Latest news with #DTMF
Refinery29
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
Heading to Puerto Rico for the Bad Bunny Residency? Add These Spots to Your Itinerary
I don't know about you, but I'm pulling up to Bad Bunny's No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí residency in San Juan this summer. ICYMI, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio skipped touring in the U.S. (because right) for his Debí Tirar Más Fotos album and, instead, is hosting a summerlong residency at El Choli in his beloved Puerto Rico. Described as a "love letter" to the archipelago, DTMF blends traditional Puerto Rican folkloric music genres, such as plena, bomba, jíbaro, and salsa, with reggaeton and house music. Meanwhile, its lyrics explore the complexities of Puerto Rico's colonial status and how it's led to gentrification, forced mass migration, and diasporic longing, among so many other political and social and themes. The first show kicks off on July 11, but the July dates are exclusive to Puerto Rican residents (because right). But come August and September, the concerts open up to all us regular shmegulars outside of the island. And according to Google Flights, San Juan is the top destination people in the U.S. are searching for travel this summer, so it seems like stateside fans are flying in. If you're making it out to La Isla del Encanto to catch Bad Bunny on stage for the show of the summer or are just pulling up to enjoy the hype, we've put together a list of activities to consider adding to your Pe Erre summertime itinerary. You're welcome. Visit La Sala Libre's Residency Running alongside Bad Bunny's shows is another kind of residency: La Sala Libre. Hosted by The DiaspoRico Project, La Sala Libre is a cultural residency taking place at Casa Saffra in Santurce from August 1 to September 14. This community-centered series reclaims the Puerto Rican sala by transforming the first floor of Casa Saffra, an Afro Boricua-owned home turned cultural venue, into a living room where people gather for exhibitions, performances, storytelling, and artist talks. The program bridges island and diaspora voices, offering you a unique and intimate look at Puerto Rico's evolving cultural narrative. Tour Viejo San Juan If it's your first time in San Juan, you have to tour the Old City. This historic district has centuries-old cobblestone streets and forts overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Classic tour stops include Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, along with the San Juan Cathedral and La Fortaleza, the oldest governor's mansion in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere. Guided walking tours offer rich context and local stories that bring the area's 500-year history to life. As part of JetBlue Vacations' new San Juan package, you can even get a complimentary guided walking tour that's valued at $125. Hike at El Yunque National Forest Just an hour from San Juan, El Yunque National Forest offers a lush escape into Puerto Rico's rainforest. It's known for its rich biodiversity, cascading waterfalls, and scenic hiking trails. Trails like La Mina, Mount Britton, or Pico El Yunque range from easy walks to more challenging treks, and you're likely to encounter coquís, tropical birds, and panoramic mountain views. Just be sure to pack a swimsuit (and a hat, sunnies, sneakers, and sunblock) because several trails lead to natural swimming spots. Take a Bioluminescent Bay Tour One of Puerto Rico's most magical natural wonders is the bioluminescent bay at Laguna Grande in Fajardo, about 1 to 1.5 hours from San Juan. Guided night kayaking tours take you through a mangrove channel into the bay, where the water lights up with blue-green sparks thanks to microscopic organisms called dinoflagellates. The glow is especially vivid on moonless nights, and it's one of only a few places in the world where you can see this phenomenon year-round. Bike Ride Through Piñones Located along the scenic coast of Piñones in Loíza, COPI (Corporación Piñones Se Integra) is a community-run cultural center that offers visitors an immersive way to experience Afro-Puerto Rican heritage and nature. Rent a bike through their CicloNatura program and ride along a lush trail that winds through mangroves, beaches, and local food stands. COPI also hosts engaging bomba workshops, where guests can learn traditional drumming and dance from local artists. Go for a Swim San Juan is home to several beautiful and accessible beaches. Condado Beach is perfect for sunbathing and people-watching, Isla Verde offers calm waters and beachside bars ideal for families and jet skiing, while Ocean Park Beach offers more relaxed vibes. If you're up for a day trip, catch a ferry or flight to Culebra to visit Flamenco Beach, regularly ranked among the world's best, or head to Vieques for the secluded Playa Caracas and Playa Negra. Ride ATVs or Horses at Carabalí Rainforest Adventure Park If you're seeking an adrenaline rush, Carabalí Rainforest Adventure Park near El Yunque offers thrilling ATV