The history of the world is full of great women who have made enormous contributions and have even shaped new ways of thinking. In every possible field there have been women whose work marked a clear before and after for the benefit of society as a whole. The arts are no exception. Music, especially, has always been associated with the names of great composers and musicians. The work of great women composers, however, has never received the same level of appreciation and, in fact, many of their names are not even well known. There are more than a few great names in Puerto Rican music, which, in particular, has been an art form in which Puerto Rican talent has excelled since very early in history. And although today, many women enjoy success, the truth is that it was not always so.

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In the mid-19th century, a woman was born in Puerto Rico whose talent on the piano would take her around the world. Her name was Ana Otero and more than a century and a half since her birth, another Puerto Rican pianist strives to preserve her name.

Despite having a relatively short career, Ana Otero achieved great success in music and worldwide recognition. Her artistry earned her the respect of world leaders, renowned European maestros, critics, colleagues, students and fellow Puerto Ricans. She was even called “America’s Pianist”. Throughout her own career as a pianist and accordionist, Daniela Santos has been influenced by the work of great Puerto Rican women in music who paved the way for other women, as she does today, to make their way in a world that has been dominated by men.

It was in honor of Otero and other female figures that Santos decided to shape a tour entitled “La Ruta de Ana Otero”, with the intention of taking this music to various towns on the island to highlight Ana Otero’s legacy and bring Puerto Rico’s rich musical history to communities outside the metropolitan area.

“The contribution she made to Puerto Rico was completely historic. She was the first woman to study at the Paris Conservatory of Music. From her survived, today, her work ‘Primer pensamiento’, it is a concert waltz, it is extremely exquisite, beautiful. It has been a work that I have connected with her in a very special way,” Santos explained.

“She was also the first woman to tour the Americas. She went to Venezuela, as well as Europe, the United States, Baltimore, New York, she was able to play for the president of Venezuela. Eventually, she had to come to Puerto Rico again, because her father was very sick and later died. And when she comes back, she creates the first music center for women with the help of the first lady. So her devotion to music and teaching is very significant and I can identify with her because I am a teacher, apart from my work as a musician,” she continued.

One of 16 children, Otero was born in 1961 in Humacao. Her father, Ignacio Otero, was a man of many talents and great influence, and was one of Ana’s musical instructors throughout her education. She wanted to continue her studies abroad and gained admission to the prestigious Paris Conservatory of Music. Despite facing financial challenges, with the help of friends and great figures of the time, she managed to finish her formal studies and began to perform in different parts of the world.

Her career was as impressive as it was fleeting, because an illness prevented her from continuing to play the piano and at only 45 years of age, in 1905, she died.

“After reading Ana Otero’s biography and the way in which her students stand out: Montserrat Ferrer, Carmen Figueroa Sanabria, who was the matriarch of the Figueroa family, and how that line of all the students is traced and how it has gone from woman to woman until today, to a moment where I have the possibility of having a place in music, in an industry that is known to be led by men,” Santos said.

The repertoire for this tour consists of pieces composed predominantly by women and spans from the 1870s to the present. In many ways, Santos continues the mission of her predecessor, to share music with her people. The concerts, which will be free of charge, represent a special opportunity to enjoy and discover some little-known corners of Puerto Rican music. The tour will also feature the participation of musicians such as Jaqueline Irizarry, Estefanía Pizzi, Rocío del Mar Jirau, Jayson Jordan and Ernesto Busigó.

“We may know about Juan Morel Campos, but we don’t know about Montserrate Ferrer, for example, we may know about José Ignacio Quintón, but we don’t know anything about Ramona Sicardó. And that is the origin of this concert, highlighting the works of women who for us have been marginalized or made invisible, not because one is more important than the other, but simply because we have had no contact with them”, said the pianist.

But beyond the effort to preserve Otero’s memory, this tour also represents for Santos an effort to continue the fight to win spaces for Puerto Rican musicians. The road is not easy, but following the line forged by women like Ana Otero, Daniela Santos knows that the commitment must be unwavering, that first and foremost, we must continue.

“From before and now we continue to contribute to culture out of commitment. We can’t give up because if we don’t, we’ll lose it. What makes us Puerto Ricans is falling. We are losing all the cultural expressions that are our memory and our roots.”

All concerts are supported by the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña and the National Endowment for the Arts and will be free of charge. On September 21 they will perform at the Porta Coeli Museum in San Germán, on October 17 at the UPR Theater in Mayagüez, and the grand finale will take place in Humacao on Friday, November 22 at the Antonia Sáez Cultural Center during the festivities of the patron saint of music, Santa Cecilia.

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This content was translated from Spanish to English using artificial intelligence and was reviewed by an editor before being published.