[Source: CNN Entertainment]

A sense of excitement has permeated Puerto Rico as homegrown artist Bad Bunny, one of the world’s biggest music stars, begins his long-awaited residency on Friday.

Stores are selling out memorabilia, restaurants are creating themed menu items and local news stations are devoting special coverage to what residents are calling “Bad Bunny mania.”

Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, is performing a series of 30 concerts that fans say are meant to galvanize Puerto Rico’s unique sense of pride and resilience against the backdrop of economic uncertainty, gentrification, and the long-lasting impact of colonialism.

The first nine shows of his residency will be performed exclusively for Puerto Rican residents, while the rest will invite fans from around the world in a larger effort to promote the island’s rich culture.

All 30 shows, which will take place at the 18,500-seat arena Coliseo de Puerto Rico, have been sold out.

Prioritizing Puerto Ricans for the residency “signals that Benito is speaking personally to Puerto Ricans first and foremost,” said Jorell Meléndez-Badillo, historian of Puerto Rico.

The shows are also considered a powerful symbol of Puerto Rican self-reliance and the belief that the US territory can stand tall on its own, says Javier J. Hernández Acosta, dean of the School of Arts, Design and Creative Industries at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan.

He views the concerts as a chance to show off the island’s creative arts, which he says are Puerto Rico’s “best resource to build a future of economic, social and political development.”

Ahead of the first show on Friday, the atmosphere outside the arena was festive, with music blaring and vendors selling food and merchandise as fans lined up to enter the arena.

“(I’m) excited, super excited, super happy to see Bad Bunny live here in Puerto Rico, which is a unique experience that can only be had in Puerto Rico. Seeing Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico isn’t the same as seeing him in another part of the world,” said Gilda Santos.

“Bad Bunny has been unique, unique, in carrying the name of Puerto Rico high. And now with this residency, we are here, so that they know that Puerto Rico is the island of enchantment,” said Jackeline Carrasquillo, a fan from Río Grande.

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