and UTV tours through scenic farmland and rainforest terrain. Guests can drive through muddy trails, cross streams, and take in views of the foothills while following expert guides. The park also offers horseback riding and go-karting. Enjoy Rum Tasting at Casa Bacardí Take a quick ferry ride from Old San Juan to Casa Bacardí, the iconic rum distillery in Cataño. The distillery offers a variety of experiences, including mixology classes, rum tastings, and historical tours that trace Bacardí's Cuban origins and Puerto Rican legacy. You'll get to sample exclusive blends and learn how to craft cocktails like the perfect mojito or piña colada. Also, the waterfront pavilion and open-air bar provide stunning views of San Juan Bay,. Museum-Hop Throughout San Juan San Juan has a diverse and vibrant museum scene that's perfect for art lovers and history buffs. The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico in Santurce showcases a wide range of Puerto Rican visual art, from classical to contemporary. Nearby, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo focuses on Latin American and Caribbean works. In Old San Juan, Museo de las Américas explores the cultural roots of the region. Enjoy San Juan Nightlife Okay, what you're really here for: to perrear. San Juan is known for having one of the best nightlife scenes in the world. In La Placita de Santurce, a produce market by day transforms into a street party after dark, packed with bars, live music, and dancing. For cocktails, La Factoría in Old San Juan consistently ranks among the world's best bars and offers multiple rooms with different vibes. And if you want to keep the Bad Bunny theme, hit up his new Café con Ron bar while you're in Viejo San Juan.
Atlantic
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
How Bad Bunny Turned a Toad Into a Figurehead
At the Brookfield Zoo, near Chicago, sloshing inside bags of oxygen and water, thousands of tadpoles await their transformation into what the Chicago Tribune has already dubbed 'celebrity amphibians.' A few months ago, the sapo concho was bound for extinction. The native Puerto Rican toad has long been endangered on the island thanks to habitat loss and invasive species. Yet fame, then fortune, found the concho: In January, Bad Bunny released his latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, as well as a short film of the same name, both of which feature a cartoon concho. After the record's chart-topping release, the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy received donations toward funding a new breeding center on the island; the Brookfield Zoo's long-standing conservation efforts also got a media boost. And the concho found fans across the world—especially among people who see its plight as analogous to their own, and who have latched on to it as a symbol of resilience. Along with its toad envoy, Bad Bunny's sprawling DTMF project has, as a whole, become anthemic for those facing displacement worldwide. The track 'Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii' ('What Happened to Hawaii'), for one, is a prophetic lamentation in which Bad Bunny urges Puerto Rico not to end up like Hawaii, referencing the cultural erosion and gentrification that has accompanied Hawaiian statehood; the song has been covered and close-read not just by Puerto Ricans but also by native Hawaiians, Dominicans, Costa Ricans, and Ecuadorians, who note their land's parallel struggles. 'DTMF'—the album's nostalgic title track, which features the chorus 'I should've taken more pictures when I had you'—has been called the 'unofficial anthem of the Palestinian people' and the 'soundtrack for Gaza's visual archive ' by some journalists, having been used on social media to accompany videos of life in Gaza and Lebanon taken before the events of October 7. ('I hope my people never move away,' sings a discordant crew of voices on 'DTMF,' sounding like an otherworldly band of ancestors.) But the 13-minute Debí Tirar Más Fotos short film, which Bad Bunny co-wrote and co-directed with the filmmaker Arí Maniel Cruz Suárez, is the DTMF project's most poignant discussion of displacement. It speaks to the cultural erasure that threatens dispossessed people everywhere, the feeling of slowly losing a homeland—comparable to the ache of phantom limb. Bad Bunny's film brings this concept—often discussed using dry academic jargon—to life in a particularly inventive way: He throws viewers into a sensory-deprivation-tank model of Puerto Rico, in which the sounds and sights that define its culture seem to be going extinct. Debí Tirar Más Fotos proposes that, when Puerto Rican politicians respond insufficiently and callously to ecological disasters and cater to outside investors more than locals—as Bad Bunny has often noted they do—the island loses what makes it Puerto Rico: its music, its culture, its people. The film highlights this tension through an allegory of an old man and a toad. The characters are more symbolic than specific, the kind of stand-ins that displaced people anywhere might relate