Bad Bunny: Tiny Desk Concert

NPR Music

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Anamaria Sayre | April 7, 2025

For a moment, Bad Bunny forgot that he wasn’t in Puerto Rico. Despite being at a news building in the capital of the United States, the Tiny Desk can — when painted by the discerning eye of a true artist — transport you anywhere else, especially to the true roots of music.

Yet for the megastar, Puerto Rico is so cherished and so sacred that he could never truly erase it from his mind… and he’s ensuring that the world sees that, too. The island is his wellspring of creativity and the mission for which he fights. Surrounded by cuatros and congas, Bad Bunny harnesses the influence of Puerto Ricans who have strummed strings and sung lelolai for generations to preserve the culture.

Following his performance of “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii,” San Benito shares a story about a man captivated by his band rehearsing outside the White House. “It’s incredible,” the man in the tale remarks, “that after a hundred years of colonization you still maintain your culture, your language, your tongue, your slang.”

The Puerto Rican flag displayed before him gleams; its vibrant blue is bold and mesmerizing. “They killed people for waving the flag,” Bad Bunny chants in “LA MuDANZA.” Yet there is such happiness in the expression and such liveliness in the dance. Despite his global reach, Benito’s real enchantment lies in closeness: He wants you to fall in love with Puerto Rico. We shout with him: “Yo soy de P f****** R!” Whether you really are or not, your heart won’t discern the difference.

SET LIST
“PIToRRO DE COCO”
“VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR”
“KLOuFRENS”
“LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii”
“LA MuDANZA”

MUSICIANS
Bad Bunny: vocals
Luis Sanz: Puerto Rican cuatro, tiple, bordonúa, background vocals
Fabiola Méndez: Puerto Rican cuatro, tiple, bordonúa, background vocals
Emanuel Santana: güicharo, Plena pandero, maracas, background vocals
Julito Gastón: congas
Krystal Santana: bass, background vocals
Luis Amed Irizarry: piano
Jay Anthony: bongos, percussion

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Anamaria Sayre
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Keren Carrión, Zayrha Rodriguez
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistants: Ashley Pointer, Dora Levite
Photographer: Virginia Lozano
Tiny Desk Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#tinydesk #nprmusic #badbunny

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