Video of the Month for June 2023

Bad Bunny’s “El Apagón” is a song that addresses social issues all while reflecting on the experiences of his homeland, Puerto Rico. The track draws its name from the recurrent power outages experienced by the people of Puerto Rico.

The renowned artist utilized the music video of this song as a platform to present an 18-minute documentary, titled Aquí Vive Gente by Bianca Graulau, shedding light on the issues of displacement and various other forms of injustice prevalent in his home island. Bad Bunny’s ingenious idea to make his music video a short documentary sprung from the constant struggles of the islanders of Puerto Rico with privatization and gentrification.

It serves as a passionate tribute to the island, tackling numerous socio-economic concerns that impact the region, and providing a comprehensive exploration of the detrimental consequences of tax exemptions, which have facilitated the arrival of wealthy foreigners who have moved to Puerto Rico to take advantage of laws and receive massive breaks. In this documentary / music video we see testimonies of how this has impacted the lives of islanders.

Hey! Are you enjoying NYCTastemakers? Make sure to join our mailing list for NYCTM and never miss the chance to read all of our articles!