La Perla is located on the outskirts of a historic district popular with tourists known as Old San Juan. A couple hundred people live in the shantytown, which once served as Puerto Rico’s biggest distribution point for heroin and was known for its violence.

Traditional tourism in Puerto Rico meant a hike at El Yunque tropical forest, a visit to Old San Juan and a splash at a nearby beach. Now, people flying in for the concert drive to far-flung towns such as Cabo Rojo, the southernmost point of Puerto Rico, to experience more of the island.