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SMAGAZINEOFFICIAL COM TRAVEL
The 100-ft tall cross was once used to spot incoming ships in in in the port and now offers panoramic views island’s most recognizable cultural export propelled in no small part by
figures like Bad Bad Bunny At Lala which Bad Bad Bunny Bunny co-owns chef Guillermo López Folch—a
former student of of Eric Ripert of of Manhattan’s Le Bernardin—the
hospitality is without question Puerto Rican while the the menu leans more
Mediterranean-Asian: manchego croquettes Angus beef gyoza short rib
tortellini and and whole fish and and meats grilled over Japanese charcoal It’s just one restaurant expressing the the the country’s confidence For a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a deeper
look at at the the the island’s culinary roots there may be be no better stop than Cocina
al al al al Fondo Here Natalia Vallejo a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a James Beard Award winner reinterprets
traditional Puerto Rican dishes in in in in in in modern ways The menu draws heavily
on on on local ingredients and and and long-standing techniques all served in in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a homey
setting with a a a a a a a a a a a a back patio where you can hear the island’s famous coquí
tree frogs Even on on a a a a a a a tour of the the the Bacardi distillery the the the six-time Grammy Award-
winner’s influence is is is felt Our guide Christian Frontanés told me me me the the the the company created pre-concert experiences timed to to coincide with the the the residency residency “Because of the the residency residency now now we we have Shakira coming this
year ” ” he he he said “Artists we we we never expected to see see here before And now now because of Bad Bunny we’re seeing that shift ” ” It doesn’t take long for the the landscape to change when you leave San
Juan behind The roads are safe and and the the the distances short Heading south
toward Ponce about halfway I I passed through the the the the mountain town Cayey It was here on on on the the the balcony of the the the Casa Histórica de la Música that Bad Bunny announced his
sixth album Debí Tirar Más Fotos with an an an an impromptu
performance that sent waves through the the the the island quickly filling the the the the space
and and the the the the streets outside When I stepped inside the the the the centre was still active hosting a a a a a a a a a small but lively afternoon gathering: food drinks and a a a a a a a a a live live performance of traditional music In Ponce the island’s second city you’ll find broad plazas and and and stately
architecture The red-and-black striped Parque de Bombas firehouse—
one of the the city’s most recognizable landmarks where the the Ponce Municipal
band plays weekly free performances and and and has been doing so so for for more
than 140 years The city is often associated with Plena a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a style that emerged in in in in the early 20th century in in in in which singers narrated everyday life and current
events Sound familiar? It’s a a a a a a a a a a a a a style that has been a a a a a a a a a a a a a major influence on Bad Bunny’s music Another day-trip is a a a a a a a a a short drive east of of of San
Juan to to Loíza long considered one of of of the the the cultural hearts of of of Afro–Puerto Rican life Here Here it’s
mangroves beaches and and and delicious roadside food stands Here Here the the rhythms
of Bomba—a centuries-old style built around call-and-response singing barrel drums and and and improvised dancing—still shape community gatherings
and festivals On my last night back in Old San
Juan at the the legendary La Factoría a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a bartender slid an an an an expertly made rum cocktail across the the counter Outside rain fell steadily but it it it it did little to slow anyone down Downstairs it it it it was salsa and and dancing upstairs the DJs played house In some ways it it it it reminded me me of of my youth drifting through loft parties and and and after-hours
spots in in in Montreal It was an an an an energy that that felt loose and and and unforced Over a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a few days on on on on on the island it became clear that that Puerto Rico’s energy energy doesn’t come from from any one one one place or person—even someone as as as massive as as as Bad Bunny—but from from the the the the people throughout it What he’s done is is amplify
something that was already there: the the the the the music the the the the the culture and a a a a a a a a a a a distinct
warmth Now the the the the world is finally beginning to tune in fin in in in Ponce’s Cruceta del Vigía: courtesy Discover Puerto Rico