to. The man (played by Jacobo Morales) is seemingly one of the few Puerto Ricans left in his nameless neighborhood; he is listed in the credits only as 'Señor.' His friend Concho is an anthropomorphic version of the endangered amphibian. Together, the film suggests, the two represent the Puerto Ricans, human and nonhuman, who are being ousted from the island by, among other factors, poor governance and social inequality. Displacement isn't a new subject for Bad Bunny: The artist's 2022 song 'El Apagón' features the chorus 'What belongs to me, they'll keep it to themselves,' followed by 'This is my beach, this is my sun / This is my land, this is me.' His music video for the track took the form of a 22-minute documentary by the journalist Bianca Graulau; it was packed with reporting on how tax breaks have made it easy for investors to buy up properties, outprice locals, and develop luxury rentals across Puerto Rico. These critiques are undergirded by Bad Bunny's long-standing devotion to the island, which has been amplified in recent appearances he's made to promote his latest record. Take the Puerto Rican flag he projected onto Saturday Night Live 's stage in May during a performance, or his upcoming summer residency in San Juan, aptly titled 'No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí' ('I Don't Want to Leave Here'). The Debí Tirar Más Fotos short film, though, excels at depicting cultural upheaval: Instead of relying on headlines, as in the 'El Apagón' music video, Bad Bunny slips viewers into an off-kilter dreamscape—a Puerto Rico with barely any Puerto Ricans. Señor and Concho's community looks like a deserted Epcot version of the island. The empty streets are awash in pastel hues. When Señor strolls to the local bakery to get a treat, he encounters only a pair of young English speakers consulting their phones for directions and a grilling, football-playing family with drawling southern accents, whose patriarch gives Señor a 'get off my lawn' stare. The café exudes a watered-down Caribbean vibe—it's called the Flamboyán Bakery, after Puerto Rico's renowned flame tree, and quickly sells out of its vegan spin-off of the quesito pastry. Its menu is in English, and we seldom hear Spanish spoken among its employees and clientele. When Señor tries to pay in cash, he's told that the store is a 'cashless environment.' All of this may leave the viewer feeling disoriented: Is this really Puerto Rico? There's also nary a reggaeton or salsa tune in the film's first act, which may add to the confusion. Only English-language country and emo-rock songs float out of the homes Señor passes. Not until the old man returns home from the pricey café, two-thirds into the film, do the longing plucks of a bolero song start to play (a snippet of 'Turista,' off Debí Tirar Mas Fotos). It scores a small, more classical portrait of Caribbean life; Señor places a moka pot on a gas stove, cuts up bread, and pours his cafecito into a little green cup. After a long, uncanny absence—and among the overall strangeness of the town—the bolero riffs land on the viewer like an emotive tidal wave, flooding the largely muted streets with sound. At the bakery, Señor seemed uncomfortable, forced to speak halting English; at home, with his daily tasks scored by swooning traditional tunes, he looks at ease once again. His house becomes an oasis of local Puerto Rican music in a neighborhood that appears to be quickly forgetting its culture. This scarce use of Caribbean music feels intentional: One of the effects of gentrification, Bad Bunny proposes, is silence. Throughout the DTMF album, Bad Bunny laments how many Puerto Ricans have been forced to leave the island amid financial struggles and environmental disasters such as Hurricane Maria; this is most notable on 'Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii,' in which he notes that 'no one here wanted to leave, and those who left dream of returning.' (As of 2018, more Puerto Ricans live outside Puerto Rico than on the island; the same is true of native Hawaiians and Palestinians in their respective lands.) The DTMF short film makes their absence palpable. 'Did you hear that? That music!' the old man says to Concho, when a red sedan drives by their front porch playing reggaeton (Bad Bunny's 'Eoo'). The old man is moved. 'You barely see that anymore,' he says of the car moseying past. 'I miss hearing the young people hanging out, the motorcycles—the sound of the neighborhood.' Señor and Concho, it seems, live in a community that has turned its volume down, now that most of its Puerto Rican inhabitants have left. Yet Bad Bunny offers up one possible way for Puerto Ricans both on and off the island—and any group facing similar trials—to resist the cultural erasure that can accompany displacement. The proposal: to joyfully tout their music and traditional symbols. It's an idea that's threaded through the DTMF album, which is full of imperative lyrics such as ' Don't let go of the flag nor forget the le-lo-lai ' (a lyrical scat often used in jíbaro music, a folk genre that originated in the Puerto Rican countryside). The accompanying film ends on a similar note, as Concho and Señor, the everymen of the island, model a moment of cultural pride. Concho suggests that his friend shake up the neighborhood's ghostly quiet; why not drive around blaring some perreo bops? The old man entertains this idea, though only as a daydream. In his mind's eye, he sees himself behind the wheel of a Jeep, the windows down. He's blasting Bad Bunny's song 'Veldá' throughout the hilly, vacant streets. It's a triumphant, defiant vignette—an assertion that, as the old man tells Concho, ' seguimos aquí.' We're still here.