This story is part of the KQED series The Fandom Vote, exploring the election-year concerns and voting preferences of pop culture fanbases.

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n Halloween night, Colombian stars Blessd and Ryan Castro played a sold-out show at the San Jose Civic to nearly 3,000 reggaeton fans that sang along to every verse. San José was their first stop on the ¡Ay Bendito Ghetto! Tour — a city that in the past few years has become the home of a rapidly growing Colombian community.

The concert came just days after reggaeton was thrust into the political arena. At a Donald Trump campaign rally on Oct. 27, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made crude jokes about Latinos and referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”

Global reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny subsequently signaled his support for Kamala Harris, citing the comments at the rally. Nicky Jam, the reggaetonero who surprised fans when he endorsed Trump in September, retracted his endorsement.

Ryan Castro performs at the San Jose Civic in San Jose on Oct. 31, 2024. (Josie Lepe for KQED)

How do reggaeton fans feel about their genre being thrust to the forefront of the presidential campaign, just days before Election Day? As the last major reggaeton concert in the Bay Area before Nov. 5, Thursday’s concert proved an ideal opportunity to ask just that.

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Indeed, most of the crowd at the San Jose Civic were young people who have recently migrated from Colombia to the United States. Blessd and Castro’s music, and reggaeton overall, are more than bops — they’re the soundtrack of their migration journey.

“When you listen to reggaeton, you feel like you’re back in your home country again,” said Valeria Bou, originally from Colombia but now living in Seattle.

Maria Sanchez (left) and Andres Naruaez pose for a photograph before the concert of Colombian artists Blessd and Ryan Castro at the San Jose Civic in San Jose on Oct. 31, 2024. (Josie Lepe for KQED)

Andrés Nárvaez, now living in San Jose, says he listens to Blessd’s “CONDENADO AL EXITO II” all the time since he migrated. “That song says that all is possible with time and hard work,” he said. “I identify with that. I want to stay in this country and work so I can buy myself a Mercedes and a home.”

Courting the Latino Vote With Reggaeton

Over 36 million Latinos are eligible to vote this year, and many analysts consider the demographic a key to victory in important swing states like Nevada, Arizona and Pennsylvania. Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump know this; their campaigns have invested millions in courting Latino voters.

Gone are the days of Gerald Ford trying to eat a tamal (and failing miserably: he bit into it without taking the corn husk off first). Or Hillary Clinton’s 2016 list of “7 things Hillary Clinton has in common with your abuela,” widely criticized as pandering. This year, both Harris and Trump have tapped reggaeton stars for support.

Paola Melo poses for a photograph before the concert of Colombian artists Blessd and Ryan Castro at the San Jose Civic in San Jose on Oct. 31, 2024. (Josie Lepe for KQED)

First it was Puerto Rican superstars Anuel AA and Justin Quiles, who endorsed Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania in August. Then it was their fellow boricua Nicky Jam, who surprised fans and peers when he endorsed Trump at a September rally in Las Vegas. (Before Nicky walked on stage, Trump referring to him repeatedly as “she.”)

But it would be Harris that finally received the highly coveted support of Bad Bunny in a series of Instagram videos shortly after Hinchcliffe’s “floating island of garbage” comment at Madison Square Garden.

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‘What Resources Are You Investing to Support Us?’

For Pittsburg friends Evelyn Suárez, Elaine Torres and Brianna Ruiz, reggaeton as a genre has changed in recent years to center self-empowerment. “It’s authentic,” said Torres, “It’s a lot about showing who you are and putting yourself out there.”

In Suárez’s eyes, when an artist speaks about an issue they care about, it makes them a more complete person. “When it’s someone I love, I ask myself, ‘What’s this about? Is this something that I should be caring about that I didn’t know about before?’” she said. For her, that includes the 2024 election.

“When I saw that Bad Bunny is supporting Kamala, I’m all for it because Kamala is a lot better than Trump,” Suárez said.

