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Bad Bunny says goodbye to Puerto Rico in final concert after a historic residency

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Bad Bunny fans drowned out memories of Hurricane Maria in one booming voice on the anniversary of the devastating storm.

Saturday was a concert for Puerto Ricans by Puerto Ricans to remind the world about the power of “la isla del encanto” (“the island of enchantment”).

“We’re not going to quit. The entire world is watching!” Bad Bunny thundered into his microphone as he looked into a camera streaming his last show in Puerto Rico this year to viewers around the world following a historic 30-concert residency in the U.S. territory.

The crowd roared as thousands watching via Amazon Music, Prime Video and Twitch joined them, marking the first time Bad Bunny was streamed across the globe.

The residency was more than just a series of concerts. Saturday marked the end of an extended love letter that Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio sang to Puerto Rico.

He tapped into what it means to be Puerto Rican, to delight in the island’s beauty, defend its land and fight for its people.

“This is for you,” Bad Bunny said from the rooftop of an iconic Puerto Rican house installed at the concert venue as he raised his glass and the crowd raised their glasses in return.

‘We are still here’

Saturday marked the eighth anniversary of Hurricane Maria, which slammed into Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 20, 2017.

An estimated 2,975 people died in the sweltering aftermath of the storm that razed the island’s electric grid, leaving some communities without power for up to a year.

Anger and frustration over the pace of reconstruction continues to simmer as chronic power outages persist.

In a Sept. 11 report, the U.S. Office of Inspector General found that 92% of approved and obligated projects related to Puerto Rico’s crumbling grid were incomplete, and that $3.7 billion of available funds had not been obligated.

“Over seven years after Hurricane Maria, FEMA does not know when Puerto Rico’s electrical grid will be completely rebuilt. The grid remains unstable, inadequate, and vulnerable to interruptions,” the report stated.

On Saturday, the number of estimated deaths were imprinted on the back of T-shirts and written on Puerto Rican flags that the crowd waved into the air.

“We are still emotional and carry the trauma of having gone through a horrible thing,” said Marta Amaral, 61, who attended Saturday’s concert. “Beyond the sadness and remembering the negativity of having gone through a traumatic event, this is a celebration that we are still here, standing.”

A surprise guest

At every concert this summer, Bad Bunny invited new celebrities — among them LeBron James, Penelope Cruz, Darren Aronofsky, DJ Khaled and Kylian Mbappe — and sang with different musicians, including Ruben Blades, Residente, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Rai Nao and Jorge Drexler.

But on Saturday, the noise from the crowd hit new levels as Bad Bunny rapped with Puerto Rico heavyweights Nengo Flow, Jowell y Randy, Dei V and Arcangel and De la Ghetto. Thousands of fans flexed their knees in unison to thumping rap and reggaton.

Then, the crowd gasped in disbelief as Marc Anthony appeared on stage.

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