Sunday’s weather snarls unintentionally made Jowell y Randy one of the first acts of the Sueños Music Festival’s final day, after a short set by Delilah. It’s no pressure for the Puerto Rican duo, who have been making music since the early 2000s.
It’s clear that the weather initially bummed out the crowd, some of whom spent hundreds of dollars on tickets and outfits and had been waiting outside the gates since early morning. It’s not so easy for many to stunt their outfits with damp hair and muddy shoes.
Perhaps that’s why the dembow artists decided to open their set with “SAFAERA,” their hit collaboration with fellow Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny. The high-energy song was the cure to a rough morning filled with delays and cancellations amid severe weather concerns.
“A cheer for the Latinos!” a high-pitched Jowell called out to the semi-full house. Though the two set expectations high, the remainder of their set was at times hard to follow.
When they announced their transition to “old school” reggaetón via the iconic “Murder She Wrote” sample echoing in the background, few fans pulled out their phones to record the two — call the lackluster response a sign of the times. Despite the awkward murmuring among concertgoers during the middle part of their set, Jowell y Randy delivered true perreo, including “No Te Veo,” a 2008 hit they originally sang with the supergroup Casa de Leones.
Other hits include “Loco,” “Sensación del Bloque” and “Siente el Boom” (a collaboration with Tito el Bambino). It was during this set that the sun started to peek through the fog, which was fitting for a final set of songs that re-energized a possibly sleepy crowd. Jowell y Randy played their J Balvin collab hit “Bonita.”
“Before we leave, we want to say that Jowell and Randy are celebrating 24 years as a duo,” Randy said. “We are also celebrating that quarantine is over.” With that, the singers segued into their post-quarantine banger “Se Acabó la Cuarentena” with Kiko el Crazy, ensuing madness among the crowd.