Puerto Rico's rich musical history is chronicled in Donald Thompson's translated texts, a history that is often unavailable to those who do not read Spanish easily. Music in Puerto Rico details the Caribbean island's musical roots from Christopher Columbus' second voyage to the New World in the late fifteenth century to twentieth century developments. It explores a multitude of topics, including native instruments, the introduction of music in schools, folk traditions, the legendary salsa, urban pop, and commercial music. The volume also examines musical differences in various regions, including mountains and plains.

Documents from historical figures such as Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas and Manuel Alonso have been excerpted and translated. In addition, Music in Puerto Rico explores the various modes of musical expression that have been unique to different geographic regions, including the mountains and the plains. The documented texts also simplify bibliographic search, as many of the anthology's original sources are difficult to locate.

Thompson's book provides a glimpse into a society in which cultures intersect and in which magic was born in the form of the popular salsa. Musicians, musicologists, historians, students of Hispanic culture, and anyone interested in the musical foundations of Puerto Rican life will find Music in Puerto Rico a valuable resource.