Victor Manuelle’s Music Career Celebrated by House of Representatives in Puerto Rico

It’s an enchanting time for Victor Manuelle

The 54-year-old Puerto Rican salsa singer, who was born in New York and raised in Isabela, Puerto Rico, was honored this week by the House of Representatives in Puerto Rico.

Victor ManuelleThe legislative body celebrated Manuelle’s 30-year prolific music career with an intimate ceremony.

“Honor to whom honor deserves […] Thank you Victor for always putting our island so high,” wrote a tourist Instagram account called “Enjoy Isabela Puerto Rico.”

“Puerto Rico! this would not have been possible if it were not for the love you have given me during these 30 years of experience,” Manuelle shared on Instagram. “Thank you for watching me grow as a performer and loving me so much! I will always be grateful to you.”

Manuelle, known for hits such as “Tengo Ganas,” “He Tratado,” and “Si Tu Me Besas,” is wrapping up a weekend of concerts at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, as part of the commemoration.

Daddy Yankee Serves as World Baseball Classic Ambassador, Releases WBC Anthem “Chispa”

Daddy Yankee is getting in the game…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton superstar is serving as the ambassador for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).

Daddy YankeeAs part of his ambassadorial duties, Daddy Yankee throws his superstar status behind an anthem for the current tournament, “Chispa,” which he co-produced with Play-N-Skilz.

According to a statement from organizers, “Chispa” will be featured across WBC and MLB social platforms, and with the Classic’s coverage, in-park activations and more.

Also, Daddy Yankee is expected to attend several games played at loanDeport park in Miami throughout the tournament, which he launched by throwing out the first pitch last Sunday (March 12) before the Venezuela vs. Puerto Rico game.

Much has happened in the year since Yankee announced his retirement from music.

Born Raymond Ayala, Daddy Yankee ends his touring career on a high, with his La Ultima Vuelta trek raking-in $197.8 million and 1.9 million tickets sold over 83 shows in 2022, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.

That’s by some distance the biggest tour of his career, and behind only Bad Bunny among Latin artists.

Yankee’s collaboration with Luis Fonsi, “Despacito,” last year extend its reign as the most-viewed music video on YouTube, by hitting the magical 8 billion streams milestone. And his final album, 2022’s Legendaddy, gave Yankee a career-high No. 8 peak on the Billboard 200, his second top 10 appearance on the all-genres chart.

Daddy Yankee’s beloved Puerto Rico is one of 20 nations competing in the Classic, which reaches its climax March 21 in Miami. Sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), it’s the sport’s premier international competition — essentially, the world cup for baseball.

Romeo Santos Pledges $100,000 for Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief

Romeo Santos is pledging support for Puerto Rico…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American singer-songwriter, known as The King of Bachata, will donate $100,000 for Puerto Rico hurricane relief.

Romeo Santos

Santos made the announcement during his Superstar Q&A at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Week, after learning that Billboard had partnered with the Red Cross to raise funds for Puerto Rico.

Billboard VP/Latin Industry Lead Leila Cobo initially asked Santos if it was true that he had pledged to donate $20,000.

“That’s very generous,” said Cobo.

“Puerto Rico has given a lot more than $20,000,” said Santos. “Let’s step it up. Let’s give $100,000!” he said, to loud applause.  The amount will include $30,000 pledged by his business partner, Artie Pabon.

Billboard’s chief marketing officer, Dana Droppo, announced on Monday, at the start of Latin Music Week, that Billboard would support disaster relief and recovery efforts from the hurricane in Puerto Rico by backing the American Red Cross with a donation using proceeds from Billboard Latin Music Week.

Brand partners, artists and executives were invited to donate, with Billboard’s parent company, Penske Media Corporation, matching donations up to $50,000.

Santos, who was born in New York to a Dominican father and Puerto Rican mother, heard about the donation efforts while he waited to take the stage for his Q&A session on Tuesday afternoon.

Before taking the stage, he informed his team that he was in for $20,000. Then, within minutes, he told Cobo he would up that sum to $100,000.

Hurricane Fiona teared through Puerto Rico last week, leaving millions without power or drinking water.

