♪ >> This week on the Wheelhouse community have been a closer look.

It had bad bunny's influence ♪ >> We're >> a Connecticut Public on Frankie Graziano.

This is the Wheelhouse.

It's a show that connects politics to the people.

We have 2 weekly dose of politics in Connecticut and beyond right here.

You know, for bad bunny of pop superstar, that is no stranger to the number one spot on the Billboard charts music and politics go hand in hand through his lyrics.

You can hear the history of what the legal migration in equities and struggles.

Bad bunny is consistently used his platform for political activism and people are taking notice now.

Bad bunny is coming to the Ivy League this fall.

Yale University will offer a course called Bad Bunny musical aesthetics and politics.

It's taught by our guest today, Professor Albert Laguna.

This hour, exploring the intersection between pop and politics.

Albert Laguna is an associate professor of American Studies and ethnicity, race and migration at Yale University professor Lago to thank you so much for coming on the show.

>> Pleasure.

Happy to be here.

>> Hey, they beat the anonymous fall.

Those came out in 2025.

The album has a title track.

I would consider a beach banger.

There are since sounds.

We also hear a conga that's a staple of music from the island of Puerto Rico.

I hear it one way.

You may hear it another.

So can you tell me what it means to you and what it means for what you do in life.

>> The so I mean, the song.

But I mean, let me speak to more broadly.

Sure think they can.

do so.

What does it mean to me?

I'm here to tell you by going to the first track when when that song with my own starts the the album and it's simply a song by gotten a little bit The 70's caught that on and to summer in New York.

I stood up in detention, right?

Is the music that I grew up with, that my parents met Dancing Southside clubs in New York City to and take it started there right?

And from from that song on, right?

It's what he's able to do mixing these musical genres from Puerto Rico.

The Caribbean.

It tells a story of Puerto Rico's culture but also the the movement's a Puerto Rican agreed.

The culture across New York City across the grid of Caribbean.

And so for me.

It was just I-40.

I was walking around New Orleans, especially listening to the Ottoman.

Repeat, New Orleans is a city with a lot of Caribbean energy Katko, the issue of New Orleans about the Caribbean.

And I just said, you know, I have to teach a class on this out and that money.

>> I'm glad you brought up the cultures and the Caribbean as a whole.

I know that your cube in and as I understand it in the 80's, particularly and and even before that Cuban.

And but the big annual music, we're kind of intertwined, at least in terms of social music and social critiques.

So that's very helpful for me to understand our listeners to understand as well.

focus on the album here and >> how would you do?

How would you describe your of course, bad bunny musical aesthetics and politics.

>> To a student or a fellow faculty member.

>> I think it's its an opportunity to kind of drop into a broader discussion that centers Puerto Rico.

There hasn't been a stand-alone course on Puerto Rico for quite a few years.

You know, which is.

Unfortunate to say the very least given that how little students know about quarter economy, general public, specifically Puerto Rico's colonial status in the nation.

2 United States.

So it's an opportunity to explore that taking Puerto Rico, a place that's been so marginal kind of us may choose this course and putting it at the center right on the stand variety of dishes issues related to kind cultural production, diaspora races in the evolution of musical forms right?

Its an opportunity to use this music.

As a way to much broader questions.

>> It's not the first time the subject of bad Bunny has entered a classroom.

You're not the first professor teachers course later on in the show.

We're going hear Wellesley professor who has been teaching our students about the politics behind bad bunny's music since 2022, your course has received a lot of attention which you found.

Interesting.

Why is that?

>> Well, I think it's 2 things.

First of all that point is that at the height of his stardom, this album has received international acclaim for good reason.

And he is extremely popular globally.

Zona top streamed artists and even the entire world for the last couple years.

>> But, you know, there's something about and like you said, my colleagues, but the body teach a class on Monday don't and bad bunny.

I talk forces on may get on and created popular culture.

My entire career at and defensive in a study has also carry an amazing Web site called on the bag.

But it's still a business that's just a wonderful resource for those wanting to kind of think about that.

Bunny alongs.

So item number of interesting avenues historical political.

Yeah, politics musicals.

That IX so.

But this moment, the heart of the height of the heart, the height of his stardom rate.

You could But also what Yale needs as a place in the U.S. popular imagination.

You know, this article was published in the Yale Daily News.

And I received a call the next day you'll get the news at the newspaper to university and I receive a call.

The next statement to The New York Times you know.

So what's DA?

But in your time just to monitor the vote in the that a of people are hearing from Daily News at The New York Times.

