Bad Bunny recently completed the longest and most successful residency in Puerto Rico’s concert history at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, bringing in more than $250m to the local economy from more than 600,000 fans. Each of the 30 dates over seven weekends – plus a 31st show in September, live-streamed on Amazon Prime Video and Twitch – all using a Cohesion PA system.
‘Benito’ or ‘The King of Latin Trap’ put on a series of dazzling shows at the 18,500-seat ‘Choliseum’ in support of his sixth studio album. Debí Tirar Más Fotos, with his reggaeton, house, and trap music, alongside traditional Puerto Rican folk. The Bayamón native wanted his residency No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí to feel like ‘a love letter to the island and its people’.
The PA featured 128 Cohesion CO12 boxes flown at more than 80ft – six main hangs of 12 four boxes, side hangs of 12 (two hangs per side); and two 270° hangs of four. Three hangs of six Cohesion CP218 subwoofers, one behind each of the centre main hangs and another toward the stage front, were complemented by 12 groundstacked CP218 in cardioid configuration. Two Cohesion CF24 and six Cohesion CP6+ as fill rounded out the system.
Part of the challenge of deploying such a robust system was to provide full-arena coverage and ample SPL without sacrificing sight lines; Bad Bunny had a main stage that simulated a large island mountain and a B Stage replicating a classic jibaro homestead from which his set unfolded. ‘The priorities in the design phase were to ensure that the speaker clusters did not obstruct the views, which also featured a huge LED screen suspended over much of the ceiling of the venue,’ says System Engineer Ricardo Barragan.
‘Once the system was deployed and adjusted, the question was how it would work with the artist performing half the show below the PA since the speakers were in the ceiling, pointing directly at [Bad Bunny] and the audience,’ he adds.
‘Cohesion never fails to impress me, and thanks to the agility of the system, sightlines were not impacted,’ says Fernando ‘Wichie’ Martinez, founder of Wichie Sound, now Clair Global Puerto Rico, which oversaw the audio system’s deployment at the residency. ‘In my opinion, no other system could have been installed like this, much less sound like this with that SPL, dispersion, and coverage along each seat.’
The residency drew VIP and celebrity guests, including Ricky Martin, Lebron James, Benicio del Toro and DJ Khaled, who sais that the Cohesion PA ‘might be the best I’ve heard in my life’.
‘The guarantee of excellence we provide is not just about this great and unique Cohesion sound system; it’s with everyone ensuring the equipment is in optimal condition to shine and that every detail meets the needs of the show,’ Barragan says. ‘Being a part of these unique, artistic projects that remain in the audience’s memory gives me special pride.’
Bad Bunny returns to the road in a few weeks, launching his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour in the Dominican Republic, before stops in Central America, South America, Australia, Japan and Europe. In the midst of this globe-trotting tour, which will once more be supported by Cohesion in all countries where it is available. He will also perform at the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show in Santa Clara, California.
More: www.cohesionaudio.com