Una Velita

Hurricane Maria barreled into Puerto Rico on Wednesday, September 20, 2017, at precisely 6:15 a.m., as if keeping an appointment with catastrophe. It made landfall near Yabucoa, a small town in southeastern Puerto Rico, wielding winds of 155 mph (249 km/h), just a whisker shy of a Category 5 hurricane. Maria was the most powerful storm to hit Puerto Rico in nearly 90 years, trailing only the 1928 San Felipe Segundo hurricane in sheer ferocity. The island was pummeled by violent winds, torrential rain, and a brutal storm surge that brought chaos in its wake. Some 2,975 people lost their lives, and seven years later, many survivors were still struggling to rebuild. One man who hasn't forgotten is Bad Bunny. His song "Una Velita" - Spanish for "little candle" - is a tribute to the fallen and a pointed rebuke to the powers-that-be. Released on September 19, 2024, the track arrived on the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Maria, just as Puerto Rico geared up for another election season.

Bad Bunny doesn't mince words, blaming the government for its failure to adequately respond to the crisis. "Fueron cinco mil que dejaron morir y eso nunca se nos va a olvidar" ("There were five thousand that they let die, and we will never forget that"), he sings, his voice seething with anger and frustration.

The imagery of a lit candle in "Una Velita" is potent, almost painfully so. In Puerto Rico, a predominantly Catholic island, candles carry deep religious meaning - prayers offered up, hopes cast into the flickering light. But here, the candle is more than just a spiritual symbol. It's a tribute to the dead, a flicker of hope in dark times, and a beacon of resilience. The single's cover art drives this home, with Bad Bunny lighting a candle beside an image of the Virgin Mary, a visual nod to both mourning and faith.