Bad Bunny hosts final concert after historic residency

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP):

Bad Bunny fans drowned out memories of Hurricane Maria in one booming voice on the anniversary of the devastating storm.

Saturday was a concert for Puerto Ricans by Puerto Ricans to remind the world about the power of “la isla del encanto” (“the island of enchantment”).

“We’re not going to quit. The entire world is watching!” Bad Bunny thundered into his microphone as he looked into a camera streaming his last show in Puerto Rico this year to viewers around the world following a historic 30-concert residency in the US territory.

The crowd roared as thousands watching via Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Twitch joined them, marking the first time Bad Bunny was streamed across the globe.

The residency was more than just a series of concerts. Saturday marked the end of an extended love letter that Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio sang to Puerto Rico. He tapped into what it means to be Puerto Rican, to delight in the island’s beauty, defend its land and fight for its people.

“This is for you,” Bad Bunny said from the rooftop of an iconic Puerto Rican house installed at the concert venue as he raised his glass, and the crowd raised their glasses in return.

‘WE ARE STILL HERE’

Saturday marked the eighth anniversary of Hurricane Maria, which slammed into Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm on September 20, 2017.

An estimated 2,975 people died in the sweltering aftermath of the storm that razed the island’s electric grid, leaving some communities without power for up to a year. Anger and frustration over the pace of reconstruction continues to simmer as chronic power outages persist.

A SURPRISE GUEST

At every concert this summer, Bad Bunny invited new celebrities, among them LeBron James, Penélope Cruz, Darren Aronofsky, DJ Khaled and Kylian Mbappé, and sang with different musicians, including Rubén Blades, Residente, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Rai Nao and Jorge Drexler.

But, on Saturday, the noise from the crowd hit new levels as Bad Bunny rapped with Puerto Rico heavyweights Ñengo Flow, Jowell y Randy, Dei V and Arcángel and De la Ghetto. Thousands of fans flexed their knees in unison to thumping rap and reggaetón.

Then, the crowd gasped in disbelief as Marc Anthony appeared onstage after Bad Bunny pleaded with his fans to join him because he was going to sing a song he hadn’t sung in public in some 20 years.

“Yo te quiero, Puerto Rico!” the crowd cried as the two singers embraced at the end of the iconic song, Preciosa, whose lyrics say, “I love you, Puerto Rico.”

‘AN EMOTIONAL NIGHT’

Thousands gathered outside the concert venue on Saturday hours before the concert, with Puerto Rico’s national flower, the vibrant flor de maga, tucked behind their ear, and the traditional straw hat known as the ‘pava’, set at a jaunty angle on their head.

Some fans were unable to buy tickets for Saturday’s sold-out concert despite waiting hours online.

Saturday’s concert was open only to residents of Puerto Rico, as were the first nine concerts of Bad Bunny’s residency, but the remainder was open to fans around the world.

Overall, the concerts attracted roughly half a million people, generating an estimated US$733 million for Puerto Rico, according to a new study by Gaither International.

Puerto Rico’s party with Bad Bunny ended early Sunday, but the superstar who recently clinched 12 Latin Grammy nominations will go on a worldwide tour in December, with concerts planned in countries including Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Spain, France and Sweden. Notably, he is skipping the US, citing concerns over the arrest of immigrants.

On Saturday, Bad Bunny thanked his fans for their love.

“I’m going to miss you a lot. I’m going to miss this energy,” he said as he urged the crowd to embrace love no matter the situation.