I I think I can assume that no one's monitoring articles published at Mount Le Monde and Montclair State University of New Jersey.

And you know, has this kind of outsize placed right and kind of mostly conversations about higher education's country.

So the fact that you put you in together, it tracks attention, disclosed.

This news goes viral because and it's nice to my next point.

One of the questions I get the most in the media interviews and from people on the street is just how did let you Houston scores?

mean, what was the process to get permission?

Could this course scholar of Caribbean and Caribbean diaspora, literature, popular culture music who was hired by Yale University to do this work right?

They yelled thought it was an intellectual priority to hire in this field.

That many levels is being asked me how I got permission to do it right.

And I think that's just indicative of a lot about higher education.

Now to talk about in this country right.

I think it has something to do.

Also with popular culture and how popular culture us.

You guys kind of low rates.

And if we put popular culture in Puerto Rico, it even lower because of the racial and political politics around Puerto Rico and I also think you know, you know, and this is this is part of the problem, right, that, you know, seen as a place.

We study Creek statuary.

You know, Victorian novels that in the you typically.

just, you know, just that's what you're doing, right?

It's Greek statuary between Hamas and my job was father, popular culture is yes.

Jane Austen.

Yes, the Greek statuary.

And yes, the bad money because we learn and develop questions and insights from use.

It right.

There has got an important as the Greek statuary and, you know, part of What are some of the major themes from the album?

They beat it out.

As most of all those you talked about the experience of of listening to it.

>> But now to talk about the experience of putting it into a lesson plan.

>> Yeah.

So for me, it's the first song.

The first title track tracking first rugby on this.

might start to New York?

And I know people talk about as Puerto Rican starts in New York City and that's critical to understand because you can understand the history of Puerto Rico with a New York and you can understand the history of New York City with a Puerto Rican spread.

So right there, a major course.

Team is is is crystallized that that of migration and the movement in Puerto Rico in New York and back.

Really since the 19th century.

You talk about those Cubans and Puerto Rican getting together to build the border regions of the Collaborative York since the 19th century.

understanding of things of migration, not only physical movement of migration, but also cultural migrations, right?

So you can understand stop stop or they don't just to be that those 2 without understanding the movement of people across the Caribbean and across New York City and Puerto Rico.

So it's it's it's it's metaphor migration, right?

So it's cold for migration and it's their own movement.

Bodies across the space is such a major, major theme of the place.

You know, another thing we have to think about is kind of protest politics in been right.

There are no bad bunny's talking a lot about the difficult political situation in Puerto Rico.

The corruption he's talking about the economic difficulties that can again cannot be separated from the corner relationship with United States and he's speaking to this group, different musical forms that musical forms that have utilized historically for protests like plan right?

And was really exciting for my students where they, you know, there's a great deal.

Low morale, given the attacks on higher education by the Trump administration, right that we can.

We can listen to protest.

We can protest and that can also be joyful and this music gives us a way of thinking about that intersection.

>> Would you do me a favor and go into that a little further.

The idea of joy, is it that students will now understand that you have this protest song?

You have people listening to it on the radio and the joy and that this protest song.

But this protest album this is we're digging into this because your favorite newspaper in the world, they're the New York Times is also digging into that angle as well.

About joyful protest music.

But in a point to when there's intersectionality with bad bunny and and gender politics as well.

This is a time where we talk a lot about transgender folks.

Enjoy and trying to attach that because the situation can be dismal.

But we want also validate folks by talking about their experiences in saying that it's not all bad.

There's a lot of good things about you just being here in Help us talk a little bit more here and unpack it.

>> I think so.

I think if I can, if I can see that so many ways to talk about, first of all, it's just feeling of the music right?

How does music good music meant to be performed and enjoyed in community?

Right.

So I think about the protests the deposed governor of Puerto Rico in 2019. they do believe what right does the Puerto Rican summer with a massive protests against the corruption of the resale administration and how the protests in some long where.

Guided by music.

Great.

It was people dancing and like making their voices heard and that it was it was news musical.

It kinetic with dance and it was people making their voices heard against the streets protesting against the corruption of this administration.

Right?

>> So that's something highway as well.

You know, there's something also about the joy of of the Puerto Rican.

This that's continuously kind index on this album and if I can just point to something I think is really important is.

Again, his spotlight on his presence in Puerto Rico in Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico.

Puerto Ricans, right?

We're seeing this massive migration from Puerto Rico in the 21st century given the difficult economic conditions, you know, the devastation from from the hurricanes.

>> And people having to leave because, you know, part of those very expensive place to live as well.

