(AFP) – On the streets of San Juan, Bad Bunny’s compatriots are eagerly awaiting the world’s most famous Puerto Rican to represent the island at the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday. Above all, they are proud that a singer who grew up on the small Caribbean island of 3.2 million inhabitants has reached such heights, without ever forgetting his humble origins in Vega Baja, a municipality about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of the capital.
More than 120 million Americans are expected to tune into the show, which takes place at half-time in the American football match-up between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara, California. Bad Bunny is widely expected to sing entirely in Spanish. “For someone from here to be at one of the most important events in the United States is a source of pride for every Puerto Rican,” said Olvin Reyes, 39. “It’s going to be an event to share with family, something very exciting.”
In Puerto Rico, many also thank him for the 31 concerts he held in San Juan between July and September of last year, which generated $733 million for the island, according to a study by the firm Gaither International. “He brought everyone from the United States and other parts of the world, and he made them eat food from the island, Creole food, made by Puerto Rican hands,” recalled Jay Vizcarrondo, 67, describing it as true patriotism. “He has put the island on the map, and not just because of the music,” Vizcarrondo said.
**- ‘Political struggles’ -** Beyond the music, the performance of Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, Bad Bunny’s real name, has taken on a political dimension in the United States. Some conservatives opposed the choice of an artist who sings in Spanish and has been critical of the Trump administration’s mass deportation of immigrants. Speaking Thursday, Bad Bunny, 31, steered clear of politics, instead promising “a huge party.” “I want to bring to the stage of course a lot of my culture,” he said.
In Santurce, one of the most vibrant areas of San Juan, people celebrate that their idol can raise the voice of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States with which it has a complex relationship. Here, for example, residents have US citizenship, but they cannot vote for president. “I feel validated because we’re seeing a star from our country, which is so marginalized and oppressed, at an event of this magnitude, representing our culture, our music, but also our political struggles,” said Samy Nemir Olivares, a 34-year-old activist.
In the same neighborhood, near a mural depicting Bad Bunny with a Puerto Rican flag, Angelis Segarra crosses her fingers that the halftime show goes off without a hitch. “I hope they don’t sabotage his show because lately I’ve seen that a lot of people don’t want him there,” said the 22-year-old waitress. Olvin Reyes agrees with her. “Spanish is our main language and part of our culture, and I think that, while always respecting others, our culture has to be very valuable to us,” he said. “I think they selected Bad Bunny partly because Latinos are important in the United States. It’s a country of immigrants, and without immigrants, it wouldn’t be in the position it’s in,” he concluded.
– Gerard MARTINEZ
© 2024 AFP
