You can thank Kacho López Mari for your favorite reggaetón music videos

Director Kacho López Mari has created over 40 award-winning music videos and short films. Watching them all would be like taking a quick trip through the best of recent Latin music – it’s a fantastic overview of the genre’s evolution!

Certain music videos have become iconic within their genres, such as Tego Calderón’s “Abayarde” and Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina,” both considered essential reggaetón tracks. Others served as powerful statements on social issues – for example, Bad Bunny’s 22-minute video for “El Apagón — Aquí Vive Gente,” which documented the economic hardships faced by Puerto Ricans following Hurricane Maria.

Music videos have a unique ability to reflect the culture of the moment, showcase rising artists, and capture a feeling of instant energy. Photographer López Mari has documented many unforgettable moments in Latin music, and here are 15 of his most iconic music videos you shouldn’t miss.

These interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Tego Calderón, “Abayarde / Gracias” (2003)

Filmed in Manatí, Puerto Rico

Before becoming a music video director and producer, López Mari organized underground parties in Puerto Rico and also worked on commercials at Paradiso Films.

Everything shifted when López Mari’s boss, Sigfredo “Freddy” Bellaflores, overheard his son, Sigfredo Jr. (who later produced videos for Bad Bunny), playing Tego Calderón in the shower. The following day, Freddy stormed into the office and tossed the Calderón CD at López Mari.

López Mari remembered Freddy offering to make a free video if they could find a specific person. López Mari agreed to try and find him.

So, a few days later, I managed to get a meeting with Felipe Calderón’s team through some connections I had in the event production world. They were pretty cool – since Paradiso Films was funding the music video, they told me I could choose any song from Calderón’s first album. Then, they threw me a curveball and asked if I could also incorporate another track, “Gracias,” into the visuals. It was a bit of a challenge, but a cool one!

López Mari explained the video’s length, saying, “It’s about six minutes long because, in the past, reggaetón music videos often included two or three songs.”

The director found a filming location, developed a story to link the two songs, and showed his plan to Calderón. Shortly after, López Mari directed his first music video.

He described it as a huge success, explaining that when it was released, Tego’s popularity soared rapidly.

Ricky Martin, “Tal Vez” (2003)

Filmed in Buenos Aires

López Mari directed this video alongside Carlos Pérez, a childhood friend who later became known for directing the “Despacito” video. Both were in their twenties at the time and assembled a highly skilled team. This included Andrzej Sekula, a cinematographer famous for films like “Pulp Fiction” and “Reservoir Dogs,” and Brigitte Broch, an Oscar-winning production designer who worked on “Amores Perros” and “Romeo + Juliet.” Jeff Selis, the most-nominated editor in MTV Video Music Awards history, handled the editing.

For his first Spanish-language album since “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” Ricky Martin required a high-profile team. He was so pleased with the work done by López Mari that he hired them again to create the music video for his 2003 song, “Jaleo.”

Daddy Yankee, “Gasolina” (2005)

Filmed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Before YouTube became popular, the music video for Daddy Yankee’s hit song “Gasolina” – released in 2004 on his album “Barrio Fino” – cleverly used the full four minutes allowed by MTV. It combined the “Gasolina” visuals with clips from two other songs: “No Me Dejes Solo” featuring Wisin y Yandel, and “King Daddy.”

When the song became a hit, Daddy Yankee quickly needed a longer music video. The final version, though creatively edited, simply repeated the original ninety seconds of footage, which caused frustration for the video’s co-directors.

Pérez explained in an interview that while he appreciates the song’s importance to culture and history, he didn’t think the music video represented their work well. López Mari acknowledged the video wasn’t his best, but pointed out that it was key in bringing reggaetón to a global audience and defining the genre’s visual style.

