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Meet the Puerto Rican acts featured on Bad Bunny's 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos'

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Meet the Puerto Rican acts featured on Bad Bunny's 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos'

Throughout his career, Bad Bunny has collaborated with some big acts: Drake, J Balvin, Rosalía, Cardi B and more.

But to make “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” his “most Puerto Rican album ever,” he enlisted the help of Puerto Rico’s rising talent: students from Escuela Libre de Música (Los Sobrinos), RaiNao, Chuwi, Omar Courtz, Dei V and Los Pleneros de la Cresta.

He’s made a concerted effort to spotlight these acts, whether it be inviting Los Sobrinos and Los Pleneros de la Cresta on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, or performing alongside Chuwi at his surprise concert in Río Piedras.

The homegrown acts chimed in on what this collaboration means for them and Puerto Rico.

RaiNao

(Sebastian Cabrera-Chelin)

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Up-and-comer RaiNao added sultry top notes to the synth-dembow of “Perfumito Nuevo.”

Originally from Santurce, RaiNao, whose name is Naomi Ramírez, is a skilled saxophonist and composer with a fixation on hyperpop, reggaeton, R&B, dancehall and more.

“I connected a lot [to ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’] when listening to it,” said RaiNao.

“Puerto Rico has something that inevitably and beautifully sneaks in and stays with us. That magic is our meeting point and the creative force that brought us together for this album,” she added.

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As an alumna of Escuela Libre de Música, the 31-year old was most excited to learn that students participated in the making of the album.

“Listening to the album transported me to a Friday dance band in the school lobby, so yes, it did make me remember vivid and well-valued experiences, sounds and images of my life and my country,” she said.

Chuwi

Chuwi is a Puerto Rican band that combines Latin pop, indie rock, and other genres.

Sweetening the beachy air in “Weltita” are the soothing vocals of Chuwi, an indie quartet that packs a soft but powerful punch.

Made up of siblings Wilfredo “Willy” Aldarondo, Lorén Aldarondo, Wester Aldarondo, and friend Adrián López, the young band formed during the COVID-19 pandemic in the coastal city of Isabela. The group’s soulful sound, a mix of indie, jazz and tropical fusion, caught the attention of Bad Bunny, who, according to the musicians, added some of their songs to his playlists while homesick in L.A.

“He made his own playlist of what was playing in Puerto Rico, just to feel at home, and he told us he had a couple of our songs,” said Lorén Aldarondo.

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During their jam session with Bad Bunny, the group was able to ad-lib an element unique to their hometown: the tale of Jacinto, a farmer who is dragged by his cow into a ocean blowhole, famously known as Jacinto’s pit cave.

“He told us to disrupt the song with whatever we wanted and left the room, literally,” said Lorén. “We started thinking, ‘What is playa to us?’”

At times, Chuwi’s discography ropes in sociopolitical commentary on topics such as the displacement of local Puerto Ricans.

“I feel like our generation is feeling these problems more deeply. We can’t buy houses … and we can’t find the jobs we studied for, and the dream was you can stay here and find a job,” said Lorén. “It’s not even social problems; it’s just real life to us.”

“The fact that Bad Bunny is highlighting not only our struggles but also our cultural beauty is really beyond awesome, and I’m honored that he thought of us and saw us compatible for this album,” she added.

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Omar Courtz

Omar Courtz: Joshua Omar Medina Cortes (born 1997).

(Rimas Entertainment/Rimas Entertainment)

Adding edge to the reggaeton-trap song “Veldá” is newcomer Omar Courtz, also known as “Ousi” to fans.

Hailing from Carolina, Omar Courtz, whose real name is Joshua Omar Medina Cortés, has toggled his singing style between reggaeton, trap R&B and house music. He was inspired to launch his music career after attending Bad Bunny’s “X 100pre” concert at the Choliseo in San Juan.

“That was the day I decided to pursue my dream of being an artist and making music,” writes Omar Courtz. “It was like seeing myself in a mirror while he sang onstage. It was a confirmation that you can be a big star with a new sound and with our music and our lyrics.”

The album’s salsa tracks, such as “Baile Inolvidable” and “La Mudanza,” are among his favorites, songs he regards as instant classics that will rank among popular records by Héctor Lavoe and Frankie Ruiz.

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“On top of doing this album with his island in mind, I feel full of pride. It’s almost as if he taught the world who Puerto Rico is, how rich it is in culture, how beautiful our people are and everything we can give musically,” said Omar Courtz.

Next for Omar Courtz are two sold-out debut concerts at the Choliseo, where he first got the idea to pursue his talents.

Dei V

David Gerardo Rivera Juarbe, known professionally as Dei V, is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter.

Kicking off the sensual trap song “Veldá” with his rumbling deep vocals is Dei V.

