Chuwi
Taller Puertorriqueño
2600 N 5th St.
Philadelphia
Saturday, October 11, 2025
As a nor’easter rolled into Philly this weekend, some folks went for the mad dash to the grocery store and to fill their tanks with gas. Others, such as myself, went to Philly’s Puerto Rican cultural center to see the band currently taking over the Boricua music scene, Chuwi.
Hot off Bad Bunny’s historic residency in San Juan – at which Chuwi performed every night – the band has been growing their fanbase with a short tour throughout the United States and an emotional performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk series. The band, made up of three siblings from Isabela, Puerto Rico, and their best friend, is meeting the moment with incredibly moving songs about Puerto Rican independence, migration, and struggles faced by Puerto Ricans in the diaspora.
Organizers at Taller greeted the sold out crowd with signature drinks, food by Amy’s Pastelillos, and an opportunity to leave your mark at the event: a sticky note board with the question, “In three words, how is your heritage and identity represented?” Attendees jumped on the prompt, writing out phrases like, “resistance, reggaeton, and familia” and “fuerza, familia, sueños.”
Jasmin Vélez, from Kensington, has deep roots at Taller Puertorriqueño. When she first moved to Philadelphia from Puerto Rico, her mother used to take her to the cultural center to make sure she never forgot where she came from. “I think seeing the growth of Taller, to be in such a beautiful space that celebrates us unapologetically, felt like a full circle moment,” Vélez told me after the concert. “Mami’s hope to instill that love and pride in me no matter how far from home lives in me, and we have a space to do that collectively.”
Once the music started, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. I had seen them perform to a crowd of almost 18,000 people at El Choli, and there they felt like superstars. They had clearly gone through the priming it takes to be deemed ready for a stage that large, even if it was only for one song. But this night at Taller was their night – no openers, no megastars, just their family band and a room of 100+ Philly Boricuas.
For an hour, Chuwi gave us their all. Their signature sound, an electronic Caribeño flow mixed with indie rock vibes and the most stunning vocals you’ve ever heard, had everyone dancing. On percussion, Adrián López pretended to be shy but couldn’t hold in his excitement, getting up every so often to hit the goofiest dance move you’ve ever seen. Willy Aldarondo is on bass and vocals, serving up the moodiness needed to pair with otherwise upbeat songs. Lorén Aldarondo is the band’s lead singer, who effortlessly takes on instruments like handmade maracas and claves. Her voice can cut through the room and straight to your soul, and the looks of both hope and grief on her face bring you right into the song with her.
But for me, the show was stolen by Wester Aldarondo, the band’s pianist and rapper. Initially quite unassuming to me, his stage presence went unmatched. He hyped up the crowd throughout and at the end of the show took selfies with anyone that stuck around. After seeing Chuwi at their own headlining show, I can confidently say that I’ll always pick Wester’s side of the stage to stand by.
Chuwi’s stage work, while fantastic, isn’t the only thing that brought the sold out crowd to North Philly. Vélez had been looking forward to this night. She was excited to see a band from the west coast of Puerto Rico, where she’s originally from.
“[Chuwi] speaks up on the challenges of the archipelago. As someone in the diaspora, longing to return, their music resonates with me on so many levels, but I especially love their call to resistance,” she said.
It’s a big year to be Puerto Rican, and seeing a band like Chuwi only adds to it. The passion was there, both from the band and the crowd. With lyrics about the future extinction of their people, be it by colonizers or hurricanes, everyone in the room could feel the pain of erasure. And when they speak of wanting to inhabit the land of their ancestors, all could similarly feel the yearning.
“I felt gratitude to be there along with so many from the community just finding joy,” Vélez said. “Being around my people, and laughing, and smiling despite the circumstances … felt good.”
It was a night of calling to the forefront that while Puerto Ricans are trending right now, we are still facing the same struggles we always have been. On the island, land is still being stolen. Throughout the United States, the Spanish language is still being demonized. And yet, our cultura is still being idolized.
“Our existence, despite historical events, ought to be celebrated and we will always preserve,” Vélez said. “Adrián with the resistance bandera is one moment that stands out [from the concert] and embodies that very fight for us. We can take up space and we will be here to tell our stories.”
Chuwi's last headlining show on this mini tour will be in Orlando, Florida on Oct. 16. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing them continue to pack rooms in the name of resistance and pride.
