
Bad Bunny Brings Boricua Culture to the Super Bowl. Local Latinos React
Clip: 2/5/2026 | 11m 9sVideo has Closed Captions
Following a historic Grammy win, Bad Bunny is set to take center stage at the Super Bowl.
He will take the Super Bowl stage just one week after he won album of the year at the 2026 Grammys for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.” It’s the first time an all Spanish-language album has taken home the top prize.
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Bad Bunny Brings Boricua Culture to the Super Bowl. Local Latinos React
Clip: 2/5/2026 | 11m 9sVideo has Closed Captions
He will take the Super Bowl stage just one week after he won album of the year at the 2026 Grammys for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.” It’s the first time an all Spanish-language album has taken home the top prize.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Bad Bunny is set to take center stage this Sunday at the Super Bowl halftime show that equal artists is already making history this week after his all Spanish language all been won album of the year at the Grammys since his Super Bowl performance was announced.
Critics have pushed back and called for an English language performer to headline football's biggest event.
Instead.
But thousands of fans, including many Puerto Ricans are looking forward to his performance, dubbing it the beneath rubble.
Here to talk more about the artist and his influences.
But in that is futile artist teacher musician and founder of and stronger our gallery.
That only got Casio co-founder and director of education and programming, the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture and through zoom said the U.S.
professor of she can and let studies at Loyola Marymount University.
And while Soco this and author of How Bad Bunny became the Global Voice of Puerto Resistance.
Thank you all for joining us.
I assume that all of guys are bad bunny fans.
I I I want to start with you for those in the audience who are familiar with bad bunny.
>> Tell me a little bit about his personal story and how you would describe his music style.
>> Bad bunny comes from Ford.
So she young to get don't artists who started off as a teller at a grocery store and never gave up on his love of music and pursued it to the full list.
Always putting at the forefront.
But vehicle.
And so it has set him apart because he's incorporated and engage so many other artist in his music that he's been invited to perform other artists that which elevate him and increase his platform.
So he is a phenomenal genius.
In my opinion, he is a genius musician.
And we're so excited that he had chosen to be at the half time.
Super Bowl is a pretty good description Vanessa.
>> I want to go to you in a time where Latinos have been targeted in this country for just also speaking Spanish.
How does it feel being four-thirty gang and seeing bad bunny headline at the Super Bowl?
>> Yeah, I think this is a time when we really need allowed proud voice in the face the terrorizing of our communities.
And we need that voice to be in Spanish.
And so that we have bad bunny as you know, one of the world, if not the world's biggest musical star right now, who is, you know, so proud of who he is, where we can not be.
You know, a Spanish speaker.
He really is a galvanizing figure.
and there are people who who may feel otherwise about.
How incredible is that he's taking the stage.
But I think at the end of the day, what we see is that there's a lot more people who are excited and those who are detractors from this moment that that we as a Latino community needs so badly.
And as Puerto Ricans as well.
And Vanessa, want to discuss the popularity of Spanish language news and what do you think that makes bad bunny such a?
>> You know, global phenomenon.
>> You will.
Right now Latin music is actually the fastest growing genre in the U.S.
So even though we know Latin music comprises many different genres, the way that it's tabulated through streaming services, it's considered one genre and we've seen grown grow exponentially and that money has been at the home of that.
And I think a lot of people are quick to say, like, oh, well, maybe you like the U.S.
really ready to have, you know, this massive moment for for not the nose and the Spanish language, but I think that the political moment shows us that that's not the case rate.
It's not as if there's this magical opening now for not the nose and suddenly everyone loves Spanish ships.
It's not the case.
What is the case?
Is that bad money is really this once in a lifetime artist who he is a musical genius see really is.
And the thing that people love about him is how consistent he has stage since the beginning.
Many people have come to know him through his most recent album that you get a nice photos.
Which is explicitly political.
But the reality is that bad bunny has been speaking out about issues that matter the most to him about Puerto Rico, about LGBTQ rights, about racial inequality throughout his entire career.
And so he has really led this surge in Latin music's increasing popularity of this country.
>> And Brenda, want to bring you and let's talk a little bit about the rhythms that we hear in his music.
We know that he incorporates traditional Puerto Rican music like Bomba and we'll see got he, with the specific routes and his music, why do you think he's still able, you know, to bring such a wide appeal to his music.
He has been a beautiful journey by Canadian.
He mentioned meeting some of the songs.
>> From the 90's from the starting over phone and, you know, kind of the influence of Will wrap on hit club that people are finding themselves in looking back.