You have foreign capital tonight's.

It's coming in.

People buying a property that's creating a lot of issues and visas to The authorities say Puerto Rico for Puerto Ricans and, you know, if I could just point to exactly what's most visible about this strategy is as residents Puerto Rico he's performing community in Puerto Rico the summer.

So often trajectory us for an artist to make it big.

And then to Munich on the European and the U.S. Tour is he's talked about on a tour Latin America is talking about it you're in Europe is that he's really states.

He's not mentioned for dates in the United States yet.

I imagine will come at some point.

But before he goes anywhere is going to do 30 concerts.

If Puerto Rico first between July and September.

>> In hearing interviews with bad Bunny.

He's always put his experience and put the recon going back there performing as separate as say, going worldwide and going to the United States playing in New York or in in Los Angeles or Coachella as it were or even now it playing and Argentina or South America.

So help us separate the 2 and why the intention behind doing all those shows and put the >> I think it's just really important.

Again, this idea presents with so many people leaving.

And so so much about the album and the lyrics talking about again, Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans.

What does it mean to say that?

It make you think I'm going to stay?

You're right.

I'm going to do this here first, we want to see me.

You got to come here.

It's kind of shifts the entire narrative about we think about artistic success about, you know, making a big and the small place and then going to the bigger plates, know it's like going to stay here and eyes have to be on Puerto Rico.

Not to mention that this will be as fraught as it is.

It will be an economic boost.

The FBI and those that's complicated.

It's a complicated conversation, but it will be an economic boost to the Puerto Rican economy.

And that's something that I imagine.

He's also keenly aware of.

>> Help us close out the interview here with takeaways, you'd like to your students to have whenever they take this course.

What would you like them to think about?

And what kind of questions you hope the professor has.

They're learning.

>> Yeah, so I mean, it's everything that's said about us.

Puerto Rico relations on the stand for tickets.

Go to status.

The experience of Puerto Ricans from the 19th century to the present, the president of the status.

It's it's a way to understand kind of.

Artistic and developments.

Movements, right that we these different forms of music and the second change over time and waiting move across the and United States you know, but I think something else that's really important, especially for your listeners is understand that bad bunny is not unique, right, that his music another link in the chain of global interest and fascination and music from Hispanic on Caribbean particular, right since the 19th century.

Great music from the Caribbean has made the rounds of the world right?

If mom go, it's outside.

Start time job, right?

It's it's it's a very good on its.

>> It's bad bunny.

So to understand the longer history of this is also really key and it's up and want to impart to my suit.

>> Fabulous conversation.

You've been listening to Albert Laguna, associate professor of American studies and ethnicity, race and migration at Yale University as a Lego.

Thank you so much for coming on the show.

>> Reza, thanks for having me.

>> And after the break, a deeper dive into bad bunny's >> Let us know if bad bunny's impact.

music speaks to you.

It ate 7 professor.

Is the Wheelhouse from Connecticut Public Radio.

on Frankie Graziano, Bad Put that he can.

Pop star is a mess across the globe.

It's not just his music.

That's earning him.

The spotlight.

Bad bunny has used his platform to advocate for social and political change.

People could argue about whether or not that's actually happening.

But that's what he's attempting to do, particularly in his home territory.

But the Tea Cup this hour, we're digging into the intersection of pop and politics.

Joining me now, they put out a vanity, though, associate professor of American Studies at Wellesley College.

Her new book, which he co-wrote with Vanessa Diaz is titled P F-k and our How bad bunny became the global voice of what that he can resistance.

And that's going to come out in February of 2026.

Kind of some breaking news there.

But.

>> Yes, yes, Im.

Very excited.

Thanks for having >> Also on lockout, that multimedia artist and historian got a wonderful to have you on here.

>> There's an enemy.

>> Thank you so much for coming on the show.

We appreciate it very much.

Also joining us, Rachel Jakob on a Puerto Rican communities reporter for Connecticut Public.

Thank you so much for coming on.

The Wheelhouse.

Thanks for having me.

You are fresh to Connecticut Public and you are right on the shots of talented.

You are.

Thank you so much for coming on.

I appreciate it.

And my good buddy, Charles van at the Santiago associate professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Political Science and Allianz.

The 2, though, the Institute for Latino Caribbean and Latin American studies.

Charles, thank you for joining us today.

This not being there personally.

You're there and you're here with We hope you'll join the conversation today.

Give us a call.

8, 8, 8, 7 to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, We have operators standing by to take your calls in both English and Espanol.

