Bad Bunny honors Latinx, and The Bronx, with historic performance
On Sunday evening Bad Bunny performed live through Univision’s Uforia Music in New York City, touring through two boroughs in an historic virtual concert honoring Hispanic Heritage Month. But Bad Bunny didn’t start anywhere – he started in The Bronx. On a retrofitted 18-wheeler wrapped and designed to look like a classic MTA subway car, El Conejo Malo began a parade through the most recognizable avenues and thoroughfares in The Bronx, Washington Heights, Harlem, and El Barrio promoting his album YHLQMDLG (Yo hago lo que me da la gana).
Bad Bunny, Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, 26, is a new type of artist for the new generation of Latinx. Benito challenges archaic mindsets of machismo, toxic masculinity and gender norms, and encourages his largely young base to be politically educated and active.
Free concerts with A talent are few and far between in general and are hardly expected in The Bronx. Never mind during a pandemic.
Here’s a look at the significance of Bad Bunny’s concert.
Puerto Rico: Still Recovering from Maria
New York City is home to the largest Puerto Rican population outside of the island concentrated mostly in The Bronx and El Barrio. The Puerto Rican community is still reeling from the effects, and mass deaths, of Hurricane Maria in 2017. Bad Bunny has long been an activist on the ground in Puerto Rico and spearheaded tremendous fundraising efforts in 2017. He’s spoken out publicly about the mismanagement of funds, governmental neglect, and the politization of reconstruction in Puerto Rico (remember his 2017 shirt: “¿Eres presidente o twitero?”).
His decision to perform on the 3rd anniversary of Hurricane Maria is symbolic and intentional – a demonstration of the resilience of Puerto Ricans through it all. Because three years after Hurricane Maria, a majority of government aid has not yet been distributed to islanders, Puerto Rico’s local economy experienced the largest exodus since the 1960s, and now the island is being rocked by COVID.
“We must vote and raise our voices because it boils down to giving ourselves respect as people and as Latinos. That’s why you have to go vote” Bad Bunny urged.
The Bronx: A Forgotten Borough
This man could of been in PR, DR, LA, anywhere, but chose the Bronx. Put some respect on our name
— Marquez (@NewYorkMinute__) September 20, 2020
And let’s not forget The Bronx is the home to hip-hop. Hip-hop is now a global culture, influencing everything from streetwear to TV shows, but yet does not receive the recognition it’s earned. Just last week Sotheby’s, the largest auction house in the world, auctioned multiples relics of hip-hop culture into hands of some of the largest institutions and private collectors. These relics – original MTA subway signs tagged by graffiti artists, multiple collections of original hip-hop flyers from the early 80s, handwritten letters by Tupac, and even the plastic crown worn by Notorious B.I.G., among dozens of other pieces – will not be accessible to The Bronx and its residents. The Bronx has been here all along, pioneering and creating. So Bad Bunny starting his live concert in The Bronx is putting some respect on this long-forgotten borough. Watching Bad Bunny perform down the Grand Concourse stirred feelings of nostalgia and pride because there is so much happening in The Bronx, more than the media cares to cover.
I took a few close ups of the train Bad Bunny rode on during yesterday’s iconic performance before they take it completely apart. pic.twitter.com/wurgxlDmMt
— 🇩🇴Jonas (@jonastheprince) September 21, 2020
Latinx and BIPOC Communities Are Disproportionately Affected by COVID
In July, the CDC confirmed what we all suspected since the pandemic began: COVID-19 disproportionally affects communities of color. Latinx and BIPOC neighborhoods have up to 3x the infection rates, death counts, and death rates of white neighborhoods due to a myriad of institutional factors, such as restricted access to healthcare, housing discrimination, income and wealth gaps. Hospitals are overwhelmingly located in communities of color (thanks to redlining) and neighborhoods have been terrorized by ambulance sirens, gurneys, and casualties of the pandemic. These communities are – quite frankly – tired.
Bad Bunny ended his live performance at Harlem Hospital in a salute to frontline workers. Essential workers are overwhelmingly Latinx and BIPOC and they needed a recharge and a small token of gratitude.
“Respect and thanks to those people who have sacrificed their lives, giving it all for the health of this city.”
Bad Bunny ducked under traffic lights and tree branches on a crispy day to give Latinx and BIPOC neighborhoods a performance that will go down in history books.