Born David Gerardo Rivera Juarbe in Carolina, Dei V was raised between the island and New York City, which heavily influenced his interest in reggaeton, pop and hip-hop.

“Puerto Rico is where my first smiles, my childhood, my first falls, my first mistakes, my first achievements [were]. Puerto Rico was everything,” writes Dei V.

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“Growing up and really being part of that, and then having this gift from Bad Bunny to the people, it feels good to be able to contribute a grain of sand,” he added.

Bad Bunny’s festive themes in “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” remind him of holidays with his relatives, “all those beautiful moments with my family that we got together, ate lechon.” Even if he had not been part of the album, Dei V says he would have felt proud of it.

“I respect Bad Bunny a lot. I take it as an example, always giving respect to your country … he who does not love his country does not love his mother. … this was super special,” said Dei V.

Los Pleneros de la Cresta

Los Pleneros de la Cresta perform traditional Puerto Rican plena during "La Fiesta de la Esperanza," in San Juan

Sprinkling in a heavy dose of sazón are Los Pleneros de la Cresta on the party plena “Café con Ron,” who also add in chorus vocals to “Baile Inolvidable” and “La Mudanza.”

Formed in 2013 by brothers Joseph Ocasio Rivera, Joshuan Ocasio Rivera, Jeyluix Ocasio Rivera and family friend Josue Roman Figueroa, Los Pleneros de la Cresta hope to preserve Puerto Rico’s rich culture of plena — traditional folk songs backed by a güiro, accordion and panderetas (handheld drums).

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The band first came in contact with Bad Bunny last year while performing at the Festival de la Esperanza in San Juan. Joseph Ocasio Rivera, the group’s director, bravely suggested that he was ready to collaborate on a plena with the trap-reggaeton singer.

To his surprise, Bad Bunny revealed he was already working on something and was looking to tap them for a collaboration.

“I was speechless, because we didn’t realize that he was following our music or looking for us,” said Joseph. “One of our objectives, internationally, is to be respected and visible in the music industry,” said Joseph.

The instrumental contributions of students from Escuela Libre de Música, who have dubbed themselves “Los Sobrinos,” is a source of pride for Joseph. Both groups interrupted Jimmy Fallon’s monologue on the “The Tonight Show” on Jan. 13, when Bad Bunny co-hosted the show.

Joseph notes that many schools are at risk of closure due to the island’s ongoing economic crisis, and those that remain open seldom teach the traditional musicology of bomba, plena, danza, mazurca.

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“What Benito did as a project was fortify and open opportunities, not just for us but for our ancestors, teachers and all Puerto Rican people seeking to preserve our rich cultural heritage,” said Joseph.

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House committee report questions distribution of FireAid’s $100 million for L.A. wildfire relief

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House committee report questions distribution of FireAid’s 0 million for L.A. wildfire relief

The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday released a report after its own investigation into FireAid, the charity founded by Clippers executives that raised $100 million for wildfire relief efforts in Los Angeles last January.

The investigation — led by Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) under committee chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — began in August when Kiley “sent a letter to FireAid requesting a detailed breakdown of all non-profits that received money from FireAid.” Kiley expressed concern that the money had gone toward local nonprofits rather than as more direct aid to affected residents.

FireAid promptly released a comprehensive document detailing its fundraising and grant dispersals. After reaching out to every named nonprofit in the document, The Times reported that the groups who successfully applied for grants were quickly given money to spend in their areas of expertise, as outlined in FireAid’s public mission statements. A review conducted by an outside law firm confirmed the same.

The new Republican-led committee report is skeptical of the nonprofit work done under FireAid’s auspices — but cites relatively few examples of groups deviating from FireAid’s stated goals.

Representatives for FireAid did not immediately respond to request for comment on the report.

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Out of hundreds of nonprofits given millions in FireAid funds, “In total, the Committee found six organizations that allocated FireAid grants towards labor, salaries, or other related costs,” the report said.

The committee singled out several local nonprofits, focused on relief and development for minorities and marginalized groups, for criticism. It named several long-established organizations like the NAACP Pasadena, My Tribe Rise, Black Music Action Coalition, CA Native Vote Project and Community Organized Relief Efforts (CORE), whose activities related to fire relief they found “unclear,” without providing specific claims of misusing FireAid funds.

The report — while heavily citing Fox News, Breitbart and New York Post stories — claims that “FireAid prioritized and awarded grants to illegal aliens.” Yet its lone example for this is a grant that went to CORE, citing its mission for aiding crisis response within “underserved communities,” one of which is “undocumented migrants” facing “high risk of housing instability, economic hardship, exploitation, and homelessness.”

The report said that $500,000 was used by the California Charter Schools Assn., Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, LA Disaster Relief Navigator, Community Clinic Assn. of Los Angeles County and LA Conservation Corps “towards labor, salaries, or other related costs,” which the committee said went against FireAid’s stated goals.

