Taller Puertorriqueño in North Philadelphia buzzed with excitement Wednesday night as Philly Boricuas, a grassroots organization dedicated to uniting the city’s Puerto Rican community, hosted a Bad Bunny film screening and album listening party for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. (The title of the album, which critics describe as a love letter to Puerto Rico, translates to “I should have taken more photos.”)
The event drew a packed crowd, filling the auditorium with fans, friends and families eager to celebrate the music and culture that connects them. Attendees enjoyed food from Amy’s Pastelillos, which served a “party in a cup” featuring arroz con gandules, sweet plantains, chicharrón and other Puerto Rican party staples.
Philadelphia is home to one of the largest Puerto Rican communities outside the island, as well as a substantial Latino population. Events like these provide spaces not only for joy and pride, but also for discussion and advocacy on issues affecting the community.
Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is currently one of the biggest stars in music. He was the third-most-streamed artist globally on Spotify in 2024, making him the only Latino in the top five and the first Latin artist to tally 100 career Hot 100 hits, according to Billboard.
His latest album, released last month, is a love letter to Puerto Rican culture and a platform for change and advocacy related to the island.
“There are a lot of talented people from the island, but Bad Bunny is really special,” said Vanessa María Graber, activist and community organizer for Philly Boricuas. “When I heard the album, I was like, ‘This is amazing!’ ”
Beyond the music, the short film that accompanies the album resonated deeply with many attendees. Directed by Bad Bunny himself, the film follows Jacobo, a man who finds joy in recalling Puerto Rico’s traditions — reggaeton, quebradillas, quesitos — while sharing stories of the past with his friend, a sapo concho, an endangered species of toad that is native to Puerto Rico.
However, as Jacobo navigates this reality, he struggles to find his place in the island’s evolving colonial landscape. The film paints a dystopian vision of Puerto Rico’s future — a “Puerto Rico without Puerto Ricans,” one that, according to Philly Boricuas, is inevitable unless resistance and cultural preservation continue.
“The film evokes many emotions in myself and others who saw it, like pride, anger, nostalgia and sadness, and after 12 short minutes, I burst into tears,” said Graber.
For Diana Gonzalez, a first-generation Puerto Rican American who lives in North Philadelphia, the album shares an important message to all Puerto Ricans. “I was born into advocacy and Puerto Rican pride and representation,” she said. “The biggest thing the album did for me was that growing up, I used to hear that the plan was to go back. Let’s take our island back!”
Bad Bunny’s album amplifies a pressing issue that weighs heavily on Puerto Ricans: “Social media is full of videos demonstrating how they are tearing apart the fabric of Puerto Rico with development projects, destruction of ecosystems and cultural imperialism, which is why Benito empowers us to speak out and resist,” said Graber.
