Reggaeton or reggaeton music has been accompanying us for years at parties and revolutionizing the music industry. Its rhythm is unmistakable and no matter how much someone may try to avoid it, the reality is that it always ends up getting a place in the radios, in most of the discos, and in musical playlists of all kinds.
Origins of Reggaeton Music
Reggaeton is a musical genre that has its origins in the 90s. It was born as an underground phenomenon in the rural slums of Panama and Puerto Rico, as a variant of reggae and Hip-Hop in Spanish, influenced by Latin rhythms and taking as its rhythmic base the dancehall reggae better known as dembow from Jamaica.
Reggaeton made its first steps as a musical genre after many Panamanian artists began to experiment, covering famous dancehall reggae hits in Spanish, which became known as “Reggae en Español”.
Many of these reggaeton pioneers, such as Panamanian artist Edgardo Franco, better known as El General, were descendants of Jamaican immigrants who arrived in the early 20th century to work on the Panama Canal.
Although its rhythmic base was born in Jamaica, an important part of the history and development of the genre takes place in New York City. It is there that Panamanians, Puerto Ricans, Jamaicans, and African-Americans blend cultures and sounds. Due to the strong influence of the Puerto Rican community in the New York hip-hop scene, the movement moves to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where reggaeton finally consolidates as a musical genre.
Reggaeton Pioneers
Artists and musical collectives of the moment in Puerto Rico such as Vico C, The Noise, Tego Calderón, Big Boy, Ivy Queen, and Daddy Yankee, were among the first to experiment with this contagious rhythm, which, by the beginning of 2000 already represented an important percentage of the island’s music market.
However, Vico C (Luis Armando Lozada Cruz) deserves a special mention in this regard. The singer, born in Brooklyn, is considered by most experts as the father of reggaeton.
The New Yorker was of Puerto Rican origin and in the early eighties, he moved to Puerto Rico heavily influenced by hip-hop culture. There, he began to sing in Spanish, becoming the first rapper to do so and to unite the essence of reggae and Caribbean rhythms with hip hop. As a result of that mix, in 1991, Vico C released Bomba para afincar, which is considered by many as the first reggaeton song in history. Others point to different artists like Big Boy or Ivi Queen as the originators. However, general consensus puts Vico C as the reference.
Characteristics of Reggaeton Music
The main characteristics of reggaeton are its bass lines and repetitive rhythms. In addition, the singer’s voice is as important in reggaeton as the work of the DJ, who mixes the music; its rhythms are very danceable and generally provoke sensual movements in those who listen to it; and as part of its DNA, it has the fusion of genres, ranging from dancehall and reggae to hip hop and rap.
The Reggaeton Phenomena
The reggaeton phenomenon has not stopped growing, opening an important market for more than a decade for its top Latin exponents such as J Balvin, Luis Fonsi, Becky G, and Spanish artists who have experimented with the genre such as Enrique Iglesias, Mala Rodriguez, Juan Magan, Ana Mena, Omar Montes, Abraham Mateo, and Rosalia, among others.
Big reggaeton hits such as La Gasolina, Papichulo, the unbeatable Despacito have changed in recent decades the music scene not only in Latin America but in the rest of the world, giving an important place to reggaeton in popular culture. Outstanding artists in other musical genres also achieve impressive hits with collaborations or simply using their dembow as a rhythmic base, Ed Sheeran (Shape of you, 2017), Shakira (Hips don’t lie, 2006) or Justin Bieber (Sorry, 2015).
Why is it so popular?
It’s hard to answer this question. Reggaeton became popular in the 2000s because it conquered the public in Latin America, Spain, and the United States. There were many who decided to get carried away by its catchy rhythms and enjoy dancing on the dance floors and the artists knew how to see it and enjoy it.
However, for years controversy has surrounded the history of reggaeton, earning this genre detractors and critics who did not hesitate to question its lyrics. They have come to be considered obscene, explicitly offensive to women, as well as their audiovisual productions, considered sexist.
This fact has led some artists who are committed to the genre to opt for more romantic and/or feminist lyrics and productions that put other themes at the center, like romantic and social themes.
Summarizing
Reggaeton is here to stay. It has impacted the music industry in such a way that most pop artists have released songs in this style or have collaborated with reggaeton artists. As with any music genre, it will be in constant evolution. Today’s Reggaeton is not comparable to how it sounded 10 years ago. And it will definitely sound different in the future.
If you haven’t given reggaeton a chance, please do. Not everything is about sexism or offensive lyrics. You will definitely enjoy its upbeat rhythm and it can be just the energy injection you might need on certain days when you don’t feel like going through the day.
