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What it means for pop music to raise awareness about intimate partner violence

Raquel Berrios of the band Buscabulla, performing on April 15, 2018 in Indio, Calif.
Kyle Grillot
/
AFP via Getty Images
Raquel Berrios of the band Buscabulla, performing on April 15, 2018 in Indio, Calif.

"It was Easter Sunday, and we got a call from a bunny – Bad Bunny," recalls Luis Alfredo del Valle, one-half of the Puerto Rican band Buscabulla. He says Bad Bunny, a fellow Puerto Rican and also one of the most popular musical artists in the world, had reached out to ask if they'd be open to collaborating on a song for his imminent new album. "He said, 'Well, you have really one week, but I'll give you two.' At the end of those two weeks, the record comes out."

Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, had already written most of the song, but he needed Buscabulla to fill in eight bars. Its title was "Andrea," which made Raquel Berrios, the other half of Buscabulla, wonder.

NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento spoke to the members of Buscabulla about the historical context of "Andrea" and the importance that its message, of respect and admiration for women, has in the male-dominated world of reggaeton.

You can listen to this story using the audio player at the top of this page.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Isabella Gomez Sarmiento is a production assistant with Weekend Edition.