>> Thank goodness and goodness, but it will invest supplement that iOS when it cannot convey sassoon indeed, take them.

Gemma know, to see if they do settle with Sace.

Set this up.

Witnesses said owning placed on us by >> That is a lovely Sabrina Herrera who works with Rachel on our Somos Connecticut team.

We'd love to get some calls, but they thought at first I'd like to get your thoughts on what you've just heard from Professor Albert Laguna, who is following you into this territory.

You're a trailblazer on trying to connect bad bunny to politics.

But of course, when we when we hear about the music of the island of Puerto Rico and politics, bad bunny's, not the first musician to do this.

>> Do he's definitely not the first musician and I think.

Like all.

But one of the things I try to do in my course at Wellesley is create this kind of historical background to show where money comes from.

And I think one of the things that's pretty cool about bad bunny is that he does that frequently as well.

Both in the sampling like Albert talking about him sampling coma.

But also in his performances in there's like my favorite photo of bad, please.

This, Rolling Stone cover where he's holding all these replicas of reggaeton chains from the early 2, thousands to show everybody who came before him.

So he does that to you.

yeah, I'm I'm really excited that Albert teaching his class at Yale.

There's several bad bunny classes.

Now I know of some in Princeton, San Diego State, Barnard College, and they might be focusing on newer stuff.

A lot of your because it's you've done it for a couple years now.

It works.

It looks at some of his earlier work.

>> Can you help us with his evolution as an artist?

Yeah, yes.

>> so yeah, I started teaching my course in the fall of 2022. and since that time, he's released to other albums that if you don't miss what those and then one in 2023 Canady a 7 to give up a set menu.

Anna.

And so bad.

The new begins like many young artists in 2016 as a rapper who's posting his songs on SoundCloud.

And and he was singing Latin Trap, which is a genre that is kind of a chase and to bring it on.

That is known for being very explicit, particularly sexually explicit.

So it wasn't getting a lot of radio play.

And I think one of the things that bad bunny did early in his career was figured out how to merge the sound of Latin trap with a few more rate who friendly lyric sometimes to get his.

His stuff out there and he has always had, I think and what we argue in the book, a political slant to his work.

One example I can think of is his very first television appearance in the United States was on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

And he sing a song called This The Most BN, which Lyrically is a song about making a lot of money but in that song, he talks about things like driving through the potholes in Puerto Rico.

Why the impact of the hurricane slipped into those lyrics.

And when he goes on the Jimmy Fallon show, he starts by making a speech.

And at that time his English was really not great.

Great.

So he gives this kind of slow, really important.

Brief dialogue about how the it's been one year since the hurricane and Donald Trump is still in denial and then he starts his performance right?

So I think from his earliest access to these larger public platforms.

Bad bunny has been speaking out about issues that pertains of Puerto Rico, which is Albert said many people the United States aren't aware of.

Right.

And so I think that's always been a part of his his M O.

But what's different about the 2 time us photos is that sort of explicit nature of the politics that he's doing in every song with the blend of genres when the topics he's talking about with his music videos right?

It's very intentional.

And it's very interesting to me, as bad bunny has been, one of the things we talk about in our book is as Bad Bunny has become more famous.

He has leaned more into his political orientation, not less.

And one of the arguments were making is that that has actually increased his popularity, whereas some people might think that to be an international pop star.

You have to step back from something that might be perceived as controversial.

He seems to lean into it much more >> I appreciate that very much.

That's a really great way to look at the history of bad bunny there since the beginning there since since he was like a college student making music.

And I'm so privileged to have got on the show here today because great work that you all did with the loud podcast with the Queen.

And that's on Spotify.

I'm not sure if it's still on there, but people should try to find that because that is a terrific look at the roots of an egg it on to where we are today.

Thank you for doing that.

Work out.

I want to ask for a history lesson here in 1948, as I understand there was this gag law enacted in.

But the teco to suppress an independence movement on the island.

It made it illegal to fly the Puerto Rican flag or sing patriotic songs eventually repealed nearly a decade later on the grounds that it violated free speech.

This is not the first battle that but the vehicle would have with free speech and reggaeton.

As a matter of fact that later on, they would have that.

But what role do you think that historical context place in the mind of an artist like a bad bunny who is so outspoken today.

>> Hi, thank you so much for that question.

>> a lot of credit card.

I you know, and listening to like a lot of these conversations.

But >> the role of a play them but running, I mean, if I wasn't allowed to raise my kind of manager Mike and for those who are listening and I've been to areas and the moment that they would allow me, I would be of I'm on loop or happy one of our sleep better.

