The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) announced that Puerto Rican rapper, songwriter, producer and co-founder of Calle 13, René Pérez Joglar better known as Residente, will be honored with the Hispanic Heritage Award for Vision at the 32nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on October 1, 2019.
Residente will also be joining Spanish singer Alejandro Fernandez, Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez, professional boxer Canelo Alvarez and a group of Latina leaders including Sylvia Acevdeo, Alejandra Castillo, Virginia Kase and Monica Ramirez.
Residente will be recognized as a key representative of the many activist-artists and concerned citizens of Puerto Rico that came together to encourage the youth to fight for their rights in peaceful protests. Since he launched his career in 2005 with Calle 13, Residente has used his work as a platform to inspire and empower social change. His music demands attention for social injustices through rapping controversial lyrics and producing songs that energize peaceful action.
Calle 13’s song “Querida FBI” was the first song with highly social content and pro-independence messages that aired on Puerto Rican mainstream radio.
“The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is honored to recognize the tremendous impact of Residente as an artist but also as an activist,” said Jose Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of HHF. “Residente has always taken seriously his responsibility to be a voice for those who need to be heard. He has had a vision for his work on the mic and in the community from Puerto Rico to the entire globe.”
Since July 2019, Residente became the main force behind the mass Puerto Rican protests that led to the Governor’s resignation. Residente joined forces with Latin trap star Bad Bunny and iLe and released “Afilando los Cuchillos,” a song that describes everything that was happening in Puerto Rico.
In November 2015, Residente was honored with the Nobel Peace Summit Award for his commitment to social awareness and promoting peace. Furthermore, he also served as a spokesperson for various UNICEF and Amnesty International campaigns.
Up to date, Residente has won 24 Latin Grammy awards and 4 Grammy Awards. Currently, he is working on his upcoming album. He recently mentioned in an interview that he worked with scientists to study his brain patterns and even Bad Bunny’s, as part of his creative process.