For 25 years, the Christmas special produced by Banco Popular has been an annual celebration of Puerto Rican pride through its music. Watching the show is a yearly family event, while the appearance of the soundtrack album on Billboard’s Latin Charts has become as predictable as a roast pig on Puerto Rican holiday tables.
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This year’s special, devoted to the way the Puerto Ricans have historically forgotten their everyday troubles with music and dancing, could not come at a better time. Nuestra Isla, Nuestra Encanto, which will be broadcast in the U.S. on Telemundo Sunday (Dec. 10) captures the many popular street festivals celebrated throughout the island.
A year in the making, the program follows the calendar of celebrations ranging from Carnival to the frequent fiestas honoring saints, to spontaneous beach parties, and of course Christmas and New Year’s. Hurricane season came toward the end of the filming of the show, and with it of course, Irma and the devastating Maria, which, as the producers note at the beginning of the program, “changed Puerto Rico forever.”
But Nuestra Isla, Nuestra Encanto makes clear that what will not change is the spirit of the Puerto Rican people.
“Whatever happens there is always a party,” says Olga Tañon, who sings a rousing version of “La Vida Es Un Carnival.” Dancing among masked revelers at a street parade, dressed in a gypsy costume, Tañon turns the uplifting song made famous by Celia Cruz into a post-Hurricane anthem.
Reggaeton star Ozuna, who performs “Oye Como Va,” 2017 Latin Grammy Best New Artist Vicente Garcia, pop singer Kany Garcia, rapper PJ Sin Suela and salsa group Pirulo y la Tribu are some of the other artists who perform in the street, on beaches, in the countryside, in clubs, and even on a bus in the show.
The 15-song soundtrack is available through streaming services and also as a gift-packaged CD, which can be ordered here. Part of the proceeds from music sales and streaming will go to the Banco Popular Foundation’s recovery efforts.
Since many parts of the island are still without power, the producers of the holiday program will bring a live music show to some towns around the island this holiday season, and will also screen the TV special at 22 movie theaters in Puerto Rico.
Watch Ozuna’s versión of “Oye Como Va” from the Banco Popular special: