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https://definicion.de/reggaeton/

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http://blogs.longwood.edu/kbrengelman/2012/10/19/what-is-reggaeton/

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You won't find Capezzio Disco Bar in reggaeton history books - rarely do traditional timelines stop off in the Mexican port town Veracruz - but in 1990, it became the national epicenter of the explicit party music when it changed its soundtrack from salsa to reggaeton.
Capezzio was among the first Mexican venues for touring reggaeton A-listers like Vico C, and Hector y Tito - not to mention, a crucial stage for Mexican MCs that made ever-growing crowds dale hasta abajo. In this church of perreo, Twista-speed motormouth rapper Big Metra thrilled early crowds with his evergreen hit 'Desnúdate'. MCs Magañola and Baby King of Veracruz duo La Dinastia dropped references to cowboys and TV star Niurka in equal measure. Krysstal la Mas Perra got her start at Capezzio in 1999, winning one of the club's notorious talent searches as a 17-year-old with capable flow and ample, butch lesbian jarocha swag. (She's continued to confound those who've dubbed the genre as hopelessly homophobic with her decades-long career as a queer reggaetonera.)

But that's not where the story starts. Where that is differs on who you ask, but most would say it begins with the toasting traditions of Jamaican dancehall, a melodic braggadocio that took places over the island's legendary party beats. When Jamaicans immigrated to other lands, they took these lyrical lineages with them and dancehall vocals encountered new languages and scenes in which to integrate. Some of these offshoots would become known as reggaeton, cementing the genre's crucial hybridity. Reggaeton refuses to stay in one place and is as close to a Pan Latinx sound as one can get. Today, it's so prevalent in almost every corner of the Americas, enough to qualify it as the reigning form of Latin pop. As another global industry-confirmed "boom" brings urban Latin genres into speakers across the world, it seems ever more imperative to hype reggaeton history.

This story goes back well before Bieber fatefully heard a Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee track in a Colombian club and insisted on jumping on the remix, decades prior to the mid-aughts libido spike brought on by 'Gasolina'.

Renato y la 4 Estrellas - 'La Chica de los Ojos Café'

The crew boards an intricately painted Diablo Rojo bus. They hand a Jamaican reggae B-side cassette to the driver to pump over the vehicle's sound system (its speakers a rarity in 1970s and '80s Panama City.) The rasta MCs deliver a patois flow with dancehall flair to the riders. Renato y la 4 Estrellas, led by quinceañera choreographer Leonardo "Renato" Aulder, are making history.

In 1979, Panama's West Indian-populated Canal Zone transitioned from a US territory to become an official part of Panama, the country that had surrounded the area since its delineation in 1903. In this swirl of pan-American identity - black and Latinx with Barbadian, Jamaican and US roots - and in the absence of record presses or any national music industry to speak of, English-speaking Renato and other vocalists found a way to graduate plena, as their new sound came to be called, from bus performances to clubs to the studio. Renato's first recorded hit, 1985's 'El D.E.N.I.', was a warning against Panama's brutal undercover police force by the same name. Delivered in Spanish to be more widely accessible, his lyrics reflected the issues roiling its creator's black, urban experience.

Another member of Renato y las 4 Estrellas found himself in New York. Business administration student and ace freestyler Edgardo "El General" Franco synthesized the golden age of hip hop swirling around him, endowing his first Spanish language release 'Tu Pum Pum' with beatboxing and a bassline that skipped over dread roots for a rap beat. The fusion of several recognizable elements made El General reggae en español's first international star. Spanish language versioning of Jamaican dancehall hits became popular. Perhaps most significantly, a version of the Bobby "Digital" Dixon-produced, Steely and Clevie-performed Shabba Ranks' 1990 dancehall classic - Panamanian Nando Boom's 'Ellos Benia' - would travel to Puerto Rico and become the heavily sampled audio backbone of the genre we'd come to know as reggaeton.

Throughout the Caribbean, innovators in the mid-'80s built off of Panama's experiments in musical hybridity. Jamaican dancehall artists like Shabba Ranks and Super Cat found popularity in mainstream outlets like Yo! MTV Raps; waves of Dominican immigration, as well as the circular migratory patterns through which Puerto Ricans brought mainland US hip-hop back to their island, gave birth to a sound that would eventually overshadow Panamanian plena in popular culture.

During this "underground" era, multiple schools of creativity built out what would eventually lead to the reggaeton sound. Jamaican production duo Steely and Clevie revolutionized dancehall with drum machines and synthesizers. Puerto Rican promoter and producer Jorge Oquendo spliced Dominican merengue with hip hop to form meren-rap. Eschewing melodic dancehall vocals, hip-hop en español heavy Vico C led the charge in laying verbose, US hip-hop-style verses over Caribbean beats, helping to establish underground's characteristically harder sound. DJ Negro was the first in Puerto Rico to popularize reggae en español at The Noise nightclub, headquarters for his seminal in-house crew featuring Ivy Queen, Baby Ranks, DJ Nelson and Baby Rasta y Gringo. These artists would come to define reggaeton, even decades later - and none more so than Ivy Queen, who is still the genre's undisputed queen. Their movement was also referred to as "melaza" or "música negra," words that reflected the racial makeup of its audience and artists, who often produced their work at home in the island's caseríos, or housing projects.

Another formational figure was DJ Playero, whose self-titled early '90s mixtape series began as a tightly-woven tapestry of reggae and hip-hop references. Eventually, his mission expanded to include local artists; the Playero series introduced talents like Nicky Jam, Tempo and Master Joe to the world. Playero 38 provides an excellent document of the era's affinity for the newly ubiquitous 'Dem Bow' beat.

In February 1995, cops pillaged six Puerto Rican record stores, confiscating reggaeton cassettes and CDs and delivering court citations to employees (which were later dismissed by San Juan's Superior Court.) The excuse was violence in underground's lyrics, pegged as the impetus for supposed youth crime waves. Like gangster rap - not to mention 1960s and '70s Nuyorican salsa - underground songs often featured explicit narratives of life and crime in resource-deprived neighborhoods. But historians have questioned whether Puerto Rican authorities hadn't also bridled at underground's blackness; over the fact that its embrace of diasporic African musical traditions privileged narratives within Puerto Rico's own ethnic heritage that did not square with the notion of racial democracy by the island's powers-that-be.

Concurrent to the raids was Puerto Rican governor Pedro Rosselló's Mano Dura Contra el Crimen campaign, which saw the National Guard occupying caseríos in a purported attempt to lower crime rates. Political motivation could be linked to efforts by conservative watchdog group Morality in Media (now known as the National Center on Sexual Exploitation; coincidentally the primary lobbyists responsible for the United States' recently passed, calamitous anti-sex worker legislation.) MIM claimed that reggaeton reflected a youth subculture where "violence, drug use, sexual libertines, and a lack of respect for others" was norm. Notably, the government only took action when underground started making overground money. At the time of the raids, Wiso G's Sin Parar had become the genre's first album to be sold in mainstream record stores.

The genre survived and thrived but censorship took its toll: reggaeton wouldn't have a dedicated radio station until San Juan's Mix 107.7 FM popped off in 1999 with DJs Nelson and Coyote. The prejudices behind the raids were replicated in ensuing moral panics. In 2002, Puerto Rican senator Velda González launched a governmental crusade against perceived exploitation in reggaeton's well-sexed music videos despite the exemplar, socially-conscious release that year of Tego Calderón's Afro-centric debut El Abayarde.

There is no doubt that the Reggaeton Sex series from Guayama, PR-born DJ Blass, aka Vladimir Felix, falls into the category of broadly explicit releases loathed by Senator González. But the influential producer's work signified seismic auditory and technological shifts in reggaeton and not just because Blass claims to have played a major role in popularizing use of the word "reggaeton" in the title of an early release. His oeuvre was no longer a version of hip-hop and reggae beats, but rather the foundations of a new, more refined sound that belonged to reggaeton and reggaeton alone.

Blass ratcheted down the previously high energy BPMs and introduced minor chords to make the music more aggressive, more street and much more discernible from the reggae beats that had come before. His Reggaeton Sex Vol. 2 was at the vanguard when it came to digital technology, utilizing Fruity Loops presets originally created for techno producers, European synthesizers and sequencers to expand the genre's sonic palette. To dodge copyright violations and become more commercially viable, hard-partying sanduguero beatmakers had begun to move away from the samples that had texturized earlier underground releases. Instead, songs employed cartoonish audio effects, from explosions to sirens, to pull in listeners. Like DJ Nelson before him, Blass was a fan of implementing divergent genres like house to build out his productions - even trance and techno moments found their way into his work. The radio-ready version of reggaeton had finally broke, though few could have predicted the mainstream moment that lay ahead.

Daddy Yankee - 'Gasolina'

Like many of the most lauded arbiters of reggaeton, Luny (aka Francisco Saldana) and Tunes (aka Victor Saldana) grew up far from the genre's epicenters. The duo were born in the Dominican Republic and moved to Massachusetts as teenagers. Plucked from jobs at a Harvard University cafeteria by DJ Nelson to fill out his Flow Music roster, the two hit the ground running with 2003's Mas Flow, 2004's The Kings of the Beats, and 2005's Mas Flow 2. Technologically fluent in VST plug-ins and Fruity Loops' Pluck! synthesizer, the pair wove pop-friendly tracks utilizing the R&B-inspired blin-blineo sound, with the now-familiar dembow boom-ch-boom-chick never far away.

It all came to a head when Luny Tunes got together with Daddy Yankee, a star who had been a force on the Puerto Rican scene since he began rapping at 14, for a little track named 'Gasolina'. The song's mega-success provided the moment in which gringos perked up their ears and formed a haphazard opinion on a music that had been coursing through Latin America for decades - for many, that it was "repetitive," perhaps a direct result of Luny Tunes' airwaves ubiquity at the time. Even in the year that 'Gasolina' shook windows in their frames in neighborhoods across the world, it was the only reggaeton song to win (or even score a nomination) at the Latin Grammys.

Lack of critical acclaim aside, the success of 'Gasolina' spurred a number of urban music labels to open Latin divisions in 2005: Universal's Machete Music, Wu Tang Latino, Bad Boy Latino, and Roc La Familia, who released N.O.R.E.'s seminal Pan-Latino anthem 'Oye Mi Canto'. All quickly folded except for Universal's and Wu's projects, which continue highlighting Latinx artists to this day. 2005 also saw the launch of Univision's reggaeton-heavy La Kalle, New York's 105.9/92.7 FM radio station.

As reggaeton birthed romántico stars like the diminutive, nasal-voiced talent Arcángel and 'Sensación del Bloque' heartthrob De La Ghetto, and made way for the darker trap en español, an entirely different feel started hitting from an unexpected corner of the Americas. The Medellín sound is typified by J. Balvin and the billion YouTube view-plus tale of a bickering couple that is 2013's 'Ay Vamos' produced by Sky Rompiendo El Bajo. You can also hear it in the work of producers like Mosty and Bull Nene, as well as in the more explicit end of pop star Maluma's "pretty boy/dirty boy" continuum, site of the controversial, but pablum, odes to polyamory 'Cuatro Babys' and 'Felices los 4'. The strain is a more melodic version of a genre previously characterized by its raunch and street smarts. Balvin and Mosty have implied that their softer brand of reggaeton can be attributed to fatigue over the violence that rocked Colombia during its civil war with the FARC.

As the standard bearer of this new wave, Balvin was pitch perfect: handsome and relentlessly positive, with middle class roots. He is also a white Latinx and a beneficiary of the well-established Colombian star system that gave birth to icons like Juanes and Shakira. Despite the important roles currently played by vocalists like Bryant Myers, Ozuna and Ñengo Flow, the preponderance of white artists in a genre originally masterminded for and by black people figures as one of the problematic aspects of rise of reggaeton's global profile.

There is no mistaking the 'We Are The World' vibes on Balvin's 2017 hit 'Mi Gente' with French singer-producer Willy William. The track, run through with klezmer clarinets and moombahton vibes, scored a Beyoncé remix and reflects its album Vibras' expansive ambiance. "There's reggaeton sounds, but Vibras is a world record," Balvin recently told Rolling Stone. "It's a proposition to the people: 'Do you like this? Would you accept us?'"

Tomasa del Real x Chico Sonido - 'Tamos Redy'

Over the last decade, a notable diasporic wave of Latinx producers and artists have been incorporating perreo and dancehall as recognizable notes in their complex electronic pastiche. Songs were mined for Spanish language vocals, which were subsequently threaded through cyborg track creations. Club warlocks like the Mexico City-based N.A.A.F.I. collective, Chile's Paul Marmota, Terror Negro Records co-founder Deltatron, Buenos aires collective Hiedrah, King Doudou and Bala Club's Kamixlo spliced the dembow beat with house, hip-hop, kuduro and industrial. In Spain, trap collective Pxxr Gvng's reggaeton project Mafia del Amor provided romantic dysphoria with dark, catchy perreo love. As often as not, this generation eschews traditional industry traps that had mired previous generations of Latin artists in contract woes and opt to self-distribute through their own labels.

Their beats were one jump-off for a new generation of female vocalists and label bosses who have rejected the traditional hetero-masculinity of reggaeton to center their own narratives and open the door to the inclusion of people who identify as queer. Argentinian vocalist Ms. Nina first attracted international attention with her Chico Sonido-produced underground hit 'Chupa Chupa' and featured queer Spanish internet personality King Jedet on last year's . Chilean Tomasa del Real's racecar internet glam aesthetic and lascivious lyrics put her in the role of dance floor hunter. Her writhing, camo-clad rooftop video pachanga in the video for 'Tamos Redy' is as queer-friendly as you get. Occasional Perreo Pesado vocalist DJ Rosa Pistola breaks from any kind of electronic vibes to put the spotlight on classic Mexico-based reggaeton talent like Sir Speedy and Big Metra in her own Línea del Sexxx mixtape but got her start playing queer parties. Songs by these women have kept dance floors full at a rising rainbow tide of LGBTQ+ reggaeton nightlife hotspots like Mexico City's Mami Slut, NYC's Papi Juice and Los Angeles' Noche de Travesuras.

Luis Fonsi - 'Despacito' Feat. Daddy Yankee

In early 2017, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee released 'Despacito', a cumbia-influenced reggaeton pop tale of lust so well-fed with Puerto Rican cuatros guitars, timbales and guache percussion, even the Spanish language-impaired were compelled to bop. It had been hard to imagine a bigger crossover moment than 'Gasolina' but here it was. A Justin Bieber remix provided no shortage of ham-handed gringo moments, and the track reigned at the no. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a solid 16 weeks. 'Despacito' went on to rack up four Latin Grammys, become the first Latin single to be certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America and is currently the most-streamed Youtube video of all time.

The media was crowing about another Latin "boom" and accordingly, 'Despacito' inspired a hunt for bilingual urban music crossover opportunities. A wave of photogenic yung reggaeton-Latin trap artists led by Puerto Rican pretty boy Bad Bunny were happy to oblige. In short order, Bad Bunny and Puerto Rican trapero Farruko had Nicki Minaj and Travis Scott on a remix of stoner anthem 'Krippy Kush', cherubic-voiced reggaeton artist Ozuna was fielding Cardi B hooks on his dancehall pop banger 'El Modelo', and Orlando producer Spiff TV's linking hip-hop and Latin stars was looking more relevant than ever as he teamed Future with Anuel AA and Bad Bunny for a lush anime video.

Those familiar with Snoop Dogg's feature on Daddy Yankee's 2005 album Barrio Fino en Directo are aware that these "crossovers" are less of an evolution within Latin urban music, but rather an expression of hybrid that's been contained within - and perhaps defined - the genres since their earliest days. Still, some look for signs of progress. Will this be the era that convinces Anglo industry that "Latin" is not antithetical to "mainstream," or that Latin urban music and its traditional audience should not be catered to depending on facile perceptions of boom and bust?
Many thanks to reggaeton historians Raquel Z. Rivera, Wayne Marshall, Isabelia Herrera and Eddie Cepeda, without whose previous work this article would not have been possible. Caitlin Donohue is a freelance writer who lives in Mexico City. Find her on Twitter. Read next: The futuristic reggaeton of Chico Sonido is ready to blow

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You won't find Capezzio Disco Bar in reggaeton history books - rarely do traditional timelines stop off in the Mexican port town Veracruz - but in 1990, it became the national epicenter of the explicit party music when it changed its soundtrack from salsa to reggaeton.

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For many young Puerto Ricans, reggaeton is today what salsa used to be years ago: a "national" soundtrack and the culture's international musical representative. Yet the genre was initially condemned in the mainstream and subject to hearings in the Puerto Rican senate. What accounts for this shift?

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That beat you've been hearing - the steady boom-ch-boom-chick rattling the trunks of passing cars and moving masses in the club - isn't just another fleeting hip-hop trend. It's the new sound of the Americas.
Reggaeton has already accomplished something that other Latin musical forms - son, mambo, salsa, merengue, bachacta - never quite attained: not only has the music ignited the imaginations of young Latinos and Latinas, but it's found unprecedented favour in mainstream US culture. Just a few years ago the Spanish one heard on non-Latin, commercial radio was limited to "Feliz Navidad" and "La Vida Loca"; now one hears 15 to 30 minute blocks of Spanish-language pop on the same stations that promise nothing but "blazin' hip-hop and R&B".

Indeed, reggaeton's inroads into hip-hop's media channels may prove crucial in the genre's ability to transcend, all hype aside, the "craze" status that has marked previous spikes of interest in Latin music. In contrast to the exotic cast that has consistently marked Latin music packaged for non-Latin audiences, reggaeton enjoys a sonic profile that, for all its syncopation and sway, is heard as something more familiar, more modern, more American (in the US-centric sense). Reggaeton artists and producers have not simply piggybacked on the success of their hip-hop brethren, they have exploited and expanded hip-hop's hustle-hustle business model, especially in such areas as shameless self-promotion, savvy cross-branding, street-team marketing, and grassroots distribution.

Reggaeton lacks much of an exotic veneer precisely because the music has not been marketed to Anglo-American audiences. At least until recently, reggaeton has been music produced by and for the pan-Latino community. On the main, it still is, though many artists and producers now aspire to the platinum plaques that million-sellers such as Daddy Yankee and Luny Tunes have proven are within reach. Reggaeton's self-sustaining relationship to a sizeable core audience draws our attention to the most obvious underlying reason for the genre's seemingly sudden ubiquity: simple demographics.

You've heard it before: one in eight people in the US speaks Spanish, with much higher rates in cities, while "Hispanics" - although something of a constructed category, perhaps more useful to politicians, and far from monolithic - have surpassed African-Americans as the nation's largest ethnic group, with census-based projections predicting 20% of the country's population will be of Hispanic-origin by 2020. Latino migration is also increasingly circular, especially for Puerto Ricans who, as US citizens, can travel within the States relatively unfettered. One effect of these seismic socio-cultural shifts is that a number of US cities, especially along the coasts, have become veritable centers of the pan-Latino community, and the soundscapes of New York, Miami, Boston, and other sites of migration reflect this growing presence with their cosmopolitan musical hybrids, of which reggaeton represents the latest and greatest.

