"Nine minutes into the performance, musician José Eduardo Santana cut through the atmosphere with his cuatro, a 10-string instrument considered the national instrument of the island. The camera shifted its focus to Martin, who was seated on a white plastic chair - in a scene inspired by the cover of "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," which evoked a familiar nostalgia among Latino communities upon its debut last year."
"Mic in hand, the pop singer belted out a rendition of "Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii," a ballad that implores islanders to resist the same compromises for U.S. statehood that the sovereign kingdom of Hawaii made in 1959. Like Puerto Rico, Hawaii became a U.S. colony in 1898 - and both islands have struggled against increasing gentrification and the displacement of local communities by wealthy outsiders."
"Martin started his career in the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, then stunned global audiences with his 1998 FIFA World Cup anthem, "La Copa de Vida," which fans know in English as "The Cup of Life." After performing the song to much fanfare at the 1999 Grammy Awards, he chased his success with the surf pop jam "Livin' la Vida Loca.""
Fans speculated which Puerto Rican star would join Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl LX halftime, expecting reggaeton legends or Tego Calderón. Ricky Martin appeared nine minutes into the performance as musician José Eduardo Santana played the cuatro. Martin sat on a white plastic chair in a shot inspired by the cover of "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," evoking nostalgia. He sang "Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii," a ballad urging islanders to resist compromises toward U.S. statehood, drawing parallels between Puerto Rico and Hawaii's colonial histories and shared struggles with gentrification and displacement. The brief appearance acted as a rare protest and symbol of Latin music's mainstream progress.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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