You can raise a flag and so will I will.

Because you have to you have to tick, take advantage of the fact >> You know, there is this that.

freedom and to think of it as a freedom.

Oh, boy, this is a conversation with them of itself.

>> the role that it plays, I think it's significant.

I think by bad bunny, you know, like exemplifies in every way, shape or form his pride and more importantly is his drive to try to, you know, educate the the larger masses in regards to the actual colonial player, Puerto Rico.

>> Another reason why I'm so happy that got design here is because what you just mentioned are routes being Panamanian and Jamaican.

These are actually the roots of a negative tone as you'll find out on the loud podcast.

That's the Jamaican dancehall music and the Panamanian wrapping and Espanol that really got us going.

So I appreciate that.

Folks should pay attention that podcast Charles, they get on as a musical genre rooted in resistance.

As we talked about.

Can you tell us about its origins and why listeners find it to be so powerful, particularly politically?

good question.

>> So it's a part of the challenge is that they get don't us away.

And some ways to or I'm bluff.

I if you will.

So they're popular.

For real a politics that affect if you will, the average person.

And so by 6 plus of ways, the political dimension of radon and using butter Guara challenging in some ways because that and that it even though there's a dimension of protests that's present, I'm not sure is ready if actual or or influential and doing anything.

And is mostly describing social inequality.

See if you will.

the question becomes what what he did to change it.

Let's see project that it's propose.

And sometimes it's not clear that there's a political project there other than a protest.

>> I want to get into that further.

I want to dive into that a little later for some of the swing back to pit the day here and just church.

He try to wrap up the bad county part of the conversation censoring of reggaeton in the early 90's.

I know what happened to the music in 2004 where the Santa Ana that was on the island that was trying to get to repeal it as well in like 2004.

So.

How does that influence bad bunny?

That's happened.

Yeah.

>> So that that was in 2002 it to Senator Avila, Gonzalez.

so the first one is 1995. where they is part of this bigger, anti crime campaign that is happening in Puerto Rico at the time pay the total sale.

Yes.

So pet owners to Joe is the governor.

He ran on partially on this anti-crime platform.

Coleman will do die.

That really targeted public housing among other spaces at the time to get on what was known as underground Israeli affiliated, you know, sort of like the soundtrack of those spaces.

And so it became sort of a cultural.

I'm I think, if you will, right arguing in one of my books, the cultural arm of that campaign that if we can target this music, we can help.

Prevent crime on the island and then in 2002, I think one of the things that happens is that that campaign unwittingly gives credit on artists who wouldn't otherwise have a better platform, a platform.

And so the music continue to become popular.

And in 2002, the censorship campaign is a little bit different.

It's more about representations of women in music videos.

How does that impact bad bunny?

I think it's really interesting because that money is born in in 1994, right.

And the records raise the for censorship campaign 1995.

So may be right.

Even when gasoline and comes out in 2004 by Daddy, Yankee and sort of explodes, drag it on on the global scale.

>> Biden is only 10 right?

So in some ways, I think one of the reasons able to do these very creative and different things with his music is a combination of his deep knowledge and appreciation for the history of this genre combined with the fact that many of his forebears did a lot of that work to make it more mainstream and more accepted in Puerto Rico and buy the Latin music industry which really resisted they get on for a very long time.

And so I think.

He is part of a generation of artists.

We're seeing now with also people like young Nico right now, young artists who grew up at a time when they get on with certain part of the music establishment and they can now take it and do these funky things with it.

>> Speaking of the industry, speaking of establishment, we actually color right now from Bristol.

Hi, good morning.

Good morning.

Go ahead.

What your what are you what you thought this morning?

>> but it's it.

You got to look our bubble.

Dion be hour.

You know, 2 are locked into or, you our country.

I for real, for real, you know.

So.

so I decided, well, I want to make a quick to respond is because my credit limit skyla.

>> Absolutely.

>> Okay.

You get a phone call would pull away County soul.

It.

I'm probably also would not want to take on that.

>> Gas is Peter, appreciate it very much.

And you got a little chuckle from what Peter said.

Go ahead.

>> yeah.

So I mean, that's the question, right?

How did this person in less than 10 years blow up and become this global So quickly.

I mean, that is the question that I think a lot of us are academics and also people that live music industry are trying to figure out like is there some kind of formula?

And I think the other thing oppressive about bad bunny, it is his attachment to put the league on attachment to Spanish.

Right?

So it's also been unusual for a pretty weak and artists to like really make inroads in the U.S. mainstream, for example, without switching to English.

