Ever since I heard about the Puerto Rican indie experimental pop duo Buscabulla, I was instantly enthralled. Raquel Berrios’ vocals were unique and hypnotizing — something I specifically looked for in artists. Her ethereal sound, paired with her partner Luis Alfredo Del Valle’s music, was pure bliss and had my ears wanting more.
Recently, you may have heard about the duo since their collaboration “Andrea” with global icon Bad Bunny. While this was surprising — to see a mainstream icon collaborate with an underground one — it’s also another demonstration of Benito’s support for his island’s talent.
Berrios describes the connection in a written press statement: “[Bad Bunny] told us we’d been on his summer playlist for a while, and he’d always wanted to link up but was waiting for the right song to come along. It was so cool that when he finally approached us, it was with this song that Mag, his producer, said they had put together with our style in mind and a thematic that we deeply connected with.” Alas, the collaboration “Andrea” came to be, which, according to her: “paints a portrait of a present-day young Puerto Rican woman and expresses her struggles without being condescending or preachy but complex and nuanced.”
Now, Buscabulla has been in the Latin game since 2014. Although they were both born in Puerto Rico, the two became an item in New York City in 2011. They lived in Brooklyn before going back to Puerto Rico in 2017. After they released their two EPs: Buscabulla (2014) and EP II (2017), they were named “10 new artists you need to know in 2017” by Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone recommended their sound to Helado Negro, Goldfrapp, and Glass Candy fans.
After their EPs, they released their debut album Regresa in 2020. Regresa landed them No. 21 on NPR’s “The Best Albums Of 2020.” They even did an NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert in Aug. 2020, commemorating their album with three of the album’s essential tracks: “Mio,” “Nydia,” and “Club Tú y Yo.” The duo is so on point and proud of their Puerto Rican home that they actually recorded the Tiny Desk at a beach in Guadilla, Puerto Rico.
Two years after the album’s release, the duo was finally able to perform the album in Puerto Rico, where they even had Bad Bunny join them during their new song together. Berrios said: “Two years after releasing Regresa, the universe finally said ¡NOS FUIMO! Nothing is a coincidence; now more than ever, we believe that the universe is in perfect order. Last Saturday was more than a concert. It was the celebration of being able to come back to life in our country! A magical gathering of friends and talented people from our beautiful island.”
Listen to Regresa by Buscabulla below.