Cardi B’s performance of “Bodega Baddie” on “Saturday Night Live” this week was a reminder that she is a proud Afro-Latina.
The New York rapper, who is of Dominican and Trinidadian descent, has been vocal throughout her career about her Afro-Caribbean roots. On last night’s “SNL” performance of the Spanglish track, she got to display some of her Dominican pride on stage, invoking the island’s national music and dance, merengue. The genre, which includes rhythms from African-rooted instruments like the güira and the tambora, is recognized by UNESCO’s list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” and has become a staple all over Latin America.
Cardi, whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar, also wore a tricked-out version of a traditional folkloric dress; similar kinds are worn throughout the Caribbean in countries like Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Jamaica.
Accompanying her on stage was the legendary Dominican accordionist, El Prodigio, whose merengue tÃpico hit with Magic Juan, “Ta Buena (Tipico)” is sampled on the song.
Many online pointed out that Cardi’s choice to select “Bodega Baddie” in her first of two performances last night could be political, and that she may be using her platform to show off her culture at her time when Latino and other immigrant communities across the country are being targeted by immigration enforcement.
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One Threads user, Kevin Ortega Rojas, wrote about the nostalgia the performance brought for Dominican New Yorkers.
“Wow! My grandma used to sew these dresses for girls from the Bronx to wear to the Dominican day parade I still get so emotional when I see Latinos get these opportunities on American television and when they take that time to show off the culture.”
Some fans have been theorizing that Cardi may also appear at the Super Bowl as a musical guest during Bad Bunny’s performance at halftime, since she and the Puerto Rican artist have a single together, “I Like It,” from her debut album, “Invasion of Privacy.” The song, which was released in 2018 and also features Colombian reggaeton artist J. Balvin, peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
If the rumors aren’t true, she will likely be at the game to support her boyfriend, Stefon Diggs.
