Reggaeton artist Arcángel turned a concert from his world tour into the center of an intense historical and cultural debate. During his performance at the Movistar Arena stadium in Madrid on May 11, the urban artist stopped the show. He openly defended the legacy of the Spanish conquest. Furthermore, he criticized without filters those demanding official apologies from Spain for the colonial era.
Before thousands of Spanish fans chanting his songs, Arcángel, who grew up in the Villa Palmeras neighborhood of Puerto Rico, offered a reflection. This quickly divided opinions on social media. “Those bastards going around saying Spain owes America an apology, and that stupidity, dude, what world do you live in?”, he launched from the Madrid stage. This prompted an almost immediate ovation from European attendees.
The statements from the 40-year-old singer, made during his ‘La 8va Maravilla World Tour 20th Anniversary’ tour, reignited a controversy. This controversy has kept diplomatic relations between Spain and several Latin American countries tense in recent years. While the Madrid audience applauded his speech as recognition of Hispanic heritage, thousands of internet users accused him of minimizing and ignoring the suffering, violence, and plundering of indigenous peoples.
Why Did Arcángel Reject the Term “Latino”?
Before diving fully into colonial controversy, Arcángel attempted to redefine how Spanish speakers in the American continent identify themselves. The singer assured the crowd that the label “Latino” does not properly fit populations in the Americas. He also argued for a European origin of the term.
@latinus_us During his concert in Madrid, Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Arcángel said Spain does not owe an apology to any Latin American country. “And that stupidity?”, he questioned; furthermore, he defended that Spaniards built “streets, schools and churches” and stated he is proud of his “mother country”. #Latinus #InformaciónParaTi ♬ original sound – Latinus
“I know you say Latinos, but for me we are not Latinos, we are Hispanic Americans. The real Latinos are the Spanish, the French and the Portuguese”, the reggaeton artist expressed to justify his sense of belonging and connection with Spanish culture.
It was from that statement that his message escalated in intensity. Far from seeking a conciliatory tone, Arcángel proceeded to glorify the colonization process: “Because we were Indians. This people arrived and made us speak and made us believe and made us matter.” These words in particular were the main target of criticism on platforms like X and TikTok. There, users pointed out that the singer was reproducing a Eurocentric vision that ignores the advanced civilizations that already existed in the American continent.
What Did He Say About Gold and Language?
During his extensive monologue, Arcángel did not sidestep one of the most common complaints when debating colonial legacy: the massive extraction of precious metals from the American continent. However, the artist argued that the architectural, educational, and religious heritage left by the Spanish empire broadly compensates for any complaints about the plundering of riches.
“Oh, they stole the gold. Dude, and the streets, the schools and the churches?
