Ricky Martin praises Bad Bunny’s historic Grammys wins as a cultural and human victory

Ricky Martin is still thinking about Bad Bunny’s historic night at the Grammy Awards. This past Sunday, Bad Bunny’s album “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” took home Record of the Year, becoming the first artist to take home the night’s biggest award for a record performed entirely in Spanish.

That evening, Martin celebrated the moment with a video. Days later, he shared a moving open letter. “Benito, brother, seeing you win three Grammy Awards, one of them for album of the year with a production entirely in Spanish, touched me deeply. Not only as an artist, but as a Puerto Rican who has walked stages around the world carrying his language, his accent, and his story,” reads his message. 

“I know what it means to succeed without letting go of where you come from. I know how heavy it is, what it costs, and what is sacrificed when you decide not to change because others ask you to. That’s why what you have achieved is not just a historic musical accomplishment, it’s a cultural and human victory,” he continued. 

“You won without changing the color of your voice. You won without erasing your roots. You won by staying true to Puerto Rico.” 

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Martin mentioned some of his favorite moments of the night, including Bad Bunny’s moment of silence before heading towards the stage, and his relentless support of immigrants in the US. 

“This achievement is for a generation to whom you taught that their identity is non-negotiable and that success is not at odds with authenticity,” Martin concluded. “From the heart, from one Boricua to another, with respect and love, I thank you for reminding us that when one of ours succeeds, we all succeed.”

Martin’s sweet celebratory video

© Getty Images for GLAAD

On Sunday, Martin was one of the first to celebrate Bad Bunny’s win, sharing a video on his social media showing him cheering at the screen, as he watched Bad Bunny take the stage and receive the Grammy. 

“Yes, yes, yes! Dale boricua! Oh my God, what joy!” he screams in the clip. 

Martin is one of the biggest Latin artists in music history, playing a key role in paving the way for other Latin artists. Throughout his career, he’s won two Grammys for Best Latin Pop, including in 1999, for his record “Vuelve,” and in 2016, for “A Quien Quiera Escuchar.”