Calle 13, “Adentro” (2014)

Filmed in Arizona and Puerto Rico (Barriada Morales in Caguas and Cantera Roca Dura in Manatí)

The music video for Calle 13’s song “Adentro” received a Latin Grammy nomination for Residente, the band’s frontman, René Pérez Joglar. The video shows Residente rapping about regretting a purchase – a Maserati – while baseball icon Willie Mays gives him a bat. He then uses the bat to destroy the car, which is ultimately pushed over a cliff.

López Mari described it as a work of art, explaining that it involved destroying a $500,000 car – which Residente had originally purchased to protest against capitalism.

Calle 13, “Multi_Viral” featuring Julian Assange, Kamilya Jubran, Tom Morello (2014)

Filmed in the West Bank

For René Pérez Joglar (López Mari) and the band Calle 13, art is a form of activism, and they’ve expressed support for the Palestinian cause. López Mari shared that he views the 2013 music video “Multi_Viral,” filmed in the West Bank, as one of his most significant projects to date.

This video shows Palestinian children creating a guitar using pieces from a discarded gun. Tom Morello, the guitarist from Rage Against the Machine and a contributor to the song, visited the filming location in the West Bank. Santiago “Chago” Benet Mari, who assisted with photography, explained that making the film allowed him and his family to travel to places they likely wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

“Film is a universal language,” said Benet Mari.

Calle 13, “Ojos Color Sol” featuring Silvio Rodríguez (2014)

Filmed in Buenos Aires

The film “Ojos Color Sol” was shot on the same day as Germany’s famous 7-1 victory over Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semifinals. Director López Mari remembers that because of the game, it was hard for the soccer fans on set to stay focused.

López Mari’s video ultimately won him his first Latin Grammy for Best Short-Form Music Video. He shared the award with his life partner, Tristana Robles, who also co-founded Filmes Zapatero and served as producer. The song featured the iconic Cuban musician Silvio Rodríguez, and the video starred acclaimed actors Gael García Bernal and María Valverde in a memorable and passionate scene.

Juanes, “Loco de Amor (La Historia)” (2014)

Filmed in Puerto Rico (San Juan, Río Piedras, Bayamón)

The 16th Latin Grammy Awards were memorable for one reason: López Mari won both the Best Short Form and Best Long Form Music Video awards. The Long Form win was for a 16-minute visual project featuring four songs by Colombian artist Juanes, titled “Loco de Amor (La Historia).” This was a first in the awards’ history, and hasn’t happened since.

In a 2014 interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, Juanes said he admired the visual style of López Mari’s work and how the artist approaches their craft.

Calle 13, “La Vida (Respira el Momento)” (2015)

Filmed in Salinas, Puerto Rico

“La Vida (Respira el Momento)” was Calle 13’s last music video before the group broke up. It included appearances by López Mari’s daughter and nephew, Residente’s nephew, and Puerto Rican sports stars Miguel Cotto (boxing) and Ángel Pagán (baseball). The video also featured a notable figure: Jacobo Morales, a filmmaker, actor, and poet known for directing “Lo Que le Pasó a Santiago,” the only Puerto Rican film ever nominated for an Academy Award.

Morales was looking at old photos, fondly remembering important times in his life. Little did he know, these moments would later be echoed in music videos for Bad Bunny’s 2025 album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” including the video for “Baile Inolvidable,” all directed by López Mari.

Juanes, “Mis Planes Son Amarte” (2017)

Filmed in Mexico (Veracruz, Mexico City and its outskirts) and Medellín, Colombia

The title “Mis Planes Son Amarte” means “My Plans Are to Love You,” but it’s also a clever play on words in Spanish that sounds like “My Plans Are to Mars.” Taking advantage of this double meaning, Juanes and López Mari created what many consider Latin music’s first major visual album. It’s a one-hour film featuring 12 songs and following Juanes as a character who is both an archaeologist and an astronaut, as he explores themes of life and love.

Chayanne, “Di Qué Sientes Tú” (2018)

Filmed in Mexico City

In 2018, López Mari worked with another Puerto Rican star, the actor and singer Chayanne. They filmed the music video for Chayanne’s song “Di Que Sientes Tú” (Say What You Feel) on location in Mexico City.

