AUSTIN, TX- “Bulla” is a word that, depending on where you’re from, might mean sound, noise, or even a party. To make a little “bulla” is to make some noise. But to buscar bulla? That’s a whole different pursuit—one of searching for sound and for self, much like the case of Puerto Rican duo Buscabulla, who search for meaning within the layered echoes of intimacy, identity, and the push and pull of a long-term relationship.
On a warm Texas night at Austin’s iconic venue Antone’s—known as the “home of the blues”—the venue transformed into a neon-drenched confessional for Buscabulla’s show on the Se Amba Así tour. To be descriptive and genuine, Antone’s isn’t a blowout stadium production. But the space is something much more intentional. With its humble roll-up garage entrance, few scattered chairs, and wraparound concrete-floored crowd space, the venue offered a stripped-down kind of magic, making it the perfect container for the deeply introspective album Se Amba Así. The space, open and grounded, invited closeness—the kind that says: no bells, no whistles—just honesty.
Opening the night were Valé, consisting of twin sisters Valentina and Valeria, for whom their moniker is perfect. Their set carried an almost DIY spiritual energy, one that felt like being a fly on the wall as two siblings found the seed of a beat in their bedroom. They radiated a sincerity that made it feel like we were catching their songs mid-creation. They ended with “Escándalo,” a rhythm-driven closer that got hands clapping and hips swaying. Informing the audience of the definition of “bulla” while hyping up the following act, Valé’s vibe made it clear they’re well on their way to finding their own sound—their “bulla.” The set was a warm introduction to the evening’s central theme: intimacy through sound.
Then came the duo and couple Buscabulla with lights, sound, and an emotional honesty that hit harder than any smoke machine ever could. From the start, Raquel Berríos, a radiant and flirtatious presence with the soft vocals of an ethereal angel, commanded the room with a quiet gravity. Accompanied by her other half—Luis Alfredo Del Valle—and his layered instrumentation, they moved through the set with quiet magnetism. There’s an intentional duality to Buscabulla’s performance. It’s confident, sure, but never showy. It’s exposed, but not unguarded. And that duality was further expressed in how the set was arranged. After Raquel floated through a few initial high-energy songs with the flair of a vixen, she stepped aside mid-set to give Luis a moment alone on stage with his acoustic guitar to perform “El Empuje,” a song which translates to “The Push,” but also, metaphorically, the effort—the uphill battle. It was a quiet moment, but perhaps the most profound: showcasing his side of the gray area within the relationship, voiced with vulnerability and restraint. A reminder that his story, too, is entangled in the relationship’s evolution.
Another similar intentional pause and notable moment between songs came before their performance of “Mi Tesoro,” a track Raquel explained resonates with the urgency of living fully, of not taking love for granted, and which carries the bittersweet reminder that life is short—a sentiment delicately connected in a moment of candid reflection to the devastating and life-taking Kerrville floods that took place a handful of days prior. That framing added another layer for the audience, amplifying the song’s already potent message about cherishing love while we can, even if it’s imperfect.
Such connection to the audience was felt strongly toward the end of their performance, which was showcased by the crowd chanting “¡Otra!”—a demand for one more, an encore. The show that night established itself as something more than a concert—it was a shared meditation in a space carved out for self-reflection. It may have been performative, as concerts are expected to be, but with the foundation of authenticity. Collectively, these songs didn’t arrive like declarations—they unfolded, revealing the inner workings of a couple not just surviving, but questioning, re-evaluating, and ultimately trying to grow together. Se Amba Así feels like a series of sonic diary entries: personal, unresolved, but shared with purpose. Ultimately, that’s where the album shines—not in making declarations, but in asking the kind of vulnerable questions that linger in the late-night spaces between lovers.
To be in the audience of a work so simplistic in sound but intricate in content brings a level of attention and inclusion that elevates the album. Se Amba Así already feels as though the listener is allowed a peek into a relationship’s development—how some love plateaus before it grows again, and how we reckon with that stagnation while still believing in each other’s capacity for growth. But to have this couple stare into you and vocalize these sentiments—that is what makes this album worth experiencing live.
If you are fond of similar acts and contemporaries like The Marías—with their dreamy textures—or Bomba Estéreo’s indigenous-infused and percussion-driven pop, then you’ll feel right at home with Buscabulla’s discography.
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Buscabulla Brings Intimate Self-Reflection to Life at Antone’s
