Loading ...Bad Bunny’s 'Debi Tirar Mas Fotos': Honoring Palestinian Resilience and Puerto Rico’s Spirit
By: Nissrine Bedda / Arab America Contributing Writer
Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny pays homage to his homeland, Puerto Rico, in his new album ‘Debi Tirar Mas Fotos’. With mixtures of Salsa, Trap, and Merengue; the album ties latin elements with lyricism that relates to all immigrant youth, especially ones that come from a land where imperialism continues on, yet the resilience of the land’s people exudes through its culture.
Through years of imperialism and the colonization of Puerto Rican land; The United States strong hand and domination of political control as well as the erasure of Taino (indigenous people of Puerto Rico) cultural expression is progressively stripping Puerto Ricans of their identity as well as their resources. Sound familiar? The erasure of Palestinian land as well as the intentionality of the West to strip Palestinians of their culture through cultural cleansing is simultaneously occurring since the release of this album which has sparked a cultural phenomenon.
DTMF Social Media Phenomenon
Recently, TikTok users have taken it upon themselves to start the “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” trend where the video includes a compilation of different clips highlighting loved ones, historical landmarks, or stunning views paying homage to their lineage and families. The translation for the song translates to “I should have taken more photos”. I should have taken more photos when, maybe, life was just a bit better. Maybe you’re feeling nostalgic to a time when you were back home in the balad (“homeland” in Arabic), in which these memories felt lighthearted as we are now living in a time of uncertainty, especially in the United States following the new administration.
Lyrics:
Debí tirar más fotos de cuando te tuve
Debí darte más beso’ y abrazo’ las vece’ que pude
Ey, ojalá que los mío’ nunca se muden
I should have taken more photos when I had you,
I should have given you more hugs and kisses, the times that I could have
Hey, and hopefully the ones I give you never have to move away
The Arab Version
Now that you have a gist for the heartfelt lyrics mentioned throughout the song, let’s highlight the way in which Arabs are contributing to the Latin phenomenon demonstrating just how similar Latin and Arab identities are and how they come together in this day in age bringing our communities together through the resilience of our people.
Recent events, like the ceasefire in Gaza after a year of devastating bloodshed and the official end of the Syrian Civil War in December, have inspired Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese, and Arab American TikTok users to take us on a journey back to lighter times before the ravages of war. For many, it’s a powerful reminder of how war can strip a nation of its identity. For those directly connected to these countries, however, it evokes a bittersweet nostalgia—a longing to return to their homeland and experience its peace once more.
Puerto Rico and Palestine : Lo que le paso a Hawaii
The song ‘Lo que le paso a Hawaii’, translating to “what happened to Hawaii”, is a song dedicated to how the United States imperialist attitudes and actions made to Hawaii have been occurring in Puerto Rico for years. Many Puerto Rican artists, including Buscabulla, a popular Puerto Rican alternative-pop group highlighted the same struggle with the heavy influx of Americans whitewashing Puerto Rican culture, taking a hold of Puerto Rican land and turning it into their own, which has made native Puerto Ricans feel uneasy in their own land, as well as disappointed to see the stripping of what is left of Taino culture.
Lyrics:
They want to take away my river and my beach too
They want my neighborhood and want my grandmother to leave
No, don’t let go of the flag and don’t forget the “lelolai“
I don’t want them to do to you what they did to Hawaii
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free! The popular chant holds a strong significance to the Palestinian land and what pertains to the Palestinian people. Across oceans, the song Lo que le paso a Hawaii holds heavy significance and remains relevant to both contexts. There is a level of resonance to both Palestinian and Taino identity when it comes to the stripping of identity and the resilient people of both cultures coming to social media to not only educate the misinformed, but use effective cultural expression through creative outlets to project a level of understanding.
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