Yet the examples they cite as suspicious include NLSLA using its FireAid grant to pay salaries to attorneys providing free legal aid to fire victims, the Community Clinic of Los Angeles “expanding training in mental health and trauma care” through grants to smaller local health centers, and the L.A. Regional Food bank allocating its funds to “mobilize resources to fight hunger.”

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The report singled out one group, Altadena Talks Foundation, from Team Rubicon relief worker Toni Raines. Altadena Talks Foundation received a $100,00 grant from FireAid, yet the report said Altadena Talks’ work on a local news podcast, among other efforts, “remains unclear” as it relates to fire relief.

The report’s claims that “instead of helping fire victims, donations made to FireAid helped to fund causes and projects completely unrelated to fire recovery, including voter participation for Native Americans, illegal aliens, podcast shows, and fungus planting” sound incendiary. Yet the evidence it cites generally shows a range of established local nonprofits addressing community-specific concerns in a fast-moving disaster, with some small amounts of money possibly going toward salaries or overhead, or groups whose missions the committee viewed skeptically.

FireAid still plans to distribute an additional round of $25 million in grants this year.

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Movie Review: A Home Invasion turns into a “Relentless” Grudge Match

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Movie Review: A Home Invasion turns into a “Relentless” Grudge Match

I’d call the title “Relentless” truth in advertising, althought “Pitiless,” “Endless” and “Senseless” work just as well.

This new thriller from the sarcastically surnamed writer-director Tom Botchii (real name Tom Botchii Skowronski of “Artik” fame) begins in uninteresting mystery, strains to become a revenge thriller “about something” and never gets out of its own way.

So bloody that everything else — logic, reason, rationale and “Who do we root for?” quandary is throughly botched — its 93 minutes pass by like bleeding out from screwdriver puncture wounds — excruciatingly.

But hey, they shot it in Lewiston, Idaho, so good on them for not filming overfilmed Greater LA, even if the locations are as generically North American as one could imagine.

Career bit player and Lewiston native Jeffrey Decker stars as a homeless man we meet in his car, bearded, shivering and listening over and over again to a voice mail from his significant other.

He has no enthusiasm for the sign-spinning work he does to feed himself and gas up his ’80s Chevy. But if woman, man or child among us ever relishes anything as much as this character loves his cigarettes — long, theatrical, stair-at-the-stars drags of ecstacy — we can count ourselves blessed.

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There’s this Asian techie (Shuhei Kinoshita) pounding away at his laptop, doing something we assume is sketchy just by the “ACCESS DENIED” screens he keeps bumping into and the frantic calls he takes suggesting urgency of some sort or other.

That man-bunned stranger, seen in smoky silhoutte through the opaque window on his door, ringing the bell of his designer McMansion makes him wary. And not just because the guy’s smoking and seems to be making up his “How we can help cut your energy bill” pitch on the fly.

Next thing our techie knows, shotgun blasts are knocking out the lock (Not the, uh GLASS) and a crazed, dirty beardo homeless guy has stormed in, firing away at him as he flees and cries “STOP! Why are you doing this?”

Jun, as the credits name him, fights for his PC and his life. He wins one and loses the other. But tracking his laptop and homeless thug “Teddy” with his phone turns out to be a mistake.

He’s caught, beaten and bloodied some more. And that’s how Jun learns the beef this crazed, wronged man has with him — identity theft, financial fraud, etc.

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Threats and torture over access to that laptop ensue, along with one man listing the wrongs he’s been done as he puts his hostage through all this.

Wait’ll you get a load of what the writer-director thinks is the card our hostage would play.

The dialogue isn’t much, and the logic — fleeing a fight you’ve just won with a killer rather than finishing him off or calling the cops, etc. — doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny.

The set-piece fights, which involve Kinoshita screaming and charging his tormentor and the tormentor played by Decker stalking him with wounded, bloody-minded resolve are visceral enough to come off. Decker and Kinoshita are better than the screenplay.

A throw-down at a gas-station climaxes with a brutal brawl on the hood of a bystander’s car going through an automatic car wash. Amusingly, the car-wash owners feel the need to do an Idaho do-si-do video (“Roggers (sic) Car Wash”) that plays in front of the car being washed and behind all the mayhem the antagonists and the bystander/car owner go through. Not bad.

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The rest? Not good.

Perhaps the good folks at Rogers Motors and Car Wash read the script and opted to get their name misspelled. Smart move.

Rating: R, graphic violence, smoking, profanity

Cast: Jeffrey Decker, Shuhei Kinoshita

Credits:Scripted and directed by Tom Botchii.. A Saban Entertainment release.

