Bomba Estéreo's Li Saumet on Collaborating With Bad Bunny on His Most Romantic Song, "Ojitos Lindos"
The Colombian singer walks us through the spontaneous, creative process.
If you’re a fan of Bad Bunny, then you’ve most likely had his latest album, Un Verano Sin Ti, on repeat. While the LP contains many catchy tracks, one in particular stands out — “Ojitos Lindos” featuring Bomba Estéreo. “Ojitos Lindos,” which translates to “pretty eyes,” has already become widely known as one of Bad Bunny’s most beloved songs since the album’s release on May 6. The track details two people falling in love in the purest form with the following translated lyrics as proof: “I talk to God and you are his answer.” Bomba Estéreo’s lead vocalist, Li Saumet, spoke candidly about the creative process of collaborating with the Puerto Rico native, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.
For “Ojitos Lindos,” Tainy, who produced the song, reached out to Saumet on Instagram, revealing that Bad Bunny is a fan of Bomba and wants to work with her and the band on a “beautiful track.” This caught the Colombian front woman off guard as her band’s music is often described as “electro tropical” or “psychedelic cumbia,” which is unlike anything we’ve heard from Ocasio before. Nonetheless, Saumet was excited to experiment.
“I’ve never done a collaboration with a reggaeton artist before,” Saumet tells us on discussing the demo with Tainy. “I was like, ‘OK, send me the track and let’s see what happens.’”
From the start, Bad Bunny knew a few things: a concept for the chorus, what he wanted the melody of the song to sound like and what the title would be. Then, it was up to Saumet to write the introduction as well as her own verses.
She says, “He sent me the track, and I wrote the song like the night or day before. And when he sent me the track, and they put it together, I knew it was meant to be. I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s perfect. That works perfectly.’ So I feel happy and grateful.”
Tainy then forwarded Saumet’s recording to Bad Bunny, who eagerly admitted he “loved it and wanted it” for the album. Bad Bunny then added his verses to the song, which was finalized one day before the release of Un Verano Sin Ti. That was also when Saumet got a first-listen of “Ojitos Lindos” as we now know it. “When I heard it, it blew my mind. The rap is amazing, his part is amazing,” Saumet says, adding that the collaboration was natural and effortless. “I only recorded once, and he put it in the album.”
She continues, “This is when art works, when you do something real. That’s the reason why people can feel connected with the song.”
You can catch both Bomba Estéreo and Bad Bunny on their respective tours this summer.
Listen to “Ojitos Lindos” below.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
