Posted by Maria Mayer on Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Proclaimed a town officially in 1719 and named in honor of Yuisa or Luisa, one of the women caciques on the island when the Spanish conquerors arrived.
A beach-town, Loíza is on one of the two main landing paths to SJU Airport. In the 1970s, an Aero Virgin Islands DC-3 plane crashed in a Loíza beach, with no fatalities. Is not unusual to see the giant cruise ships in the horizon as they arrive/depart San Juan port.
Loiza is known as "La Capital de la Tradicion"- "The Capital of Traditions"- for its "bomba" music, traditional Taino and African dishes, artisanry, and distinct culture. Loiza is home to such celebrities as the "Hermanos Ayala", Samuel Lind, (both have their taller right on Rt. 187) Daniel Lind, DJ Eliel, DJ Tito, etc. and many artists have roots in Loiza like Daddy Yankee (his father is known as El Negro from "Los Hermanos Ayala", Ramon Ayala), Don Omar, Lennox from "Zion y Lennox", Mackie from "Mackie y Yaga" and many others.