Photo Guy Ackermans Music has historically been used as an instrument for activism. Latin America also has a few artists that use their music to raise awareness about social injustices, including Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, Residente Calle 13, and Mon Laferte. Their music cannot be separated from the social situation in which they found themselves.
Bad Bunny’s newest album, ‘DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS’ (I should have taken more photos), has become a relentless phenomenon with both musical appeal and a punch of honest and daring activism. The album has songs that denounce the current social reality in Puerto Rico in the face of gentrification. The imminent occupation of United States businesspeople in Puerto Rico has increased the cost of living, as well as disrupted the preservation of the cultural traditions in the country.
The story told by Bad Bunny’s music makes you melancholic like someone leaving his country without wanting to leave it
The story told by Bad Bunny’s music makes you melancholic like someone leaving his country without wanting to leave it; makes you yearn to return; gives you the pride of being born in Puerto Rico; and makes you feel the love for your family and for those unforgettable moments that have been lived.
Bad Bunny uses his cultural roots – combining plena, jíbaro music, and salsa – to create a powerful instrument to protest for social justice, cultural identity, and those whose voices have not been heard. Bad Bunny thereby gives us the essential task of thinking about how we can use our work to create better societies for future generations.
Willy Contreras-Avilés (34) is a second-year PhD candidate in Horticulture and Biochemistry of medicinal cannabis, from Panama. He likes to dance (perrear), cook Italian food, and swim.
