‘Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii’: Bad Bunny song backs Lula campaign in Brazil
Hundreds of supporters of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva gathered in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, September 27, to celebrate the authorisation of a Bad Bunny song for his re-election campaign.
The event, known as “CarnaLula”, was held as part of the nationwide “Bora Lula” mobilisation ahead of the 4 October first round. Supporters danced, played music and waved campaign flags while celebrating the use of Bad Bunny’s “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii” (What Happened to Hawaii), which was adapted into Portuguese for a campaign video focused on Brazilian sovereignty and natural resources.
Bad Bunny’s team authorised Lula’s campaign to use and adapt the song for the electoral video, which was released on September 24, in a Portuguese version. The original song, from the Puerto Rican singer’s album Debí Tirar Más Fotos (I Should Have Taken More Photos), reflects on Puerto Rico’s history and warns about the loss of land, culture and identity, drawing parallels with the impact of US influence on the island.
The adapted song retains the original melody while incorporating themes related to Brazil, including its territory, rivers, beaches and rare earth minerals. The campaign video also references US President Donald Trump and criticism of foreign influence, echoing Lula’s recent emphasis on Brazilian sovereignty during his address to the UN General Assembly.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
