Latest news with #PuertoRicans
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Bad Bunny draws jubilant Puerto Ricans to historic residency
Bad Bunny launched his historic residency Friday with an explosive performance that fused folkloric drumming and dance with the reggaeton beats that have made him a global star, as thousands of Puerto Ricans screamed along to every word during the show limited to locals. The concert series in San Juan is Bad Bunny's showcase of Puerto Rican pride and resilience, a slate of weekly performances rooted in home and history. The elated audience went wild as the megastar first appeared on the lush, verdant rainforest set, where he joined a troupe of drummers and dancers in a powerful love letter to the island's history of resistance. The residency entitled 'No Me Quiero Ir De Aqui' -- 'I don't want to leave here' -- is a history lesson in Puerto Rican music and rhythms as well as a rallying cry that lays bare the island's colonial past and present. Bad Bunny, 31, has long used his platform as a means to give voice to his fellow Puerto Ricans, while also managing to rule the charts with his reggaeton-forward blend of eminently danceable pop that has found massive global success. And now the artist born Benito Martinez Ocasio is bringing that success back home to El Choli, as the arena with a capacity of more than 18,000 is colloquially known in the Puerto Rican capital. 'It's super emotional,' Amanda Sanchez, 30, told AFP. Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny performs onstage. Locals first 'I think Benito did something really transcendental, for what the culture is, here in Puerto Rico,' said the content creator dressed in a red scarf and a Puerto Rican-flag colored bikini top. From moving, acoustic renditions delivered from beneath a tree to a house structure on the other side of the arena where Bad Bunny partied with the likes of LeBron James, the energy was relentlessly high. During a seamless transition from one super smash -- 'Nuevayol' -- to another -- 'Titi me pregunto,' the stadium almost seemed to shake. 'I don't hear you!' the artist shouted to roars from his fans. That the first nine shows are limited to Puerto Rican residents -- a poignant remark on Bad Bunny's commitment to making music first and foremost for the people of his homeland -- is something 'really special for us,' said Sanchez. Puerto Rico is a US territory but not a state. Even though its residents are American citizens, their rights are limited. They cannot vote in the US presidential election, for example, and have only a non-voting delegate in Congress. Sanchez said it was heartwarming 'to be able to feel like an artist of Bad Bunny's magnitude can give us, the people of the island' first pick of shows. 'And we are here to enjoy it, to dance and to have a great time!' As fans, many wearing the iconic Puerto Rican 'pava' straw hats, filed en masse into El Choli, vendors slung pina coladas, the beloved frozen drink born on the island. Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny performs onstage. Speak the 'truth' Prior to the show a screen overlooking the tropical set -- on which live chickens wandered freely -- displayed facts about Puerto Rican history and unabashed political statements. The crowd burst into applause when the screen flash with the message: 'PR is an unincorporated territory of the United States, but has its own flag, culture and identity.' The highly anticipated residency announced in January began on July 11, and will continue into September over subsequent Friday to Sunday three-day weekends. Michelle Munoz, 55, a Brooklynite of Puerto Rican origin, did not have tickets for the buzzy opening night but showed up anyway to soak in the vibes. Munoz said she began coming back to her parents' homeland in 2023, after having stayed in the United States for decades. Now, she feels 'like this is where I want to spend the rest of my life.' For Munoz, Bad Bunny's popularity stems from his willingness to speak the 'truth' while 'showing and honoring the history of music -- the music that came before him, that he grew up on, and that made him.' 'He's not a crossover. He is a Spanish-singing global artist,' she added. 'Not everybody can do that.'—AFP Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny performs onstage.