Buck of the routes.
>> Of the music that we love the most you being an immense honor to be to see collaborating with him.
Many of the people that they have not be invisible because they wear the ball mind that plan a scene they didn't have the misses early Main Street about the Afro Puerto Rican employee action for you coming from listed even make talking 100 years.
you know, the drama side, bone but not even.
>> Being full civil on 30, 40 years ago.
You only knew it through this show that they were.
But it was very limited that we see really the Obama and seeing it like that right now it is.
I have no words to explain it.
It is a major emotional to look at some of his concerts.
All the says Bunny 16 and I've been going to all his concerts every time that he has been year in Chicago and following through because I knew that get to live the connection with.
They will go a little the elevation of the musical moment.
Luis those communities have the really remarkable.
Let's talk a little bit about the backlash for Annika.
Critics have called for English-speaking singer at the Super Bowl and Turning Point USA.
>> He's even having their own halftime show.
What do you think about this backlash?
This is my opinion of the National Puerto Rican Museum.
But it's a reflection of this white.
premise administration, complete reflection that they would not in brief.
This amazing Puerto Rican artist and celebrate his artistry and celebrate our language like the noles Spanish.
So what they did course create their alternative white.
Super Bowl halftime, Super Bowl show which have a white part it.
I mean, it's very, very playing to feed what is happening here.
And it's a shame.
shameful.
However, I think we are resilient people and we're all going to show up.
are going to support bad bunny and we're going to continue to elevate our culture.
Our history.
Our hearts and bad bunny is helping us to that and bring it to the forefront.
So they could do their little thing and we're going to continue to move forward.
>> And Vanessa, we know we know that bad bunny does not only have Latino Fencers fans who don't even speak English at all.
But, you know, love his music.
How has been?
A uses music and platform to express his political views.
You didn't talk a little bit a >> Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, and a testament to what you're to see it to class about bad bunny.
And it is not only not the nose and the class.
There's very few Puerto Ricans here in LA.
And so I only have, you know, ever a couple of Puerto Ricans in my class, I have students from all over the world in my classes, the class of different languages and their fans.
They're interested.
And I think one thing that is so important about him as that, you know, title of our book is how about money became the global voice of Puerto Rican resistance.
It's not to say he's the only face of Puerto Rican resistance, but international level, where do they Has never been more familiar to people and it's because of him.
And he does that not just through his music.
He does it through his style when he wears outfits, they often have certain kinds of symbols that Bob I have, which is the like classic farmers had of He bought a which is the the farmer countrymen figure from Puerto Rico that is now sort of ubiquitous straight now through his short films through his music videos she really takes advantage of all of the different ways to express oneself expresses art.
And we saw at the Grammys, right?
He got on stage and he said ice He said we're not animals were people, we're human.
We're American.
So that money is always use his platform and that way, it's just actually gotten more expensive as he's gotten more popular, which is also something that makes him a really unique artist and talking about is there and talking about his lyrics.
I do want to >> bring a his song them with I want to just quickly read some of his lyrics.
He says key, much better hands, books.
That guy led by But it's always go your like Gable, don't they get?
I see my Nana widow, us pedal could know got to be the rules to do.
>> People don't them a meal as kit that I can host and got a lot on salute getting ready al Qaeda.
me what what these lyrics mean.
How would you describe them?
>> They've been was saying like is he's resistance, but he's not the only of a system to have happened in that.
He's to point Eagle, would he have done us well through his music is and evading then need to continue fighting for Puerto Rico to continue fighting for our neighborhoods, you know, identification on the day, you know, separation of families.
I let you know, displacement that we continue facing our communities.
So it is, you know, It doubled.
It goes to double by particularly those that have being forced out of what legal and people who are born probably hear not Puerto Rican is set in so ease.
speak to a lot of layers.
>> Of resistance that we have to endure.
So that's why I find it in a in really magical funnel nows face that he's is very complex and layered not just like, you know.
Handler, you know, for week, every you know, very simplistic like people want to put like how you describe that in Veronica.
We have time for one last question.
And here I want to ask for those who are on the fence about that, Bunning, his music and are going to be watching.
>> The Super Bowl, what do you want them to feel?
I want them to feel the love that he has for island.
Our people and understanding the colonial reality.
That when recall right now and why he speak the way he speaks and performs the way he does.
It's very intentional.
>> And authentic and I hope they give him the opportunity to we're back to wrap things up right after this.
>> Reflecting the people
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