And so that's a really good question.

I don't know if I have an answer.

But I think what I would say and one of the arguments we try to make in our book is that one of the things that's been very interesting about bad bunny again, that they think I like to when I talk to my students about this, I like to come care him to like Beyonce right?

Beyonce feels she's obviously a real person, but she feels sort of untouchable like she's out there and we can't access her.

And I think bad bunny feels very accessible.

And I think he feels very authentic.

I think one of the things I like about him is that he's willing to admit mistakes that he's made.

For instance, and describe what he's learning about and I think that makes him, you know, sort of like an everyday person who just happens to be this like incredible musical artist so I think that helps a lot.

But, you know, he's got like the magic touch.

Like who know what's really, really appreciate you calling Peter Peter wanting to know >> bad bunny really able to how blow up in 10 years.

I think that's really the lesson.

A lesson.

10 years.

Oh, my God.

And you've been teaching that class for a couple of years now that shows you how really quick and when I think about Beyonce, when I think about bad bunny, its genre bending, we know Beyonce is such a soulful queen, but now there's the country album.

There's the electronic album and there's rumors of what's to come next.

Everybody's excited about that.

But nonetheless, we're so happy that Peter Call and I think that's because of the partnership that we have with Somos Connecticut and Rachel Jakob who's also a town just like I am.

But I got to bring this back to Godo Connecticut.

Hear much of bad bunny's.

Most recent album pays homage to New York.

Connecticut's neighbor.

And that matters right?

Connecticut has a sizable.

But that he can population but equal.

>> Yeah.

I mean, you talked about it for a second.

I'm I'm half Italian, half Puerto Rican.

So very New York family here and mixture.

And I knew that there is a huge Puerto Rican population.

Of course, you know, I grew up visiting the Bronx and Spanish Harlem with my family did not realize how large in population we have here in Connecticut that about 50% of what they do is you run into Puerto Rican that people would assume I'm Puerto Rican more than anything else here.

And with that, I hear bad bunny on the streets here.

People's car cranked up, you know, on the side of the road, passing me by that like Greg at the on is the basis here is really interesting.

I'm originally from South Florida and a very Mexican area and it was much more like.

But was hearing on the street from like a truck, you know, and here is like a very small car plane or get on so its so cool in listening to the loud podcast that got and the rest of the crew put together there at Spotify or with Spotify and on the media, too.

>> That Connecticut.

Not as much as New York but Connecticut and and a little bit of Springfield, Massachusetts, some of those towns in Massachusetts did have, you know, some sway in the negative tone in even in in Colombia.

And on the island to so I mean, there is a there definitely is a place for Connecticut in the rates on scene.

But but that, again, you'll stay facing barriers when it comes to having their say and what's going on politically, not just and not necessarily locally here because with the diaspora here, but federal elections is what we're thinking about.

How much say to the exactly have in those elections?

>> I the saying, as of course, we pay taxes, but we don't get the benefits of that.

And that's because we can vote in the primaries.

But on the island, you don't get a say in who the president is, which is kind of the biggest thing, right?

You get to vote for the governor.

Not a president.

I want to make clear that is a distinction that some do not make.

But you get a say in your local representatives, but not how are represented on the national level.

You know, we are part of the U.S. but are we more part of Latin America?

And that's kind of the the 2 world we live in one foot in one world at all times.

And so the diaspora does get a say and you see that in areas like here, Orlando, New York, those very large hubs of Puerto Rican populations are now using their voice and voting in ways that they couldn't when they were on the island.

Something that bad bunny gets a lot of praise for is.

>> Trying to expand society's definition of masculinity.

is that something you talk about?

Your course?

>> Oh, yes, yes.

This is like one of the students, most favorite topics you know, I think that's another thing when when we talk about politics and what political means, right?

Like Charles mentioned, you know what kind of like political changes happening to this music?

That's one way to measure politics.

But I think another way to measure politics is to think about the role of popular culture in spring conversations on creating the ones right or contesting norms and bad bunny has always challenge ideas about masculinity in his presentation.

So, for example, when he first came out, this seems like something silly, but it's actually significant.

I think he was known for wearing sort of flamboyant clothes, brightly colored clothes in short shorts, that's very different from your typical turning it on artist who was wearing clothing like Sean John are like, I don't know if anybody even remembers those brands.

But, you know, the hip-hop styles of 20 years ago and and Little thing of wearing short shorts or eventually painting his fingernails was a huge moment in this culture that is so steeped in much the small right and having this very hyper masculine representation he then moves on to sometimes wearing women's clothing, right?