As recently as September 26, more than 700,000 people in Puerto Rico, nearly a fourth of the island’s population, still had no power, according to a report on newswire Reuters.

Bad Bunny Releases 23-Minute Documentary-Style Music Video for His Political Track “El Apagón”

Bad Bunny is highlighting the issues affecting his beloved Puerto Rico.

In his most recent music video — a nearly 23-minute long documentary for his blunt track “El Apagón” — the 28-year-old chart-topping Puerto Rican artist addresses blackouts and gentrification, among other topics, taking aim at the local government for their inaction when it comes to important social issues.

Bad Bunny“I hope people in PR can watch my video before the lights go out,” he posted on Instagram Stories on Friday, September 16, minutes after releasing the clip, which begins with the song’s intro powered by thumping beats while featuring locals singing along to his song.

Then, at the one-minute-mark, the song stops and in come news reports of blackouts that have now become the norm in Puerto Rico, impacting the daily lives of citizens — including children, who have to do their homework in the dark.

There are also reports about LUMA Energy, the company the Puerto Rican government hired to “modernize and maintain” the island’s power grid, and the little action they’ve taken to fix electricity issues. The Puerto Rican power grid has been in poor shape since Hurricane Maria struck in 2017, leaving the island’s energy infrastructure in bad shape. Bunny has criticized LUMA before, specifically during his concerts in Puerto Rico right before singing this track.

The video then goes back to the song, this time featuring a handful of people at a club having the time of their lives. Shortly after, the remainder of the short film is dedicated to gentrification and displacing Puerto Ricans are facing.

“They are displacing the native boricua from here,” a woman says sitting in front of a group of people who are figuring out where to go after they’ve been displaced from their own homes.

The documentary’s news reports are led by Puerto Rican journalist Bianca Graulau, who’s done significant reporting on these topics.

On Instagram, she posted: “What an honor for them to trust me to tell the stories of our community. Thank you to all of those that made this project a reality. And thank you, Bad Bunny, for sharing your platform and supporting independent journalism.”

 

The track is part of Bad Bunny’s Billboard 200-topping album, Un Verano Sin Ti, which currently hit its 10th nonconsecutive week at No. 1.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn Claims Gold in Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles at Tokyo Games

2020 Tokyo Games

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn has passed a major hurdle and earned a place in Puerto Rican sports history.

The 24-year-old Puerto Rican track and field athlete raced to gold in the women’s 100-meter hurdles race on Monday morning at the 2020 Tokyo Games, giving Puerto Rico its first medal of this Olympics.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn

Camacho-Quinn won coveted medal, just the second gold medal in Puerto Rican history, clocking in at 12.37 seconds. In a photo finish for the second and third place spots, American Keni Harrison claimed silver in 12.52 seconds and Jamaica’s Megan Tapper took home the bronze in 12.55.

“It really means a lot. This year I trained really hard; I don’t have a training partner, I’m by myself, so every time I stepped out there I gave it all I had,” Camacho-Quinn said. “This was what I wanted for this year, I wanted to be a gold medalist, and I manifested that. I spoke it into existence.”

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn

 

In 2016, Camacho-Quinn was a 19-year-old University of Kentucky student coming off an NCAA championship when she came to her first Olympics.

She fell in her semifinal, her trail leg clipping the top of the eighth of the 10 hurdles, and she couldn’t regain her form before the ninth, stumbling and falling to the track.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn

The daughter of a father born in South Carolina and a mother born in Puerto Rico, Camacho-Quinn chose to represent her mother’s island; even though Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, the IOC recognizes it as its own country for the purposes of Olympic competition and laws. Tennis player Monica Puig won Puerto Rico’s first gold medal in 2016.

Asked how long that Rio stumble stayed with her, Camacho-Quinn said it’s basically been inescapable over the last five years.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn

“I’m constantly reminded; somebody’s always messaging me and like, ‘Oh I’m sorry for what happened’ and I’m like I need y’all to let that go, please,” she said, laughing. “I need y’all to let it go.

“But yesterday before semis I kind of had a breakdown because I don’t want the same thing to happen again, but I knew how I’d been racing all season, just do that and I’ll be OK.”