Gulf Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
'A legend': Bad Bunny brings Puerto Rican pride to epic show
Bad Bunny's sweeping first concert of his three-month Puerto Rico residency was a night of palpable emotion for the megastar whose latest smash artistic endeavor brings his global stardom back to his roots. The marathon show in San Juan late Friday was flush with styles -- from club beats and high-octane salsa to folkloric dance and soulful acoustics. At one point, the enormously popular Bad Bunny -- born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio -- appeared to pause to soak in the moment, breaking into a heartfelt smile as he gazed out at his thousands of ecstatic compatriots. Savoring the present and honoring the past is a lesson taken from the 31-year-old's sixth album "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos" ("I Should Have Taken More Photos") and a theme the residency is celebrating, with a full-throated ode to Puerto Rican heritage. The ambitious setlist included many of Bad Bunny's most recent tracks that underscore injustices in the US Caribbean island territory, but the evening was one of celebration: a lens on Puerto Rico that focuses on its resistance, pride and joy. Bad Bunny performs during his first show of his 30-date concert residency at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Friday. AP The first song was previously unreleased, and there were no details on whether the track will eventually have an official drop. Some fans online speculated that perhaps he'll keep it exclusive to the residency. That would be a fitting move for the artist who, after a blazing burst to global fame that saw him briefly move to Los Angeles, has returned home and intensified his efforts to make music about Puerto Ricans, for Puerto Ricans. The first nine shows of his 30-concert stretch, which will take over San Juan's Coliseo for consecutive three-day weekends into September, are only open to Puerto Rican residents -- and the odd celebrity like LeBron James, who attended Friday night. 'He made it' The night paid homage to Puerto Rican culture and history -- including with percussive plena music and bomba-infused rhythms -- but it was also a career retrospective of sorts, showcasing the immense range that Bad Bunny has exhibited since his major breakthrough less than a decade ago. The show featured the heavy Latin trap of his 2018 hit "La Romana" and the 2020 club smash "Yo Perreo Sola" -- shining examples of his earlier work in reggaeton that catapulted him to stardom. An aerial view shows people queing outside the Coliseo de Puerto Rico to attend the first show of Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny's 30-date concert residency at the arena in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Friday. AFP "His reggaeton never fails," student John Hernandez Ramirez said ahead of the concert. The 21-year-old said he was drawn to Bad Bunny for the heart-pounding beats. But more recently, he said he has been inspired by the artist's lyrical evolution. Hailing from a rural area of Puerto Rico, Hernandez Ramirez said he found particular resonance in "Lo Que Paso a Hawaii" -- Bad Bunny's exploration of gentrification, detrimental tourism and the colonization of both the state and his homeland. Bad Bunny highlighted those issues in the lead-up to the concert, projecting historical facts onto a big screen over the lush, tropical set on which chickens roamed freely. Many of the sentiments drew enormous cheers from spectators as they filed in. Bad Bunny fans pose for a photo before attending the first show. AP "Puerto Rico has been a colony since Christopher Columbus 'discovered' the island during his second voyage to the New World in 1493," one read, with a parenthetical explaining that "the Taino tribe already inhabited the island." From atop a house built in the island's typical style, Bad Bunny delivered some of his most iconic songs, including the recent "Nuevayol" along with "Titi me pregunto." He then returned to the main stage for a hip-swiveling salsa sequence, wearing a 1970s-style tailored suit in the style of the genre's icons who preceded him. Streamers in the colors of the Puerto Rican flag burst from the ceiling as he led fans in a mesmerizing medley that included "Baile Inolvidable," accompanied by a full band. The show clocked in at three hours but fans -- many adorned in flag attire and others sporting baseball jerseys of the Puerto Rican baseball legend Roberto Clemente -- couldn't get enough. A Bad Bunny fan wearing a mask representing the singer performs before attending the first show. AP Marta Cuellar, a 61-year-old Colombian and longtime Puerto Rican resident, told AFP that the series of concerts is a great way to celebrate the island -- and a gift to Latin American culture more generally. "Bad Bunny," she said, "is going to be a legend." Jorell Melendez Badillo, a Puerto Rican scholar who collaborated with Bad Bunny on visual elements of the latest album, said that the residency is a celebration of "not only Benito, but ourselves." "He's ours. We feel as if we are there with Benito along this journey. We've seen him also grow through the spotlight, through his career." "He made it," the historian said. "And we all made it with him." Agence France-Presse
