bosch's authorship and the use of the song in the special "Que lindo es Puerto Rico" by Pirulo and la Tribu e Ismael Miranda, following an amicable settlement.[22][23]
Album and compilations
edit- Con Mi Corona (Released) 1995 [24]
- Latin House Jam (Released) August 4, 1998 [25]
- El Conteo Final (Released) November 22, 2002 [26]
- Reggaeton en la Parada Puertorriqueña, Vol. 2 (Released) June 7, 2005 [27]
- Yo Soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas (Released) September 12, 2019 [EP] [Digital] [28]
- Yo Soy Boricua, Pa’ Que Tu Lo Sepas Vol. 2 (Released) 2024 [29]
Note: The Song "Yo Soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas" appears on all these albums and various artist compilations mentioned above
References
edit- ^ "¿Quién es el rapero que demandó a La Burbu?". Primera Hora (in Spanish). 2018-04-30. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
- ^ Sepulveda, Aixa (2018-07-16). "Taíno transa con Banco Popular En demanda por usar Yo soy boricua". Noticel.
- ^ Pacheco, ISTRA (2015-12-11). "Yo Soy Boricua Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas Taino cuenta como creo el estribillo hace 20 años". PrimeraHora.com.
- ^ Hartford Courant (2019-07-24). "Hartford's Puerto Rican community rallies against Gov. Rosselló". Hartford Courant.
- ^ Acosta, Mariela (2019-09-25). "La historia detrás del tema "Yo soy boricua pa' que tú lo sepas"". Endi. Archived from the original on 2023-04-28.
- ^ Sherman, Maria (2013-07-09). "13 Songs That Make You Proud To Be Puerto Rican". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
- ^ Pulgarín, Jován (2020-06-13). "Cuándo es el desfile nacional de Puerto Rico 2020 en Nueva York". CNET en Español (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-12-14.
- ^ "puerto rican day parade – NYC Parade Life". NYC Parade Life. 2019-06-12. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
- ^ Orlando Sentinel (2022-04-23). "'Pa'que tu lo sepas': Miles llegaron al downtown de Orlando a celebrar la cultura puertorriqueña". Orlando Sentinel.
- ^ Méndez, Osman Pérez (2020-07-10). "Protesta en Fortaleza le desea a la gobernadora un "infeliz cumpleaños" [Protests at Fortaleza wish the governor an "unhappy birthday"". Primera Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-12-14.
- ^ "Puerto Rico domina a Panamá en entradas extras en la Serie del Caribe". TVMax (in Spanish). 2020-02-02. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
- ^ InterNewsService (2020-06-13). "Proyecciones en puente Brooklyn reclaman independencia para Puerto Rico". El Vocero de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-12-14.
- ^ Serrano, Oscar (2022-12-16). "Ocasio Cortez puso el "yo soy boricua, pa' que tú lo sepas" en el récord congresional". Noticel.
- ^ MARTINEZ, KIKO (2022-12-16). "AOC Goes Viral & Divides the Internet During Puerto Rico Statehood Debate". remezcla.com.
- ^ Congress.gov (2022-12-15). "PUERTO RICO STATUS ACT; Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 195 Page H9878". congress.gov.
- ^ PrimeraHora (2015-12-11). "Taino cuenta como escribió el estribillo hace 20 años". Pressreader.
- ^ Copyright.gov (1996-07-24). "Yo soy boricua Pa' que tu lo sepa". Copyright.gov.
- ^ Copyright.Gov (2019-09-12). "Works Published on the Album Yo Soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas".
- ^ Trademarks Justia (2015-03-11). "YO SOY BORICUA PA'QUE TU LO SEPAS". Justia Trademarks.
- ^ Justia (2022-02-08). "YO SOY BORICUA PA'QUE TU LO SEPAS Trademark". Justia trademarks.
- ^ Silva, Marsha (2018-05-30). "Sony Music Faces Copyright Infringement Charges — Over the Title of an Album". Digital Music News.
- ^ El Nuevo Dia (2018-07-16). "Popular reconoce la autoría de Taíno en un tema de un especial de Navidad". Endi.
- ^ Sepulveda, Aixa (2018-06-16). "Taíno transa con Banco Popular". Noticel.
- ^ Discogs. "Taino Con Mi Corona". Discogs.
- ^ All Music (1998-09-04). "Latin House Jam Various Artists". All Music.
- ^ All Music (2002-09-22). "El Conteo Final". ALL Music.
- ^ All Music (2005-06-07). "Reggaeton en la Parada Puertorriqueña, Vol. 2". All Music.
- ^ Apple Music (2019-09-12). "Taino - Yo Soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas". Apple Music.
- ^ Apple Music (2024-07-18). "Yo Soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas Vol. 2". Apple Music.