Chicago's Puerto Rican community express what Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show means for their culture
Bad Bunny is preparing for his halftime, fresh off a historic nightat the Grammys.
His big win is generating quite a bit of excitement in Chicago's Puerto Rican community.
At Pe Erre Domino Club in Humboldt Park, husband and wife co-owners Roberto Rivera and Miriam Velez have adorned the walls with treasured possessions and mementos of Puerto Rico's beloved native son, Bad Bunny.
"We were celebrating, I was feeling like I won the Grammy," Velez said.
Velez and Rivera are still basking in a historic night for the artist at the Grammys. Now, they are prepping to host a Super Bowl watch party that is all about the halftime show.
"It's about time to recognize our culture, our passion, our people," Velez said.
But most of all, they're excited for Puerto Rican culture to take center stage and be shared with the world.
"So you're going to meet what is Puerto Rico through Bad Bunny, so I want you to give us a try, to try our food, to try our drink, to try our culture, and the way we treat people," Velez said.
In the Hermosa neighborhood, the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center is partnering with Sentido to host an event to watch the Super Bowl — a moment of pride for Puerto Rican DJ Emmanuel Ríos Colón.
"To not only have an impact in the United States, but a global impact is amazing," he said.
The center works to preserve and promote appreciation of Puerto Rican and Latin American heritage, including music. Artists who are featured on the album "Debi Tirar Más Fotos" have performed at the center. A prideful connection to Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.
"We're just so proud of Benito," said Omar Torres-Kortright, executive director of the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center.
For the center and Chicago's Puerto Rican community, the halftime show performance is a culmination of a special cultural moment.
"It's just so beautiful this music reaching a global stage like this. To us, it really means everything, it means everything," Torres-Kortright said.