She may have allowed that memory to cause her momentary pause, but clearly it didn’t linger: Camacho-Quinn set an Olympic record in the semis on Sunday, running 12.26. It ties her for the fourth-fastest performance of all time.

Camacho-Quinn, whose older brother Robert currently plays for the Chicago Bears, had the three fastest times in the world this season coming into Tokyo, which gave her confidence for the Games.

“This year, when I opened up and seeing where I was” — she ran 12.47 seconds in her opener on April 10 and 12.32 a week later — “I was like, wow, I might have a really fast year this year. From that moment I’m like, ‘OK I know what I can do, and let’s work towards that’,” she said.

Bad Bunny Postpones European Tour to Take Part in Puerto Rican Protest Against Governor

Bad Bunnyis getting political…

The 25 Puerto Rican Latin trap singer is hitting the pause button on his European tour to go home and join thousands of civilians protesting against Governor Ricardo Rosselló, demanding his resignation.

Bad Bunny

During the past weekend, a nearly 900-page private group chat between Rosselló and several associates in his executive team was published, generating a wave of protests and doubts about decisions by the government.

 After the news, Bad Bunny reacted, posting a 10-minute video on Instagram

“This is about respect, to all Puerto Ricans,” said the singer, adding, “I live in Puerto Rico, my family lives in Puerto Rico, my friends. What happens in Puerto Rico matters to me.”

Later he said, “I have the right to speak and every Puerto Rican has the right to go out on the street.”

It’s expected that Bad Bunny will arrive on the island Wednesday and will participate in a march that he convened at 5:00 pm ET in San Juan. Fellow artist Residenteis expected to join the march.

In the clip, Bad Bunny invites more artists to join. 

To watch the full video, click here.

Nazario Releases Video for “Soy Tuya,” Dedicated to Her Native Puerto Rico

Ednita Nazario is celebrating La Isla del Encanto

The 61-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter has released her new single “Soy Tuya,” which she dedicated to Puerto Rico’s baseball team.

Ednita Nazario

Nazario premiered the song in her social media, along with an emotive lyric video.

The clip shows the beautiful island scenery and great achievements of different personalities like Zuleyka Rivera winning the Miss Universe crown, boxer Tito Trinidad, tennis player Monica Puig winning the gold medal in the 2016 Olympic Games and, of course, the Puerto Rico baseball team during the World Baseball Classic 2017.

“Seeing my country, Puerto Rico, united is the greatest joy that I can feel, she wrote, adding: “Thank you for giving the best of you and we will continue to do the same: give ourselves in body and soul to a productive and positive life for ours and for everyone.”

This year, Puerto Rico’s team made its presence felt after reaching the finals without losing a game and uniting an entire country. They also generated a polemic movement: all the players decided during the series to dye their hair blond, immediately going viral. From young people to singers like Victor Manuelle, Ken-Y and Wisin (with a wig) also joined the movement and went blond.

Martin Speaks Out Against a Proposed Change to Puerto Rico’s Anti-Hate Laws

Puerto Rico’s Senate wants to amend the commonwealth’s anti-hate laws and Ricky Martin isn’t happy about it!

The 39-year-old Puerto Rican superestrella took to his website to denounce a proposed amendment that would reportedly remove the protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from the “codigo penal de Puerto Rico.”

Ricky-Martin

“I’m very sad about the turn the discussion on Criminal Law is taking in Puerto Rico that proposes the elimination of aggravating factors in cases where crimes are committed out of prejudice toward the victim,” wrote Martin.

Martin—who has been outwardly proud of his sexuality after coming out as a gay man last year—added, “Today, when great nations are focused on providing its citizens basic rights, some politicians of my country promote inequality and hatred.”

But Martin isn’t the only one speaking out…

The Puerto Rican chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union recently expressed its opposition to the Senate bill that would eliminate the factor in hate crimes against LGBT people and foreigners (principally represented on Puerto Rico by Dominicans), according to Fox News Latino.

The lower house of the Puerto Rican legislature will reportedly take up the Senate measure.