How the music of Puerto Rico held my life together

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Francisco Rosada Rosario aka Pirúlo grew up surrounded by music and showed huge promise as a child. But when his dad fell into the grip of drug addiction he found himself playing a different role. His dad contracted HIV and inadvertently transmitted it to Pirúlo's mother, tragically leading to both of them succumbing to AIDS-related illnesses. By 17, Pirúlo was left orphaned and responsible for his younger siblings, but it was music that helped put them back on their feet. After being given a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, he explored a range of musical styles and toured the US – before deciding that he needed to take his skills back home to Puerto Rico. He made a name for himself with a unique fusion of salsa and urban music, and continues to contribute to the sounds and rhythms of the island. Pirúlo spoke to Outlook reporter Louise Morris. In 1999, conservationist Jessica Kemper was asked to look after an island off the Namibian coast for 10 weeks. She was a botanist by training, but soon found herself needing to count the resident African penguin population. It was the start of a love affair with these noisy, social birds that would last a lifetime. Outlook's Debbie Russ went to meet Jessica 'at the end of the universe' in the Nambian town of Lüderitz to talk about the tricky task of shampooing oiled penguins, being flipper-flapped by birds that fight back, and the threats facing this critically endangered species. Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Reporters: Louise Morris and Debbie Russ Producers: Louise Morris and Anna Lacey Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707 (Photo: Puerto Rican musician Pirúlo is standing with his arms raised and outstretched towards the camera, with each hand forming a loose 'V' peace sign. The background is completely white. He is wearing a white sleeveless t-shirt, a white and burgundy baseball cap that says 'love' across the front. His arms are tattooed on the forearms and biceps. He has short locs, wears sunglasses and is smiling. The image looks celebratory. Credit: Francisco Rosada Rosario)