Running time: 1:34

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About Roger Moore

Movie Critic, formerly with McClatchy-Tribune News Service, Orlando Sentinel, published in Spin Magazine, The World and now published here, Orlando Magazine, Autoweek Magazine

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Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas breaks out in ‘Sentimental Value.’ But she isn’t interested in fame

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Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas breaks out in ‘Sentimental Value.’ But she isn’t interested in fame

One of the most moving scenes in Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” happens near the end. During an intense moment between sisters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), who have both had to reckon with the unexpected return of their estranged father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), Agnes suddenly tells Nora, “I love you.” In a family in which such direct, vulnerable declarations are rare, Agnes’ comment is both a shock and a catharsis.

The line wasn’t scripted or even discussed. Lilleaas was nervous about spontaneously saying it while filming. But it just came out.

“[In] Norwegian culture, we don’t talk so much about what we’re feeling,” explains Lilleaas, who lives in Oslo but is sitting in the Chateau Marmont lounge on a rainy afternoon in mid-November. If the script had contained that “I love you” line, she says, “It would’ve been like, ‘What? I would never say that. That’s too much.’ But because it came out of a genuine feeling in the moment — I don’t know how to describe it, but it was what I felt like I would want to say, and what I would want my own sister to know.”

Since its Cannes premiere, “Sentimental Value” has been lauded for such scenes, which underline the subtle force of this intelligent tearjerker about a frayed family trying to repair itself. And the film’s breakthrough performance belongs to the 36-year-old Lilleaas, who has worked steadily in Norway but not often garnered international attention.

Touted as a possible supporting actress Oscar nominee, Lilleaas in person is reserved but thoughtful, someone who prefers observing the people around her rather than being in the spotlight. Fitting, then, that in “Sentimental Value” she plays the quiet, levelheaded sister serving as the mediator between impulsive Nora and egotistical Gustav. Lilleaas has become quite adept at doing a lot while seemingly doing very little.

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“In acting school, some of the best characters I did were mute,” she notes. “They couldn’t express language, but they were very expressive. It was freeing to not have a voice. Agnes, she’s present a lot of the time but doesn’t necessarily have that many lines. To me, that’s freedom — the [dialogue] very often comes in the way of that.”

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas in “Sentimental Value.”

(Kasper Tuxen)

Lilleaas hadn’t met Trier before her audition, but they instantly bonded over the challenges of raising young kids. And she sparked to the script’s examination of parents and children. Unlike restless Nora, Agnes is married with a son, able to view her deeply flawed dad from the vantage point of both a daughter and mother. Lilleaas shares her character’s sympathy for the inability of different generations to connect.

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“A lot of parents and children’s relationships stop at a point,” she says. “It doesn’t evolve like a romantic relationship, [where] the mindset is to grow together. With families, it’s ‘You’re the child, I’m the parent.’ But you have to grow together and accept each other. And that’s difficult.”

Spend time with Lilleaas and you’ll notice she discusses acting in terms of human behavior rather than technique. In fact, she initially studied psychology. “I’ve always been interested in the [experience] of being alive,” she says. “Tremendous grief is very painful, but you can only experience that if you have great love. I’ve tried the more psychological approach of studying people, but it wasn’t what I wanted. Acting is the perfect medium for me to explore life.”

Other out-of-towners might be disappointed to arrive in sunny Southern California only to be greeted by storm clouds, but Lilleaas is sanguine about the situation. “I could have been at the beach, but it’s fine,” she says, amused, looking out the nearby windows. “I can go to the movies — it’s perfect movie weather.”

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleeaas poses for a portrait at the Twenty Two Hotel in New York City
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas.

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. (Evelyn Freja / For The Times)

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Her measured response to both her Hollywood ascension and a rainy forecast speak to her generally unfussed demeanor. During our conversation, Lilleaas’ candor and lack of vanity are striking. How often does a rising star talk about being happy when a filmmaker gives her fewer lines? Or fantasize about a life after acting?

“Some days I’ll be like, ‘I want to give it up. I want to have a small farm,’” she admits. “We lived on a farm and had horses and chickens when I grew up. I miss that. But at the same time, I need to be in an urban environment.”

She gives the matter more thought, sussing out her conflicted feelings. “Maybe as I grow older and have children, I feel this need to go back to something that’s familiar and safe,” she suggests. “I think that’s why I’m searching for small farms [online] — that’s, like, a dream thing. I need some dreams that they’re not reality — it’s a way to escape.”

Lilleaas may have decided against becoming a psychologist, but she’s always interrogating her motivations. This desire for a farm is her latest self-exploration, clarifying for her that she loves her profession but not the superficial trappings that accompany it.

“Ten years ago, this would maybe have been a dream, what’s happening now,” she says, gesturing at her swanky surroundings. “But you realize what you want to focus on and give value. I don’t necessarily want to give this that much value. I appreciate it and everything, but I don’t want to put my heart in it, because I know that it goes up and down and it’s not constant. I put my heart in this movie. Everything that comes after that? My heart can’t be in that.”

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