(From left) Elaine Torres, Bryanda Ruiz and Evelin Suarez, pose for a photograph before the concert of Colombian artists Blessd and Ryan Castro at the San Jose Civic in San Jose on Oct. 31, 2024. (Josie Lepe for KQED)

Knowing where an artist stands also helps her know if she wants to keep rooting for them. “I listen to Nicky Jam and when I saw that he was supporting Trump, I was like, ‘Oh no, I don’t support Trump,’” she said. “Seeing him, a Latino, back Trump and forget about all his fans that are Latinos who have suffered from the stuff that Trump has done, I was just like, ‘No.’”

While the three agreed that it’s important for candidates to invest energy in understanding Latino voters, they also want actual results after Election Day.

“It’s not only about having Bad Bunny on your side to get our votes,” Suárez explained, “but what also matters is what you’re continuously doing in power to support the Latino community. What resources are you investing to support us?”

Juan Jose Troncoso (left) and Juan Diego Naranjo pose for a photograph before the concert of Colombian artists Blessd and Ryan Castro at the San Jose Civic in San Jose on Oct. 31, 2024. (Josie Lepe for KQED)

A Music That’s ‘So Pure and Beautiful’

Other fans at the show said they feel protective of reggaeton against U.S. politicians co-opting Latin American music for personal gain.

“I think all of this is out of convenience,” said Juan Troncoso of San José. A dancer who recently migrated from Colombia, Troncoso was first drawn to reggaeton because it reflected the reality of growing up Colombian. “For me, reggaeton represents the cultural mixture we have as a people, all the different histories we have.”

“What politicians may want out of these artists is to just reach their audiences for votes,” he added. “I don’t see it as something genuine.”

(From left) Juan Pablo Quesada, Valeria Arteaga Bou and Santiago Quesada from Seattle pose for a photograph before the concert of Colombian artists Blessd and Ryan Castro at the San Jose Civic in San Jose on Oct. 31, 2024. (Josie Lepe for KQED)

Others said they wanted reggaeton and politics to stay separate. “I think [reggaetoneros] shouldn’t get involved in all of this, to be honest,” said Juan Ríos of San José.

Ríos said he was drawn to artists like Blessd and Ryan Castro for their style, swagger and music. He also approved of Blessd’s recent purchase, alongside other investors, of Vendsyssel FF, a professional soccer team from Denmark.

But he thinks that “many of the people that follow reggaeton are too young to vote, so I don’t know if supporting candidates actually works out.”

(From left) Emanuel Parra, Melannie Zapata and Sebastian Londoño pose for a photograph before the concert of Colombian artists Blessd and Ryan Castro at the San Jose Civic in San Jose on Oct. 31, 2024. (Josie Lepe for KQED)

All in It Together

Dressed as Blade-style vampires, Sebastián Fox and his friends drove over 100 miles from Santa Rosa to see Blessd. Fox is a house and electronic music DJ and producer originally from Colombia who came to the United States to pursue his dreams. The long drive was worth it, he said, to see one of his inspirations.

“I see Blessd’s journey of coming from the streets, moving up and becoming a hit, and that motivates me,” he said. “Because if he can, then I can also do the same with my music.”

As someone who creates music for a living, he thinks politics should stay separate. “Music is something that needs to be respected. It’s something so pure and beautiful,” said Fox. “Mixing it with politics and influence, that doesn’t match up for me.”

Brothers Adrian (left) and Ricardo Abonce pose for a photograph before the concert of Colombian artists Blessd and Ryan Castro at the San Jose Civic in San Jose on Oct. 31, 2024. (Josie Lepe for KQED)

One thing was clear at the San Jose Civic: the power of reggaeton exists thanks to the dedication of its fans.

Brothers Ricardo and Adrian Abonce from Dublin showed up to the performance in Halloween costumes, with Ricardo dressed as the Pope and his brother as a priest. (“All of this made possible by Spirit Halloween,” they joked.)

They said they both grew up listening to reggaeton, listening to everything by Daddy Yankee and La Factoria. “It makes me very proud to see that Latin American music has come so far in the United States,” said Ricardo.

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His brother agreed. “As Latinos, it’s incredible that we’ve come so far,” Adrian said. “We’re all in this together.”

The crowd at the Blessd and Ryan Castro concert during the“ Ay Bendito Ghetto” tour at the San Jose Civic in San Jose on Oct. 31, 2024. (Josie Lepe for KQED)

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