The Indiana pioneers of Puerto Rican music

February 11, 2026

Bad Bunny’s performance at the Super Bowl last Sunday was the most-watched halftime show in history, placing Puerto Rican music squarely at the center of American pop culture. 

For decades, Puerto Rican music has enjoyed widespread popularity here in the Hoosier State. 

This week on Cultural Manifesto, we’ll celebrate the Puerto Rican music pioneers of Indiana, including Santos Candelaria, a Puerto Rican vocalist based in Gary, Indiana, during the 1970s and ’80s, and Dr. Mariano Morales, a violinist, pianist, and composer who led the Latin American Music Ensemble in Bloomington during the 1980s and ’90s. Morales worked with Puerto Rican music icons including Willie Colón, Marc Anthony, El Gran Combo, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Cheo Feliciano, and more.