He's very famous covered him in Harper's Bazaar wearing a skirt and like high fashion women's clothing in talking about how he's interested in whatever makes him feel good and how then eventually moving on to saying, you know, he's only publicly dated women, but maybe someday I'll date a man who knows.

So this kind of expression of fluidity.

Support of the queer community.

I also just want to mention another video that again, on the surface, it's a song called Your Patio.

So a lot about a woman who just wants to go to the club and ounce by herself right?

And in that music video, he famously wears drag right.

And so I think that's a form of politics to in terms of kind of pushing the envelope of how of masculinity and creating more acceptance of the queer community in a place that is rife with homophobia and transphobia.

>> before we head to break, I So want to talk to got to hear.

I want to know if you have anything to add to what we just heard from abate, what other social norms is bad bunny sort of challenging in the public sphere.

>> I'm sorry, a** and again to go to break because a lot of them and that answer that I have.

>> And yeah, well, you know what?

Take a stab at it and then we'll figure it out because I definitely want hear from you on this.

>> I'm sorry.

I'm just like really caught off guard by all of the funding for about body.

I feel like I'm doing a huge disservice to every black, her standup and the Latin music industry in the real world outside of academia.

One beautiful thing that my platform that was the market has access so that you get bonus because, yes, sure well for Iran and articles are written in academia, the public was repeating a lot of things that just simply were inaccurate.

And I know there's a lot of setup allowed, but that no one on one with the first podcast you exist on table for months to sort out there get those or create this poor that I've had nationally internationally because of the history and the roots and the social paradigm of good one.

The has inspired Lout actually, would even exist without it.

And the big the wind out of But because of the lawsuit that the current right now with the Jamaicans pulling all of their own.

I would be simply doing of the service by competing on the ponding I've had major could provide funding and Time magazine in public.

In my op-ed for them lot because while he does a lot of things that are amazing and I copper him for that, there's a lot of fun.

But he is learning in real time and it was honest about and Leslie with his collection with blackness.

And, you know, the conversation on his rise, will be for real.

There was a void online music because of that.

The trial of the proposed it and are legit.

Murder of Kevin spread by Osuna.

And but bonding and helping intelligently fall.

The void and he put on and cape.

And but I love the gay people and literally when he started to transform his branding in a very smart, intelligent way.

And my of that, we are person.

So I still think sure and all that that is I mean, maybe because it's very performative, not my where the words of actual transtar and be guard is like a lot of a level here the >> Sure.

And we want you to like.

feel I want you to feel.

>> Yeah.

>> We want to feel comfortable to get at bad bunny because you're not going to be the only person that does that in this show.

Charles, Better.

Santiago also has some opinions that may be unpopular, but we're happy to have them here on the Wheelhouse.

We have one more segment left.

That's where we're going to get into the bones here.

It's not just a bad bunny.

Happy hour here.

Let's keep doing it here.

You're listening to the Wheelhouse.

I Connecticut Public.

We're also encouraging you to call in 8, 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, >> It won't be able the >> This is the Wheelhouse from Connecticut Public Radio.

I'm Frankie Graziano.

Still with me, Connecticut Public's, Rachel Jakob on a Wellesley College's bait.

That out event.

Only though and UConn's Charles Bennett or Santiago and got to multimedia artist and historian.

Let us know if you're a fan of bad bunny's music and politics or if you're not call us at 8, 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 7 to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, >> Cp, innocent goodness.

But it won best local month.

Adios when it cannot convey sassoon, indeed.

Take them.

Gemma know, to see if they do settle with Sace set this up.

Witnesses said owning placed on us by >> Charles, we have to address some criticism.

Bad bunny in the past.

You've said you've been disappointed by some of his messaging.

>> Or rather.

>> How he's been able to effectuate real change.

Get into that more.

Yeah.

So I'm concerned this is not just with that phony.

This is in general with the idea that music somehow.

>> Has the political influence because part of what we're seeing is the displacement of traditional leftist politics that are focused on a critique of capitalism, the economic conditions of capitalism that address the material conditions of people, housing, cheap housing, higher wages, healthcare, etc.

And then we move to the center of protests, celebration that focuses on norms and culture at the expense of actual politics engaging institutions.

And and I'm worried that when we celebrate all recall artists, social critique and we elevate we sale.

But we treat that as a political messaging where the politicizing what our traditional politics.

And by that, I mean, we have a civil rights movement that had protests but also had political agenda that the change legislation.

