Boricua tattooists educate visiting Bad Bunny fans

Hay cosas que se tatúan sin tinta. Some things are tattooed without ink, as the translation goes.

- BY SOFÍA HANALEI SANCHEZ

ADRIANNA "VERSA" TOLEDO

Rather, there are memories so precious, or emotional experiences so strong, they leave without a trace yet can never be erased.

"I cried the whole concert. I definitely am not going anywhere. I'm gonna give it my all, and I'm going to die in Puerto Rico," says Zaritza “Zami” Cruz Montalvo, a Puerto Rican tattoo artist who attended “No Me Quiero Ir De Aqui,” Bad Bunny's sold-out concert residency in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Born and raised on the island, she owns P.Ink Tattoo Studio in the Condado neighborhood of the capital city, a short drive from El Choli arena, where she saw the show.

“You just want to hug your parents and your grandparents,” continued Cruz Montalvo. “Honestly, it was magical, and it was not because of Bad Bunny himself. It was the whole meaning of it. I felt the love and how important it is to preserve this all.”

For Puerto Rican rapper-singer Bad Bunny, preserving memories — and having something to show for them — are the very essence of his latest album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” which translates to “I Should've Taken More Photos.” The record-breaking album is an ode to Puerto Rico — its people, its land and its culture.

And as hundreds of thousands of people flock to his show this summer, some Bad Bunny fans are seeking more lasting souvenirs than a photo, shot glass or fridge magnet. “I couldn't leave because walk-ins just kept on coming and coming and coming,” says Cruz Montalvo, who started sketching her Bad Bunny-themed tattoo ideas in January.

Adrianna Toledo, a Boricua tattoo artist known as “Versa” online, is the owner of 823 Tattoo Studio in the adjacent town of Carolina. She says this album is not just for partying but for learning the history of everything beautiful that Puerto Rico has to offer.