On the anniversary of Hurricane Maria, fans of Bad Bunny united in a powerful show of resilience and pride for Puerto Rico. The concert, held on Saturday, was not just a musical event but a heartfelt reminder of the island's enduring spirit, famously known as “la isla del encanto” (“the island of enchantment”). Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, captivated the audience with a fervent declaration, “We’re not going to quit. The entire world is watching!” This marked the culmination of his historic 30-concert residency in the U.S. territory, streamed globally for the first time via platforms like Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Twitch.
The concert symbolized more than just live music; it was an extended love letter to Puerto Rico. Bad Bunny's performances celebrated the island's beauty and its fight for justice and dignity. “This is for you,” he said, raising his glass from the rooftop of an iconic Puerto Rican house set up at the venue. The crowd mirrored his gesture, lifting their glasses in a unified toast to their shared identity and resilience.
Saturday also marked the eighth anniversary of Hurricane Maria, a devastating storm that struck Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane on September 20, 2017. The aftermath of the hurricane was catastrophic, with an estimated 2,975 lives lost and the island's electric grid decimated. Many communities suffered prolonged power outages, some lasting up to a year. Frustration regarding the slow pace of reconstruction persists, with a report from the U.S. Office of Inspector General revealing that 92% of approved projects related to the electrical grid were incomplete, and $3.7 billion in available funds remained unallocated.
The crowd at the concert carried the weight of their collective trauma, with the number of estimated deaths printed on T-shirts and displayed on Puerto Rican flags. Marta Amaral, a 61-year-old concertgoer, shared, “We are still emotional and carry the trauma of having gone through a horrible thing. Beyond the sadness and remembering the negativity, this is a celebration that we are still here, standing.”
Throughout the summer concert series, Bad Bunny featured a variety of celebrity guests, including LeBron James and Penélope Cruz. However, Saturday’s concert reached new heights when he performed alongside Puerto Rican heavyweights such as Ñengo Flow, Jowell y Randy, Dei V, Arcángel, and De la Ghetto. The atmosphere electrified as the audience moved in sync to the pulsating rhythms of rap and reggaetón. A moment of sheer disbelief swept through the crowd when Marc Anthony joined Bad Bunny onstage to sing “Preciosa,” a song he hadn’t performed publicly in nearly 20 years. The crowd erupted with joy, chanting, “Yo te quiero, Puerto Rico!”
As thousands gathered outside the venue before the concert, the vibrant flor de maga, Puerto Rico’s national flower, adorned many attendees. However, not everyone was able to enjoy the festivities. Darlene Mercado, who had traveled from New Jersey, expressed her disappointment after waiting eight hours online for tickets but ultimately missing out. “This is not only the anniversary of the hurricane, but it’s also the anniversary of me no longer having cancer and it’s my birthday," she lamented. “We wanted to celebrate everything with a bang.”
This concert was exclusively for Puerto Rican residents, just like the first nine shows of Bad Bunny's residency. Overall, the concert series attracted around half a million attendees and generated an estimated $733 million for the local economy, according to a report by Gaither International. Visitors primarily hailed from the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Spain, often staying for nearly nine nights. Notably, about 70% of concertgoers were female, with an average age of 33.
As the Puerto Rican celebration came to a close early Sunday morning, Bad Bunny, who recently received 12 Latin Grammy nominations, announced plans for a worldwide tour in December, with performances scheduled in countries such as Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Spain, France, and Sweden. Notably, he will be skipping performances in the U.S. due to concerns over immigrant arrests. Before concluding the evening, Bad Bunny expressed his gratitude to the crowd, stating, “I’m going to miss you a lot. I’m going to miss this energy.”
As concertgoers exited, the familiar call echoed through the night: “Yo soy boricua!” to which the crowd joyfully responded, “Pa’ que tú lo sepas!” This traditional cry and response echoed the pride and resilience of Puerto Ricans, a sentiment that will undoubtedly continue to resonate as they navigate the challenges ahead.
