London’s Latino community is celebrating Bad Bunny’s win for Album of The Year at the Grammy’s amidst ongoing violent anti-immigration crackdowns in the United States.
The Puerto Rican singer, otherwise known as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, claimed his Grammy for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” on Sunday as the first all-Spanish language album to win the title, making strong statements against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in his speeches.
´Agraciadas´event. (Credit: Casa Latina of Culturx)
“Having this sort of representation in this sort of like, moment in a public setting is quite big. I mean beyond the fact that he is winning this award for his album, I think what’s also important is what he stands and is calling out for to remember that Latinos are also human beings, legal or non-legal,” said David Ayala, Director of local Latin organization Culturx.
“This is a moment where I think most Latinos will probably feel very happy to hear that somebody that is in a position of power or in the spotlight is actually advocating for them.”
This win comes at a time where many local Latinos feel lonely and worried for their American family members, said Ayala, with ICE raids in the U.S. pulling many immigrants off the streets and into detention facilities away from their loved ones.
Trump began the heavy enforcement of ICE officials to detain and deport non-legal immigrants beginning January of this year. This enforcement has sparked outrage and protests across the country, with the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by ICE officials last month causing further conversation.
For those in Latin communities, “family is key,” said Ayala, who shares that many people he knows have had to change their travel plans both to the U.S. and even their home countries due to fear of discrimination and potential escalations with border officials.
“We feel less together in our community, and that is the reason why sometimes it’s important to have events in London to remind us that we’re not alone, you know, and we can share perspectives and our culture to celebrate together here,” said Ayala.
Local long-time fans of Bad Bunny are also excited to hear the news, with Fanshawe student Michelle Corredor saying she felt “very emotional” at both the album itself and the award it received. Corredor’s family immigrated from Colombia to the United States, where she then immigrated to Canada.
“It was such a heavily significant album in terms of its meaning and what he was trying to say through it,” said Corredor.
The album holds political lyrics about the current administration, deportation, and uplifting Latin culture. One line from his song, “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” shares his feelings about North American investors going into Puerto Rico and “want[ing] your children to leave.”
Corredor said that although you predominantly see anti-immigrant rhetoric in United States’ media, it “happens everywhere” and “the more popularized it gets in the news, the more that kind of hatred fosters throughout in general towards immigrants.”
Street Salsa classes at Dundas Place (Credit: Culturx)
“It means a lot more when he [Bad Bunny] wins because he’s not afraid to speak out… and he has so much influence,” said Corredor.
Bad Bunny also won Best Música Urbana Album and Best Global Music Performance. He will continue to represent Latin communities when he heads to the Super Bowl as a headliner on Feb. 8.
