When “Despacito” became the most streamed song of all time, raking in more than 3.8 billion views on YouTube alone, it not only brought fame to its creator Luis Fonsi, but also to the Puerto Rico neighborhood of La Perla, where much of the music video was shot.
For decades, tourists visiting Puerto Rico had avoided San Juan’s La Perla neighborhood, long reputed to be a hotbed of crime and drugs.
In recent years, residents of the low-income neighborhood had worked hard to change its image, and they got a huge boost when Puerto Rican artists Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee chose to film the music video for their hit song “Despacito” there in 2016.
In the video, the camera pans over brightly colored homes stacked closely together alongside the rocky beach, walls tagged with vibrant graffiti, and streets filled with people dancing.
But when Hurricane Maria hit the area with a heavy blow, many of the brilliantly-colored buildings have been torn apart, leaving only hints of what once was: a bright yellow wall, scattered in a mess of debris, deep red and royal blue foundations standing amid downed power lines and clusters of wooden beams.
“It’s horrible what’s happening right now on the island,” Fonsi wrote on Instagram Wednesday. It’s very sad to read the messages from my family. There is a lot of work to do.” An estimated 3.4 million residents are in darkness after Maria wiped out power to the island.
Hurricane Maria ravaged La Perla, much like it did the rest of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean earlier this week. Puerto Rico’s office of emergency management confirmed that the whole island lost power in the hurricane, which was a Category 4 storm with winds of 155 miles per hour.
Abner Gómez, director of Puerto Rico’s emergency management agency, said during a press conference that: “The information we have received is not encouraging. It’s a system that has destroyed everything it has had in its path.”
San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz estimated that it would take four to six months to fully restore electricity: “The San Juan that we knew yesterday is no longer there,” Cruz told reporters.
Both Fonsi and Daddy Yankee have shown solidarity with the situation, the former has been active on his social media sharing content spotlighting the issue and showing support.
Daddy Yankee is also doing his part to help people affected by Maria, even using one of his concerts to collect supplies for those in need.
#Chicago see you tonight! Please bring batteries, diapers, ropes, first aid kits! 🇲🇽 Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 @AragonBallroom
— Daddy Yankee 💜 🩸 (@daddy_yankee) September 22, 2017
If you want to help our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico, check out these links to donate much-needed aid:
http://unidosporpuertorico.com/en/
https://www.generosity.com/emergencies-fundraising/maria-puerto-rico-real-time-recovery-fund
https://www.youcaring.com/peopleofpuertorico-957793