Cognoscenti presents: The cultural phenomenon of Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny has captured our collective imagination and attention with his music and larger than life personality. Fresh from winning album of the year at the Grammys for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” and a historic halftime performance at the Super Bowl, some have argued he is the most important pop musician of our time. His music includes a long lineage of the rhythms of reggaeton and its evolution through the Caribbean, Latin America and the U.S. He also represents a cultural force that reckons with racial politics, LGBTQ rights and the dynamic and complex realities of Puerto Rico.

In partnership with Cognoscenti, WBUR’s essay and ideas team, join us for an evening exploring Bad Bunny’s cultural impact, featuring music and video highlights throughout the conversation. Jazmin Aguilera, host and senior audio producer for the Boston Globe, moderates.

Panelists

• Petra Rivera-Rideau — associate professor and chair of American studies at Wellesley College, and co-creator of the Bad Bunny syllabus
• Wayne Marshall — ethnomusicologist, assistant professor at Berklee College of Music and co-editor of “Reggaeton.”

Copies of Rivera-Rideau’s “P FKN R” and Marshall’s “Reggaeton” will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner Brookline Booksmith and the authors will sign following the conversation.