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What we're listening to: Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, FKA twigs and more
In What We're Listening To, Engadget editors and writers discuss the new music we can't get enough of. You don't need me to tell you to go listen to Bad Bunny's DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS — if you're on the internet enough, you've been told to do so already. But I'll add to the pile-on and say that this is Bad Bunny's most personal work yet. It showcases how modern pop, rap and R&B can be seamlessly combined with old-school, traditional sounds from different cultures (in this case, Puerto Rico) in a way that celebrates both camps. Bad Bunny has always been deeply connected to his island home and it's come through in his music, but DTMF is on a whole other level. For me, there are no skips on this album — but if you're going to listen to just one song, make it the salsa hit 'BAILE INoLVIDABLE.' Aside from that, my favorites are 'NUEVAYoL' (if you live in the five boroughs, be prepared to hear this all summer long), 'KETU TeCRÉ,' 'CAFé CON RON' and 'EoO.' — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor, Buying Advice The Weeknd is certainly going out with a bang with Hurry Up Tomorrow. Supposedly the pop star's final record under his current pseudonym, Hurry Up Tomorrow also completes the trilogy that started with 2020's After Hours and continued with 2022's Dawn FM. It's a massive (literally, at 22 tracks), cinematic album that serves as The Weeknd's magnus opus, and without a doubt, his most personal project yet. His attitudes toward fame, legacy, suicide, past substance abuse, the fear of being alone and much more are all laid bare for listeners to hear, but in typical Weeknd fashion, he disguises it all in moody synths, thumping bass and top-tier vocals. The first things I noticed during my initial listen were the transitions: they're beyond smooth on this album, and they're one of the reasons why the first five tracks make up one of the most energizing sequences I've heard start an album recently. I'd personally extend that to include the next two tracks, the final of which is 'Open Hearts,' a song that's cut from a similar cloth as 'Blinding Lights' and will, no doubt, be a standout single from the record. My other top tracks are 'Wake Me Up,' 'Cry for Me,' 'São Paulo,' and 'Niagara Falls.' — V.P. FKA twigs is truly in a league of her own. I've been mentally prepared to be changed by the new album ever since she released the genuinely jaw-dropping 'Eusexua' music video back in September (which features two tracks, 'Drums of Death' and 'Eusexua'), but it's even more magnificent than I was ready for. FKA twigs has described the state of 'eusexua' as 'pure presence. It's a moment of nothingness. Or it's the moment before a really incredible idea… it's this ego-less presence which is just filled with this kind of tingling clarity.' Call me corny, but listening to this album is a spiritual experience every time. Eusexua ebbs and flows over the course of its 11 tracks, starting out almost angelic with the title track before transporting you right onto a throbbing, disorienting club dance floor with 'Drums of Death' and 'Room of Fools,' then back down to a softer, emotionally raw place with 'Sticky.' 'Childlike Things' feels like the onset of unexpected joy, almost out of place in between 'Keep It, Hold It' and 'Striptease' but in a way that's really grown on me. 'Perfect Stranger,' toward the beginning, and the penultimate song '24hr Dog' almost feel like two sides of the same coin, the latter hitting like the vulnerable comedown from the former. I love every song on this album, but I especially can't stop listening to 'Girl Feels Good,' which sounds like it's been transplanted into 2025 from the '90s and hits me in just the right way. Eusexua has kind of taken over my personality for the time being. — Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend Editor Honorable mentions: A bunch of singles have come out lately that have me so hyped for albums we're going to see later this winter and spring. I'm apologizing in advance for the person I'll become when Lady Gaga's Mayhem drops, because 'Abracadabra' has reawakened something in me. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I've been obsessively listening to Bria Salmena's brooding indie track, 'Stretch the Struggle,' ahead of her debut album's release at the end of March, along with 'Sugar in the Tank' by Julien Baker and Torres, who have a country-leaning collaboration album coming out in April that I cannot wait for. All of the new SZA from SOS Deluxe: Lana (Deluxe?) has been a real treat too. — C.M.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What we're listening to: Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, FKA twigs and more
