Bad Bunny and the SuperBowl
There is so much here that it is difficult to begin a coherent discussion of an historic event that is being attacked in a massive way by the right in this country. The selection of Bad Bunny for the SuperBowl is first and foremost one of the most powerful recognitions of Latin American culture and their part in the broader American culture- that is the culture of the Americas- all of them, all of us. I will try and do this in a linear fashion. Much of the criticism will be ignored as it is simply worthless. The performance has so much else to praise, so let us start there.
In the pre-game weeks, we saw a tremendous rise in what can only be view as Latino Pride and yes, its sub-cultural Puerto Rican pride. As I pointed out in my discussion of the phenomena of Somali dance videos, this was a joyous celebration of an important part of Latin culture, the music. In both the Somali and Latin American expressions, I found that common element: Joy. And well just, Damn children why can't we all be more joyous? Why can't we learn from the Somalis and Latinos? I appreciate their expressions of joy and listen to it feeling my own echoes of joy. I feel that same joy in the Irish and Scottish music and Hebrew folk music of my own ancestors and shared contemporaries. Am I the only one who listens to music with an open heart and feels all of the story that the music tells - the joy and the sorrow, the longing, the love. As I watched the performance by Bad Bunny I thrilled as each scene unfolded. Having been to Puerto Rico each vignette said to me yes, I have seen that, I understand better now. I also understand through the friends I have that come from that warm beautiful island. The Spanish printed on the screen helped me follow the lyrics. After the performance both immediately and in the days following the joy expressed by Latin Americans, some of it echoed by non-Latinos of all sorts was palpable.
Common to all big performances there was so much going on and yet the producers and artists involved kept it so coherent that the picture that Bad Bunny showed was both panoramically beautiful and filled with identity that should be a learning experience for all of us that are not them. It screamed in its mellifluous notes - THIS IS WHO WE ARE - please love us for that. Love us for who we are, not hate us for who you fear we are.
I know that a lot of work went into these 15 minutes or so of artistic representation. The music was already there. Yup. But building a theatrical presentation of it took thoughtful planning. It also took learning even from his own admission by Bad Bunny himself. Bravo to him for admitting that he learned in the process. We all should. One can only conclude that in this performance all of the artists involved cried out: Do not fear us and we can bring so much to the cultural table. Enjoy our music, our dance. Dance with us. We will share with you.
And now I cry. After all of that beauty, that humanity came the reaction from what I can only say are the ignorant. From the woman who said that only 40 million people in "America" speak Spanish and the English was the first language in the new world. I wanted to scream. Did the natives in this hemisphere not speak verbal language? Were the first non native people arriving here speakers of Nordic languages and the second non native people speaking Spanish, Portuguese and Italian (and yes a few priests spoke Latin.) And while many in the comments to this TikTok video pointed these facts out, many agreed with the idiot influencer.
Then there were the colonialist arguments about who is American from people who clearly did not know that we have North America (Canada, the USA and Mexico), Central America and South America. In all of the Americas the majority language is Spanish, not English. In our western hemisphere that reality says that more of us who did not grow up speaking Spanish should learn it.
My biggest take away from this whole experience is that we need to educate our people - residents of the USA about history and geography. We have failed our youth. We need to unlearn ignorance and learn what our real past has been. We need to see our world through eyes that can see all of what is around us as it is so achingly human and beautiful. We need to start now. So, thank you Bad Bunny for taking such a huge first step!