Observer
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Observer
Bad Bunny draws jubilant Puerto Ricans to historic residency
Bad Bunny launched his historic residency Friday with an explosive performance that fused folkloric drumming and dance with the reggaeton beats that have made him a global star, as thousands of Puerto Ricans screamed along to every word during the show limited to locals. The concert series in San Juan is Bad Bunny's showcase of Puerto Rican pride and resilience, a slate of weekly performances rooted in home and history. The elated audience went wild as the megastar first appeared on the lush, verdant rainforest set, where he joined a troupe of drummers and dancers in a powerful love letter to the island's history of resistance. The residency entitled "No Me Quiero Ir De Aqui" -- "I don't want to leave here" -- is a history lesson in Puerto Rican music and rhythms as well as a rallying cry that lays bare the island's colonial past and present. Bad Bunny, 31, has long used his platform as a means to give voice to his fellow Puerto Ricans, while also managing to rule the charts with his reggaeton-forward blend of eminently danceable pop that has found massive global success. And now the artist born Benito Martinez Ocasio is bringing that success back home to El Choli, as the arena with a capacity of more than 18,000 is colloquially known in the Puerto Rican capital. "It's super emotional," Amanda Sanchez, 30, told AFP. Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny performs onstage during the first show of his 30-date concert residency at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 11, 2025. (Photo by Ricardo ARDUENGO / AFP) - Locals first - "I think Benito did something really transcendental, for what the culture is, here in Puerto Rico," said the content creator dressed in a red scarf and a Puerto Rican-flag colored bikini top. From moving, acoustic renditions delivered from beneath a tree to a house structure on the other side of the arena where Bad Bunny partied with the likes of LeBron James, the energy was relentlessly high. During a seamless transition from one super smash -- "Nuevayol" -- to another -- "Titi me pregunto," the stadium almost seemed to shake. "I don't hear you!" the artist shouted to roars from his fans. That the first nine shows are limited to Puerto Rican residents -- a poignant remark on Bad Bunny's commitment to making music first and foremost for the people of his homeland -- is something "really special for us," said Sanchez. Puerto Rico is a US territory but not a state. Even though its residents are American citizens, their rights are limited. They cannot vote in the US presidential election, for example, and have only a non-voting delegate in Congress. Sanchez said it was heartwarming "to be able to feel like an artist of Bad Bunny's magnitude can give us, the people of the island" first pick of shows. "And we are here to enjoy it, to dance and to have a great time!" As fans, many wearing the iconic Puerto Rican "pava" straw hats, filed en masse into El Choli, vendors slung pina coladas, the beloved frozen drink born on the island. - Speak the 'truth' - Prior to the show a screen overlooking the tropical set -- on which live chickens wandered freely -- displayed facts about Puerto Rican history and unabashed political statements. The crowd burst into applause when the screen flash with the message: "PR is an unincorporated territory of the United States, but has its own flag, culture and identity." The highly anticipated residency announced in January began on July 11, and will continue into September over subsequent Friday to Sunday three-day weekends. Michelle Munoz, 55, a Brooklynite of Puerto Rican origin, did not have tickets for the buzzy opening night but showed up anyway to soak in the vibes. Munoz said she began coming back to her parents' homeland in 2023, after having stayed in the United States for decades. Now, she feels "like this is where I want to spend the rest of my life." For Munoz, Bad Bunny's popularity stems from his willingness to speak the "truth" while "showing and honoring the history of music -- the music that came before him, that he grew up on, and that made him." "He's not a crossover. He is a Spanish-singing global artist," she added. "Not everybody can do that." —AFP
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Taylor vs Serrano 3 didn't live up to the hype - but the trilogy had a deeper purpose