In What We're Listening To, Engadget editors and writers discuss the new music we can't get enough of. You don't need me to tell you to go listen to Bad Bunny's DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS — if you're on the internet enough, you've been told to do so already. But I'll add to the pile-on and say that this is Bad Bunny's most personal work yet. It showcases how modern pop, rap and R&B can be seamlessly combined with old-school, traditional sounds from different cultures (in this case, Puerto Rico) in a way that celebrates both camps. Bad Bunny has always been deeply connected to his island home and it's come through in his music, but DTMF is on a whole other level. For me, there are no skips on this album — but if you're going to listen to just one song, make it the salsa hit 'BAILE INoLVIDABLE.' Aside from that, my favorites are 'NUEVAYoL' (if you live in the five boroughs, be prepared to hear this all summer long), 'KETU TeCRÉ,' 'CAFé CON RON' and 'EoO.' — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor, Buying Advice The Weeknd is certainly going out with a bang with Hurry Up Tomorrow. Supposedly the pop star's final record under his current pseudonym, Hurry Up Tomorrow also completes the trilogy that started with 2020's After Hours and continued with 2022's Dawn FM. It's a massive (literally, at 22 tracks), cinematic album that serves as The Weeknd's magnus opus, and without a doubt, his most personal project yet. His attitudes toward fame, legacy, suicide, past substance abuse, the fear of being alone and much more are all laid bare for listeners to hear, but in typical Weeknd fashion, he disguises it all in moody synths, thumping bass and top-tier vocals. The first things I noticed during my initial listen were the transitions: they're beyond smooth on this album, and they're one of the reasons why the first five tracks make up one of the most energizing sequences I've heard start an album recently. I'd personally extend that to include the next two tracks, the final of which is 'Open Hearts,' a song that's cut from a similar cloth as 'Blinding Lights' and will, no doubt, be a standout single from the record. My other top tracks are 'Wake Me Up,' 'Cry for Me,' 'São Paulo,' and 'Niagara Falls.' — V.P. FKA twigs is truly in a league of her own. I've been mentally prepared to be changed by the new album ever since she released the genuinely jaw-dropping 'Eusexua' music video back in September (which features two tracks, 'Drums of Death' and 'Eusexua'), but it's even more magnificent than I was ready for. FKA twigs has described the state of 'eusexua' as 'pure presence. It's a moment of nothingness. Or it's the moment before a really incredible idea… it's this ego-less presence which is just filled with this kind of tingling clarity.' Call me corny, but listening to this album is a spiritual experience every time. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Eusexua ebbs and flows over the course of its 11 tracks, starting out almost angelic with the title track before transporting you right onto a throbbing, disorienting club dance floor with 'Drums of Death' and 'Room of Fools,' then back down to a softer, emotionally raw place with 'Sticky.' 'Childlike Things' feels like the onset of unexpected joy, almost out of place in between 'Keep It, Hold It' and 'Striptease' but in a way that's really grown on me. 'Perfect Stranger,' toward the beginning, and the penultimate song '24hr Dog' almost feel like two sides of the same coin, the latter hitting like the vulnerable comedown from the former. I love every song on this album, but I especially can't stop listening to 'Girl Feels Good,' which sounds like it's been transplanted into 2025 from the '90s and hits me in just the right way. Eusexua has kind of taken over my personality for the time being. — Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend Editor Honorable mentions: A bunch of singles have come out lately that have me so hyped for albums we're going to see later this winter and spring. I'm apologizing in advance for the person I'll become when Lady Gaga's Mayhem drops, because 'Abracadabra' has reawakened something in me. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I've been obsessively listening to Bria Salmena's brooding indie track, 'Stretch the Struggle,' ahead of her debut album's release at the end of March, along with 'Sugar in the Tank' by Julien Baker and Torres, who have a country-leaning collaboration album coming out in April that I cannot wait for. All of the new SZA from SOS Deluxe: Lana (Deluxe?) has been a real treat too. — C.M.
