Tranquilo Quieto Series Returns With Buscabulla

Tranquilo Quieto, an ongoing series of live music sessions in Puerto Rico, started out in 2017 as a simple concept: live DJ hip-hop sets with rotating guest artists, curated by producer David B and musician Josué “Messy” Deprat. But the idea transformed after the pandemic in 2020, when the team added director/photographer Edgar “Edgo” Cruz and began producing videos in various locations around Puerto Rico, featuring names like Chuwi, PJ Sin Suela, RaiNao, and iLe, amassing millions of combined views.

“We had to explore how we were going to readjust to the reality of the time, and from there we started talking about doing something that was more digital content,” David B says.

After a successful run, the project went on hiatus — until now. Today, after almost two years, Tranquilo Quieto is back with a new episode that stars Puerto Rican alt-pop band Buscabulla, made up of lead singer Raquel Berríos and musician Luis Alfredo “Luifre” Del Valle. The duo is fresh off this month’s release of Se Bailaba Así — an EP full of remixes that put a spin on tracks from their 2025 album Se Amaba Así. The episode features three songs: “Miraverahí,” “Tártaro” (which segues into snippets of the Frankie Ruiz classic “La Cura” and their Bad Bunny collab “Andrea”), and “De Lejito,” which also features their daughter Charly. 

“I felt like I wanted to do something more raw, more informal,” Berrios says. “I wanted to do something with ambient sound, and I think part of the idea of ​​doing it in a noisy place was also appealing; of doing something kind of imperfect. We wanted to do something ‘wrong’.”

For the team behind Tranquilo Quieto, it’s an opportunity to restart a series that has seen some of the island’s best musicians perform. Unlike other live session shows, Tranquilo Quieto changes locations every episode, putting the artist in a unique setting that connects with their music in some way. In one episode, recorded at a skate park in the mountains of Quebradillas, cult favorite rapper Jazz Bandana raps as Olympic skateboarder Steven Piñeiro does tricks around him, with the ocean framed behind. In another, Latin Grammy-winner paopao croons under the derelict remains of the Arecibo Observatory, giving the session a post-apocalyptic aesthetic. Chuwi’s highly praised episode was recorded on a luscious plot of land in Isabela that used to belong to their family.

Buscabulla had been eager to do one of these sessions for years. Their episode is shot at El Hamburguer, a burger shop and local staple near Old San Juan that has been in business for over 60 years. The episode was recorded during lunch hour, and the restaurant still received diners even during filming. Buscabulla had specific reasons for choosing that spot.

“The concept of Se Amaba Así was to take a lot from the history of romantic music from the past and try to do something new. We were looking for a lot of old romantic places,” Berrios says. “[El Hamburguer is] kind of like Katz’s Deli in New York. And there’s a connection there, that you probably went on a date here or there. It’s one of those classic places [with] a community feel. It’s very humble.”

In addition, there is a wall inside that shows off Puerto Rico’s music legends, with posters of performances from the past decades layered across. The band insisted on performing in front of it, as a way to pay homage to stars who came before them. “Something about being in front of this wall in front of Marc Anthony, Eddie Palmieri… Salsa has always been a big influence on Buscabulla, but lately I have been embracing it more,” Berrios says. “Nydia Caro is on this wall, and on our first album there’s a song called ‘Nydia’.”

Tranquilo Quieto’s two-year hiatus was mostly a result of the founders’ busy schedules. But for them, the break helped. “It was a year of working on our own projects as individuals, but at the same time, it was a year of scouting. We never stopped seeing what was happening,” Cruz says. “Part of the positive was that it was a year where many new prospects were able to emerge and be born, and I think we needed that pause for a moment and to let the ecosystem continue to generate new talent.”

They’re already deep in production of future episodes with more artists from Puerto Rico, but have thought about expanding. “I think it would be really great to imagine Tranquilo Quieto showcasing artists from other countries in special locations within that country. That would be very cool,” David B says. “We’ve also flirted with the idea of ​​doing our own festival someday, Tranquilo Quieto Fest,” Cruz adds.

But today, the stars are Buscabulla. The band says stripping back their tracks to the bare essentials was a challenge, but one they wanted to take on. “In a hybrid project like ours, with so much electronic and synthesized sound, it’s difficult to reproduce it live. It’s a bit nerve-wracking because you have to let go of the safety blanket,” Del Valle explains.

And now they have their poster on the wall at El Hamburguer, too. “It was an excuse to put a poster on the wall, basically. It was a long con,” Del Valle jokes.

“We needed it and this was the best way,” Berrios adds with a smile.