The Fordham Music Program held a Bad Bunny Forum on Nov. 2, 2023, to discuss the significance of Bad Bunny’s music in contemporary Puerto Rico and worldwide. The forum was run by Petra Rivera-Rideau, Ph.D., the author of “Remixing Reggaeton: The Cultural Politics of Puerto Rico,” and Vanessa Díaz, Ph.D., the author of “Manufacturing Celebrity: Latino Paparazzi and Women Reporters in Hollywood.” Rivera-Rideau is an associate professor of American studies at Wellesley College. She served as a consultant of several reggaeton-related projects, including Bad Bunny’s historic 2023 Coachella headlining performance. Díaz is an associate professor in the Department of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies at Loyola Marymount University. In addition to being a professor, she works as a filmmaker, ethnographer and journalist. Both of them created the Bad Bunny Syllabus, which seeks to “educate the public on Bad Bunny’s global impact & how it reflects political, artistic, and cultural triumphs and struggles within Puerto Rico.”
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known as Bad Bunny, is a record-breaking Puerto Rican musician who rose to fame through his politically-conscious music. He is a Grammy award-winning artist and created the first Latin album nominated for album of the year. Addressing political issues in Puerto Rico, women’s rights, domestic violence, the LGBTQ+ community and igniting action are pillars of his character, which is reflected in his music. According to the Bad Bunny Syllabus, “Bad Bunny and his music have also become part of the voice of the generation of Puerto Ricans who have been acutely impacted by recent environmental and economic crises on the island, which are directly related to Puerto Rico’s colonial status.”
The event was sponsored by the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, and it was initiated by the Head of the Music Department, Angelina Tallaj.
When asked about organizing this event, Tallaj said, “I really admired both of their work, and I always wanted to bring them to Fordham.” Further, Tallaj said she knew “there are going to be a lot of students interested in this.” She said, “The music department does many programs, but they mostly consist of what we call classical music. So, I am trying to diversify the programming because I know for Latin students especially, it is important to have concerts and conversations about the artists that they listen to.” Further, she said she shared her plans for next semester, where in the global music class, “she is going to try to bring a West African group of musicians and have students feel more represented because I know it makes a big impact.”
A major point in the forum was Bad Bunny’s overflowing pride in his Puerto Rican heritage and honoring the musicians that came before him. Bad Bunny does this in many ways beyond just his lyrics, one being his performance at Coachella. Not only was he the first Latino solo-act headliner, but he used that performance to educate his audiences and honor the history of reggaeton and salsa.
The videos he shared highlighted Cuban salsa legends Celia Cruz and La Lupe, along with reggaeton trailblazers Daddy Yankee and Tego Calderón. Additionally, Bad Bunny chose to honor his culture and his musical inspirations on his Rolling Stones cover. On this cover, he decided to wear a “jewel-encrusted medallion necklace” with the “logos of reggaeton heroes he looked up to as a kid”.
These heroes included Don Omar, Tego Calderon, Hector El Father, Wisin y Yandel, Daddy Yankee and Arcangel. Bad Bunny also honors his Puerto Rican heritage through his politically-conscious lyrics, specifically, in his song “El Apagon,” which translates to “The Blackout.” This song is about the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and the blackouts it has caused on the island. The song highlights the island’s beauty while simultaneously acknowledging issues of gentrification and electricity.
Diego Martinez, FCRH ’27, said, “Being Latino and an immigrant, it was really interesting to see a new depth of an artist my family and I have listened to for years together.” Kimberly Rojas, GSB ’26, said, “I thought that the forum was really amazing… Especially at Fordham, the acknowledgment of the Puerto Rican community is limited, so I thought it was great to bring out the history of Puerto Rican music and really acknowledge how Puerto Ricans have been changing the industry from music, food and overall life.”
During the talk, Díaz said, “Music is not just music. Music is identity. Music is what brings us together. Music is who people are.”
