The Puerto Rican Literature Project

Hipólito Rivera, also known as Polo, was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico and passed away in 1917 in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. He worked as a net maker and became known as a self-taught trovador, composing and singing his own songs without formal musical training. He accompanied himself on the guitar while performing his compositions and, on many occasions, did so as a duo with Bernabé Soto. He traveled through various towns in Puerto Rico, establishing his fame in Arecibo and Manatí. Rivera’s compositions were recognized and widely performed in his time, interpreted by other trovadores. Rivera was a member of the Partido Unionista and participated in labor movements. His work includes verses written during his imprisonment in Arecibo for participating in a sugarcane workers’ strike. Although many of his manuscripts have been lost, José Limón de Arce collected Rivera’s “A Valentina,” “Mi destino,” and “Queja a mi amada” in his manuscript, Trovadores Populares de Arecibo (1887-1926). His poetry reflects the life and struggles of the working class.

Works Cited

Limón de Arce, José, editor. Trovadores Populares de Arecibo, Archivo General de Puerto Rico, Instituto de Cultura, San Juan, 1887-1926, pp. 110-12. Manuscript.