This is a Christmas story of sorts about Bad Bunny, a 27-year-old successful Puerto Rican rapper who turned benefactor and created the Puerto Rico based Good Bunny Foundation in 2018. Bad Bunny chose philanthropy after winning numerous awards including a GRAMMY® and Latin GRAMMY®, earning a fortune while creating a huge social impact platform with his Foundation and giving away tens of thousands of toys annually to needy children for Christmas.
Known for his fusion of rap and reggae “reggaeton” he has become a global urban genre singer, winning eight Billboard Music Awards, an MTV Video Music Award, two American Music Awards, and thirteen Premio lo Nuestro, among other accolades. Forbes.com year-end 2020 article headlined “How Standing Up for Social Causes Helped Bad Bunny Become Spotify’s Most Streamed Artist In 2020,” a milestone that validates the power of doing well by doing good. In an Instagram post on August 20, 2020, Bad Bunny pleaded with his followers to register to vote in the upcoming election calling out specifically the “young people of Puerto Rico.” The post called for people to engage in politics “without fear” and received over 3.5 million likes and 40,000+ comments.
The Good Bunny Foundation has a mission to support children and youth who show promising talent in the arts, music, and sports. This year the foundation held the first charity golf tournament in collaboration with the Fundación Rimas in Puerto Rico. Bad Bunny is not alone in his spirit of giving back, several Latino artists are also supporting impactful initiatives, as was the case with the golf tournament where he was joined by other Latin GRAMMY® winners including Pedro Capó and Major League baseball star catcher Yadier (Yadi) Molina.
The Foundation has also led relief initiatives providing aid after Hurricane María, which included the handing out of meals and the complete reconstruction of 10 homes. In 2018, the Foundation organized the first annual “La Nueva Tradición” event, in which 30,000 Puerto Rican children received gifts of toys and musical instruments. Currently, the Foundation’s efforts are focused on the Play Ball Again initiative to restore Little League baseball fields in different municipalities of Puerto Rico,
Devoted followers and traditional media have noticed his positive transformation and the social context of his lyrics that have resulted in more meaningful urban music and an impressive digital influence on social issues. His music has evolved to incorporate various other genres beyond Latin trap and reggaeton, earning him a broad following. A lead among the most streamed artist globally, he achieved more than 8.3 billion streams in 2020 alone – a lead he has maintained for a second year in a row. Bad Bunny’s digital impact has continued to gain momentum in 2021 with 36.2 million followers on Instagram and record-breaking sold-out 2022 World Tour, which kicks-off February 9th in Denver, Colorado.
Bad Bunny shares the phenomenal and growing Latin music digital footprint with other Latino artists. According to Forbes, Latin music has seen double digit growth in the U.S. for the past four years, in part due to easier access to technology with streaming revenues accounting for over 90% of the Latino music market. The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® has recognized the power generated by Latino musicians and has partnered with artists and generous corporations to augment the spirit of giving. The massive digital footprint facilitated by an artist’s fame creates opportunities for social impact that supports aspiring Latino musicians who are thriving, yet struggling, in underserved communities around the world. Bad Bunny has been fortunate in his musical collaborations with multiple GRAMMY winners who also devote time to giving back, including Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Daddy Yankee, and Becky G.
Comunicad is proud to have supported the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation in facilitating the coordination with Ford Fund, and other partners, influencers, and key stakeholders for initiatives that champion education and Latino cultural awareness.
As a Latina who appreciates music of all genres, I am grateful that our present digital technology facilitates our appreciation of artists such as Bad Bunny. My hope is that during this holiday season you expand your music repertoire to include record-breaking reggaeton artist as well as those not trending in the digital domain, such as opera great Justino Díaz, who is a 2021 Kennedy Center Honoree. The Washington Post reporter writes, “Justino Diaz: The undersong opera star takes the spotlight. Diaz was born in Puerto Rico and has performed in the world’s greatest stages including the Metropolitan Opera House partnering with legendary Soprano, Leontyne Price in the 1960’s and Beverly Sills in the 70’s. Díaz may not be a household name on the level of his fellow Kennedy Center honorees Berry Gordy, Bette Midler, Lorne Michaels, or Joni Mitchell — opera is only allotted a handful of those per era — but the bass-baritone’s rise from humble beginnings in Puerto Rico to the world’s greatest stages is the stuff of opera legend. Díaz’s 40-year career as a performer and his decades of advocacy and engagement with the art form make him an undersong hero of American opera.”
Enjoy a musical holiday and a Happy New Year!
Gloria Rodriguez