And now there are some artists that that are the Thanh Bui Huy legislation that I'm not a swiftie, but Taylor Swift stands behind bow of the Violence Against Women Act as she supports legislation she's pushing for some changes for women and that seems to me a little bit more concrete than simply mayor saying here's the perfect way to say you're saying that bad bunny is says that he's against cardinals >> But he doesn't necessarily pick a successor.

>> Or pick or or get behind of movement and put himself out there as far as he could.

You're saying?

>> What I mean, he to support DNC and that now.

But but he's not offering an alternative.

Okay.

Yeah.

I think it's he in Paw.

Think we end up with a right-wing candidate for governor.

It obviously still has a bit bit risi later.

Jennifer Gonzales, so great time.

He's involved.

We end up with the center right wing system of government.

That's even worse than the one before.

But that that's not his fault.

That's just part of the local culture.

Important know my concern is that if you criticize say Lou, my lap and I love I go on whats the alternative that you often worse, that statement was that political argument that you want to offer us an alternative if you're criticizing colonialism, whats, the alternative that you're offering is set in the penned this in.

What does that look like?

And I'm also concerned with the basic focus on social economic conditions of people.

I can criticize the market.

Here's in Connecticut Energy all day.

But that's not gonna and I know the price of energy in Connecticut significantly.

>> Sure, an got.

You had some some thoughts that you shared with us as we were crunched for time to time.

Last break.

But you're main criticisms of bad bunny.

I would say around colorism and around whether or not bad bunny is actually inclusive to all genders or whether it's performative.

Go ahead.

Keep going.

>> So it just to be clear is not if you think that all the gender, is that what he's doing a performance at the end of the Bay, Cuba, the cat man.

So there's only so much.

But, you know, actually happened here and I actually want to like applied what I'm sorry, Charles, of the same because if there's some parallels between his could become my own and the feel like a lot of artists gets a lot of recognition for things.

But like we want to we want to play really want to and with it and it's so easy to get credit to the bar to thing to give them more cold case and placing a value than you know what is actually learn and fall with that.

But I do recognize everything will axe.

you know, they're actually that.

But one has taken my mind that you've gone and that the wrexham of utilizing and alike, the social paradigm in tents are coming now because of the end of the day.

He's pushing a conversation now as the matter with some people will talk about him is like I let it got.

Yes.

And it's at the expense of looking past spring issue and those issues I can't get out because one block and you know, like when it was when I was at the Altoona, we never have a question like, oh, my God, it's a black guy in the mainstream of the night.

Here we go.

We don't you know, he is incorporating issues of race and his branding.

It's a matter of people have the rain, but better not another concrete.

But that money comes out.

The woodwork and great.

We have clearly present a cent.

You love them and everything I you know, I can't tell you how many times I think all dramatic Gore, you know, the gas lighting or even bullied or even the best threat.

I have a C you know this because of this regard, the pot.

That is the issue at hand is not letting up.

We have a great issue point period like and fun for the Anthony Carlo tumble.

Part of lot done to be a part of the conversation he put up that torch.

And think if he didn't, I wouldn't even bring the cup.

But he did not.

I mean, and fall.

The park while you're picking up this part, you have to answer the question and that they I mean, you know, last time but not formally.

He thought he was still advocating who call if came at me.

You know, when I wrote my out, but in the relay, you could have just enough to be like, no, you're not become public.

You get that become public health with gentle, is a journalist on and today going on.

They also and he's like, oh, I I looked able not much.

We love one black man when the ax about your education and raise.

It looks like there's a lot of education going on.

We only have about my point is we need mayors is my entire Bill and thank you for sharing that.

I'm sorry to cut you off.

got about 30 seconds left them to get the paper that the talk about the schedule you might have in your class.

>> Oh, yeah.

Well, I think I a lot of the critiques that got the has around racial politics.

They think another layer of of this is that, you know, the Jamaicans on the opera Panamanians who are creating credit on.

And then in those 90's years, it was a lot of black Puerto Ricans who are participating in creating credit on which I talk about in my first book like he did that they're not getting the same kind of credit that someone like bad bunny is getting.

So I think that's a big criticism.

And Charles, too.

>> Thank you so much.

That got to thank you, Sir.

Charles Bennett or Santiago, thank you to rent Rachel.

kuvana and of course, but that event early, though, keep paying attention to their stuff.

You'll see it linked on the Web today show produced by Chloe when edited by Robyn Doyon-Aitken of Patrick's Cahill.

Thank you so much.

To our visual seaman are obscene or a Connecticut Public.

Thank you to our Somos Connecticut team.

Thank you for listening to the Wheelhouse.