López Mari explained that the project arrived just as she was rediscovering her love for reading. Being immersed in the works of authors like Gabriel García Márquez, Jorge Luis Borges, and Luis Rafael Sánchez, she felt that literary inspiration naturally flowed onto the set, creating a truly beautiful and poetic atmosphere.

Bad Bunny, “Callaíta” (2019)

Filmed in Puerto Rico (Arecibo, Hato Rey neighborhood of San Juan, Guaynabo)

Bad Bunny and director López Mari began a series of collaborations with a music video aiming to capture the warm, summery feeling of Puerto Rico. Bad Bunny described the video as feeling like a comforting embrace in a 2023 Vanity Fair interview. He also immediately knew actress Natalia L. Garcia was perfect for the role when he first saw her.

López Mari found Garcia on Instagram and was immediately drawn to her style. He said she reminded him of Uma Thurman’s character in ‘Pulp Fiction,’ particularly because of her haircut.

López Mari’s brother, Benet Mari, was the cinematographer and was able to secure a carousel for the beach shoot. López Mari described the resulting video as “beautifully executed,” saying it perfectly combined visuals and music to achieve their goals.

Don Omar, Residente, “Flow HP” (2021)

Filmed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Los Angeles

For their first collaboration, the song “Flow HP,” Puerto Rican music icons Don Omar and Residente proudly celebrate their heritage in the music video. They filmed it in front of the Puerto Rican flag, creating a visually striking and memorable experience. Both artists co-directed the video, known as López Mari and Residente.

Bad Bunny, “El Apagón — Aquí Vive Gente” (2022)

Filmed in Puerto Rico (San Juan, Güajataca, Rincón)

López Mari pointed out that Taylor Swift is known for hiding ‘Easter eggs’ in her music videos. Bad Bunny, similarly, incorporates elements of Puerto Rican history into his videos.

For almost six months, López Mari and his team created a project that started as a Bad Bunny music video but evolved into a powerful documentary. Working with Puerto Rican journalist Bianca Graulau, the film exposes the ongoing power outages in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in 2017. It highlights how the government’s inadequate response worsened existing problems with the island’s infrastructure, issues the filmmakers believe stem from the lasting effects of U.S. colonialism.

(Fun fact: This video also featured clips from López Mari’s directorial debut with Calderón.)

Juanes, “Canción Desaparecida” featuring Mabiland (official video) (2023)

Filmed in Medellín, Colombia, and rural outskirts

This video features Juanes and singer-MC Mabiland addressing the issue of over 121,000 people who disappeared in Colombia between 1985 and 2016. Juanes, who had previously avoided political themes in his music, collaborated with López Mari on this project, wanting to create a powerful video. López Mari felt a personal connection to the story due to his family’s political background.

Bad Bunny, “Baile Inolvidable” (2025)

FILMING LOCATION: San Juan, Puerto Rico

López Mari usually listens to a song many times before planning a music video. However, with “Baile Inolvidable,” he only heard it once. He was present when Bad Bunny first played his album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” for Apple Music and his team.

López Mari recounts meeting with Bad Bunny a few weeks later at the Río Piedras studio where the song was recorded. He shared his ideas for the music video, including storyboards and potential filming locations, and listened to the track repeatedly – he estimates around twenty times.

López Mari filmed the dance class scenes at Arthur Murray Dance Studios in San Juan, a well-known school specializing in traditional salsa. The live performance was shot at the University of Puerto Rico’s auditorium, a location López Mari and Robles recently used to direct a Concert for Energy Independence benefiting Casa Pueblo.

Director López Mari explains that just like artists, directors also grow and learn with each project. She hopes this continuous learning will lead to more meaningful videos that foster cultural understanding, rather than simply relying on superficial effects and spectacle.

2025-11-10 17:32