Middle aged white man here. Who is Bad Bunny? Why is the MAGA crowd throwing a fit? An inquiring mind wants to know. Just a few weeks ago, I had no idea he existed. Let alone how that he was the highest streamed artist between 2020 and 2022.

How could I be so unaware? Easy… I don’t listen to popular music much. When I do it has to have a wow factor for me. Not too many popular artists wow me. Anyway… I have nearly 500 years of music to listen to that is all being recorded, so why would I spend my time on popular music, when I could digest Florence Price, Samuel Coleridge Taylor, and hundreds of other composers that were completely missing from my music education in undergraduate school. As I have aged I have come to appreciate the artistry of Bach and Brahms so much more. Popular music just doesn’t harmonically capture me like older music does. My cross to bear… I accept it…

Anyway, Bad Bunny hit my radar. He pissed off my least favorite demographic (MAGA.) I want to know what he did to piss them off. So I dug into the rabbit hole, and I found some interesting things.

Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio aka “Bad Bunny” is a 31 year old American musician from Puerto Rico. He is incredibly popular in the Spanish speaking parts of the globe including all of the Americans that speak Spanish as their first language. This is really cool information. MAGA is pissed off at a naturalized American citizen that speaks Spanish, the official language of Puerto Rico, has been invited to perform at the Super Bowl. AWESOME!!!

Finally an artist from America that speaks to our Latina, Latino, and Hispanic citizens at the Super Bowl. Oh, and a demographic world-wide the NFL wants to market their product too. I didn’t have to hear a lick of music to already be sold on the idea. My favorite Super Bowl halftime show will always be Prince. I have a strong bias, sorry… I did love the last two Super Bowls that featured Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dog aka “Calvin Broadus, Jr.” These performances were for the Millennials that grew up in the 90’s and 00’s. I love their artistic expression. It speaks loudly for the disenfranchised. I support them 100%. But let’s get back to Bad Bunny…

So… I pumped in Bad Bunny’s stage name into You Tube and listened to a few songs… er watched some videos… I don’t remember the titles. I couldn’t tell you what the metaphor was. I just liked what I heard. I had zero idea what the lyrics meant, but the rhythms, motives, and groove were universal. I did not need to understand the lyrics to appreciate the music. Lyrics are not music by themselves. They become music when they are sung or are spoken in a rhythmic fashion that compliments the underlying textures. Bad Bunny does this very well. I’m sold. I want to improve my Spanish vocabulary just to meet him in the middle. Why? I dig Latin American and Hispanic music styles….

I grew up in a NW Illinois town that had a large Hispanic population. I was surrounded by Hispanic music growing up. That happened naturally as I was a band kid and our band was equal parts Hispanic and White children. Our band directors programmed Latin and Spanish music. I played paso doble’s before I played Sousa. I played Latin Jazz before I played a transcription of a dead white composer. I love how this music makes me feel. It is rich with rhythm, texture, and sound color. I find myself drumming absentmindedly at the Mexican restaurants in town to Mariachi, Tejano, and other popular styles…

Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony, and Ricky Martin all have places in my record collection. I don’t want to forget Carlos Santana too. I just may have to find a Bad Bunny cd or two. I even listen to music of classical composers of Latin American/Hispanic descent: Carlos Chavez, Alberto Ginastera, Sylvestre Revueltas, Heiter Villa-Lobos, Astor Piazzolla, and I just discovered Gabriela Ortiz. The fusion of Spanish/Brazilian culture into the classical idiom is fresh to the ears and exciting to conduct… even if I’m not conducting an actual ensemble. How can one ignore such a variety of brilliant cultures artistically?

So, Bad Bunny has this old man’s seal of approval, not that he needed it. I’m in his corner ready to debate. I can’t wait to watch the Super Bowl just to see him perform. To the poor white Christian Nationalists who are upset by him forcing his culture upon you, I say… Suck it up buttercup, because the whole island of Puerto Rico has had your capitalist policies stuffed in its face for generations. Why don’t you try to look at things from their perspective for a change????? Who are the snowflakes? Oh yeah… MAGA…

Now I just need a Spanish tutor to help me fix my biggest education faux pas. I should have studied a foreign language. I regret this more than you know. BTW I tell all of my students who are bilingual to keep speaking their first language. Oh, and when we sing a song in Spanish I ask them if I pronounce it correctly. Why not? They are the experts. IT IS OKAY TO LEARN NEW THINGS!!!!

So MAGA blowhards. I dissent with your dislike of Bad Bunny. I hope he shuts you up, as he is the King of Latin Trap!!!

…so it goes…