Puerto Rico stops for 13 minutes to delight in Dangerous Bunny’s glow – NBC New York

The Tremendous Bowl lasted all of 13 minutes for a lot of Puerto Ricans in San Juan and past.

Folks turned their backs to TV screens as meals, music and chatter crammed the primary half of the sport till a hush fell throughout the island. The halftime present was beginning.

This was Puerto Rico’s second, a highlight on a collective son who stop bagging groceries a decade in the past and have become the world’s most streamed artist on Spotify final 12 months. Since then, Dangerous Bunny has used his platform to applaud immigrants, sing about Puerto Rico’s id and turmoil and denounce U.S. immigration insurance policies.

“He appeared on the proper second within the historical past of Latin America,” stated Marielys Rojas, 39, who’s initially from Venezuela however has lived the final 22 years in Puerto Rico.

She was among the many tons of who gathered by a grassy knoll close to a seashore in Puerto Rico’s capital to observe the halftime present on an enormous display as waves crashed behind them and the sounds of coquís, an endemic frog, crammed the salty air.

Amarilys Reyes, 55, arrived on the seaside watch get together together with her 22-year-old daughter.

She had by no means watched a Tremendous Bowl and didn’t know who was enjoying, nevertheless it didn’t matter. Like many others, she was solely there for Dangerous Bunny.

“It’s the most important present of his life,” Reyes stated.

Power, nerves and pleasure had been constructing throughout Puerto Rico ever for the reason that NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation introduced that Benito Antonio Ocasio Martínez would headline the Tremendous Bowl XL Halftime Present.

Watch events had been rapidly organized throughout the U.S. mainland and the island. Some dubbed it “Tremendous Bori Sunday,” a shortened nod to “Boricua,” which refers to somebody with Puerto Rican ancestry, whereas others referred to it “The Benito Bowl: Morcilla, Sancocho, Mofongo, Reggaetón and a little bit little bit of Soccer.”

One girl wrote on social media that she would watch the halftime present together with her 87-year-old mom in Puerto Rico so they may dance collectively, whereas one other individual posted that that they had ready a PowerPoint presentation for his or her American mates dubbed “Dangerous Bunny 101.”

Creativity flowed as Feb. 8 approached: One bar in Puerto Rico posted a promo that includes the quarterbacks from the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots sitting on the long-lasting white plastic garden chairs that grace the duvet of Dangerous Bunny’s latest album.

Even the Teletubbies obtained in on the thrill, shaking their colourful rumps to Dangerous Bunny ’s “Baile Inolvidable” a day earlier than the present.

Surprise Lady additionally lent her help, with Lynda Carter noting on social media that she was a “enormous fan” of Dangerous Bunny, whom she famous was an American citizen: “Make no mistake.”

However criticism of the primary all-Spanish NFL halftime present spiked as the primary half ended.

Jake Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer who has property in Puerto Rico and has posted about life on the island, wrote on X: “Flip off this halftime. A faux American citizen performing who publicly hates America. I can not help that.”

Puerto Ricans rapidly responded.

“Don’t you reside the place he’s from?” wrote one individual whereas many others famous that Puerto Ricans are U.S. residents.

Luke Lavanway, a 35-year-old who lives in New York however was vacationing in Puerto Rico to flee the continuing chilly snap, stated he had no downside with a halftime present in Spanish.

“That’s a part of us,” he stated. “That’s what makes us nice, and we must always simply get pleasure from it.”

The group that had gathered for the halftime present started streaming out of the watch get together as quickly because the second half began, smiling as they mirrored on what that they had simply witnessed.

“I believed it was phenomenal that Dangerous Bunny introduced all Latinos collectively in a single place and represented all of them equally,” stated Carlos Ayala, 36, of San Juan. “It’s an vital second for Latino tradition.”

He additionally thought it implausible that Ricky Martin sang Dangerous Bunny’s, “Lo que le pasó a Hawaii,” which laments gentrification in Puerto Rico, a worsening challenge for a lot of on an island with a greater than 40% poverty fee.

“Transmitting that message is extraordinarily vital in these instances,” he stated, including that he additionally appreciated the sunshine posts and exploding transformers featured throughout the present, a nod to Puerto Rico’s persistent outages “so the world can see what we reside by way of.”

Amongst these beaming after the present was Juliana Santiago, 35, who stated her coronary heart swelled with pleasure on Sunday evening.

She stated Dangerous Bunny proved that “you’ll be able to accomplish issues, that the American dream actually is actual.”

Dwell from New York, it’s Dangerous Bunny! The Puerto Rican rapper kicked off Season 51 of “Saturday Evening Dwell” on Oct. 4 alongside musical visitor Doja Cat. Throughout his monologue, the singer reacted to being chosen because the Apple Music Tremendous Bowl LX Halftime Present performer and addressed his critics. “I’m very glad. I’m very glad, and I believe everyone seems to be glad about it – even Fox Information,” he joked, earlier than an edited clip of spliced-together footage from the community performed, which said: “Dangerous Bunny is my favourite musician. He must be the subsequent president.” Afterwards, the Grammy winner delivered an empowering message to the Latino neighborhood in Spanish, highlighting their contribution to the U.S., and ended by saying in English, “And when you didn’t perceive what I simply stated, you may have 4 months to be taught.” Plus, actor Jon Hamm additionally made a shock cameo throughout the rapper’s monologue. You’ll be able to watch Tremendous Bowl LX Feb. 8 on NBC and Peacock.