In the culmination of the greatest rivalry in women's boxing history, Katie Taylor played pugilism chess to deal one final dose of heartache to Amanda Serrano. Before a rapturous crowd at Madison Square Garden, split 60-40 between deafening Puerto Ricans and a hearty Irish contingent, the pair's historic trilogy bout did not exactly live up to the bar that was set in their previous two clashes. The first, in the biggest women's fight of all time in 2022, saw Irish icon Taylor narrowly outpoint the Puerto Rican star at the same famed New York venue. It was deja vu for Serrano on this night. Advertisement She thought she won - the shock and devastation on her face upon hearing the verdict said it all. She definitely wasn't alone as thousands of peeved Puerto Ricans poured to the exits upon hearing Taylor's majority decision victory. Taylor prevailed on the scorecards by 97-93, 97-93, 95-95, but was not her explosive self, with the third meeting by far the cagiest of the trilogy. Neither fighter was able to impose themselves early on with just three punches connecting in the opening round. The contest continued to simmer, with both fighters operating from more of a distance than their previous meetings, Taylor often lapping around the ring while Serrano controlled the centre. Several rounds could have gone either way as the fight built to a tense climax, Serrano coming forwards more and forcing Taylor into a corner in the fifth round, but the champion fought her way out. Taylor was marked under the right eye in the eighth, but edged the final two rounds to secure the win. Taylor could barely be heard as she took to the mic with her undisputed super-lightweight champion titles in tact, a mixture of jeers and cheers drowning her out as a tearful Serrano watched on. However, in full knowledge of how the importance of this rivalry goes far beyond tonight's victor, Taylor could only give her opponent her due flowers. "I want to thank Amanda Serrano, what an amazing fighter,' she said. 'We have made history three times. It is such a historic fight and a pleasure to share the ring with her. We are history makers forever.' Katie Taylor eked out victory to secure a trilogy whitewash over Amanda Serrano (Getty Images for Netflix) The trilogy bout was the cagiest of the three - but still represented something bigger (AP) Serrano, wiping her eyes dry, held a similar sentiment. "I want to thank every single one of the fans for coming out and supporting women's boxing,' she said. 'It was an amazing night for all of us women. I am crying because it is all because of you guys. Thanks to you, we are able to show our skills and have this great platform for women. Advertisement "Thank you Katie Taylor for an incredible three fights and thirty rounds. It has truly been an honour to face you, a true champion and warrior. To all of the ladies who fought tonight - you guys did incredible. We made history. I am proud of each and every one of you." There will be no fourth fight. There might not even be another fight full stop for Taylor, who couldn't guarantee her return to the ring. But assuming this truly is it for one of the most crucial rivalries in boxing history, one that has lasted 30 beautiful rounds, we can be grateful to have experienced it. They transcended the sport and changed the game forever. Serrano was devastated as she failed to get her arm raised in what looks to be their final duel (Getty Images for Netflix) The atmosphere inside Madison Square Garden was like no other (Getty Images) MSG was further proof of that fact, if needed at this point down the road. A euphoric atmosphere was created, the sheer wall of noise that battered your eardrums, which was like little this writer had ever experienced. On an all women's card that also featured American favourites Alycia Baumgardner and Shadasia Green, notable British stars like Chantelle Cameron and Ellie Scotney, and a certain Australian history maker in newly-crowned undisputed bantamweight champion Cherneka Johnson, there was a palpable emotional investment in female boxing. Advertisement This is now the norm among casual fans. Once a laughed-off pipedream, the women now stand side-by-side with the men, worthy of selling out the most famous sporting venue on the planet, the 'Mecca of Boxing'. The fledgling fighters of today have Taylor and Serrano to thank for this. Both may be nearing the end of their careers, Serrano at 36 and Taylor at 39, but their impact in the ring will forever be felt. The Puerto Rican will no doubt feel at a loss after failing in her pursuit to beat Taylor for a third time. However, it's crucial to reiterate that her place in history was never at stake. It takes two to tango, and by captivating the imagination so incredibly through their iconic trilogy, both Serrano and Taylor have earned immortality.
4 days ago
- Entertainment
Puerto Ricans hope for change as Bad Bunny sings about the island's turmoil, identity
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- In a small bookstore in the Caribbean's largest mall, dozens of people gathered on a recent evening for the launch of a slim dictionary. Its title is 'The ABC of DtMF,' which is short for 'DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,' the newest album from Puerto Rico's latest prodigious son, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny. The mostly older crowd flipped through the pages, seeking to understand more about Puerto Rico's culture, the places, phrases and references in Bad Bunny's music. The singer has elevated the global profile of the island, a U.S. territory, to new heights, promoting its traditional music, denouncing its gentrification and challenging its political status. It was an unexpected opportunity for an island that for years has cried out about its territorial status, dwindling affordable housing, high cost of living, chronic power outages, medical exodus and fragile economy. Pleas for change have been largely pushed aside, but Puerto Ricans are optimistic that Bad Bunny's new album and his series of 30 concerts that began Friday means they'll finally be heard. 'He's going to bring change, and there's a young generation who's going to back him,' said Luis Rosado, 57, who this week attended the dictionary launch at the urging of his son, who lives abroad. Ten minutes before the first concert on Friday, a giant billboard on stage lit up with the words, 'Puerto Rico is a colony since Christopher Columbus 'discovered' the island during his second trip to the New World in 1493.' The crowd that filled the 18,000-capacity coliseum whooped. 'This album has sparked a conversation around the world about our situation as a colony,' said Andrea Figueroa, a 24-year-old professional athlete who said foreigners have started to ask her about Puerto Rico and its issues, something she hopes might lead to change. Those born on the island of 3.2 million inhabitants are U.S. citizens but cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections, and they have one representative in Congress with limited voting powers. Figueroa said the album resonated with her because her father is one of thousands forced to leave the island in search of work as the economy crumbled. It's a sentiment Bad Bunny sings about in 'What happened to Hawaii,' with the lyric, 'He didn't want to go to Orlando, but the corrupt ones kicked him out.' The song taps into concern that the Puerto Rican identity is eroding amid an influx of people from the U.S. mainland, many of them attracted by a 2012 law that allows Americans to move to the island and pay no taxes on capital gains if they meet certain conditions. Hundreds of Americans also snapped up properties in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria struck the island as a powerful Category 4 storm in 2017, forcing more than 100,000 people to leave. 'They want to take the river away from me and also the beach; they want my neighborhood and the grandma to leave,' Bad Bunny sang on Friday as the crowd drowned out his voice. The artist spent half of Friday's concert singing from the porch and roof of a traditional Puerto Rican home that served as a second stage, where he wonders about its fate aloud because it's been rented: 'Do good people live there? Is it an Airbnb?' The mostly young crowd booed loudly, flinching at their reality on an island where the housing price index increased by almost 60% from 2018 to 2024 and where short-term rentals have surged from some 1,000 in 2014 to more than 25,000 in 2023. However, they cheered upon seeing Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James emerge from the house as a surprise guest. The song hit Carmen Lourdes López Rivera especially hard. She is the vice president of the Community Board Association of La Perla, an impoverished community once known for being Puerto Rico's biggest heroin distribution point. Investors with deep pockets have long sought to buy up the area, which is perched on a hill with deep turquoise waters lapping below a massive 16th-century fort popular with tourists. 'They have always said they want to kick us out of here,' she said. 'We're going to fight for what belongs to us.' The effect of Bad Bunny's album and concerts is already being felt. More than 35,000 hotel nights have been booked during the normally slow summer season, with the concerts expected to attract more than 600,000 visitors, generate more than $186 million and create more than 3,600 jobs, according to government officials. Beyond that, Bad Bunny's use of folkloric music like bomba and plena has revived interest in those musical traditions. Dozens of newcomers have requested classes and are seeking out teachers, said Jorge Gabriel López Olán, 28, an experienced drummer. 'And it's very necessary, isn't it? To understand where we come from and where our music and culture come from,' he said. On Friday, Bad Bunny fans sported long ruffled skirts traditionally worn to dance bomba, while others donned straw hats known as a 'pava,' worn by 'jíbaros,' Puerto Rican peasants. Musicians and dancers wore the same outfits on the main stage, which at one point even featured live chickens. Interest has surged to the point where universities including Princeton and Yale have launched courses on Bad Bunny. Albert Laguna, a Yale professor, described Bad Bunny's residence as a powerful move: 'Instead of me going to the world, right, I'm going to start here.' There is even renewed interest in the Puerto Rican crested toad, the island's sole indigenous toad species that is under threat and was featured in a video as part of Bad Bunny's newest album. Not even two weeks had passed since the album's launch and people already were sending in pictures to confirm if they had spotted the crested toad, said Abel Vale Nieves with Citizens of the Karst, an environmental nonprofit. 'It's something we had not seen before,' he said, adding that the album presented Puerto Rico's reality to the world: 'A situation of complete disadvantage where we don't have the right to a lot of things.' 'It creates interest in Puerto Rico's historical situation, and I think it did so in a wonderful way,' he said, adding that the concerts will only boost visibility of the island's issues. 'It's a beautiful opportunity.'