So it's little surprise that the top reggaeton releases now sell in the hundreds of thousands, reggaeton performers sell out major venues across the country, and formerly ecumenical pan-Latin radio stations have been adopting the new, reggaeton-centric "Hurban" (Hispanic-Urban) format. But perhaps even more significant is reggaeton's massive grassroots following. The music offers a set of sounds and symbols so broadly appealing that it appears to be fueling the broadest pan-Latino youth movement to date, unprecedented in its reach and appeal. From New York to Miami, Roxbury to Lowell to Springfield to Cambridge, Cuba to Colombia to Chile, young Latinos and Latinas are using reggaeton music and style to articulate a sense of community. They are producing their own recordings, performing and marketing their music in local and regional scenes, trading mp3s and samples on the Internet, and infusing what is already a vibrant movement with exuberance, vitality, and new accents.

As a modern sound, a sound intimately related to hip-hop and reggae, reggaeton gives Latino youth a way to participate in contemporary urban-American culture without abandoning important aspects of their heritage. This may help to explain why a Latin-Caribbean form - and not, say, a Mexican or Chicano style - has managed to captivate young Latinos in a way that norteno never has, despite Mexican-Americans constituting well over 60% of the US Hispanic population.

Alongside the hopes and dreams of would-be Don Omars and Ivy Queens are the hopes and dreams of record execs, media mavens, mass marketers, and other opportunists hoping to cash-in on the phenomenon. With Daddy Yankee already a major commercial force on Universal, and Tego Calderón's Atlantic debut due out this year, reggaeton is poised to become a truly massive musical and cultural force.

Before reggaeton was called reggaeton, it went by the humbler, less marketable "Spanish Reggae" or Reggae en Español. Traveling along mass media circuits as well as diasporic networks, Jamaican popular music spread around the world in the 1960s and 70s. Reggae arrived in places like Panama and Puerto Rico as quickly as it reached more traditional centers of migration, such as London and New York. In the case of Panama, which proudly claims reggaeton as its own, Afro-Panamanians - many of them the descendents of Jamaican migrant workers - had been performing and recording Spanish-language reggae since at least the 1970s. Tens of thousands of Jamaicans moved to Central America in search of work in the late 19th and early 20 th centuries. Having contributed to the building of the Canal, many settled on Panama's Caribbean coast, maintaining connections to Jamaica even as some adopted Spanish as their native tongue. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, Afro-Panamanian artists such as El General and Nando Boom were making waves by adapting the latest dancehall reggae hits for Hispanic audiences, loosely (and sometimes closely) translating the lyrics and often singing the same, recognizable melodies over the original, Jamaican-produced riddims.

These musical translations found favor not simply in Panama but, crucially, in such pan-Latino, pan-Caribbean centers as NYC, where Panamanians and Jamaicans mingled with Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, and African-Americans, and where such hybrid, resonant styles as Spanish-language reggae could find a receptive audience. In Puerto Rico, where rappers such as Vico C had pioneered Spanish-language hip-hop, these Jamaican-inflected "translations" of popular dancehall songs had wide appeal. Dancehall reggae had already established a strong following in Puerto Rico in its own right by the early 1990s, as popular songs by Jamaican deejays such as Shabba Ranks, Cutty Ranks, and Chaka Demus & Pliers helped to redefine the sound of contemporary club music. It was, in fact, a Shabba Ranks song, "Dem Bow", produced by Bobby Digital, which would lay the foundation for what became known as reggaeton. The underlying instrumental - i.e., riddim - for "Dem Bow", a minimalist production with catchy percussion, became an overwhelming favorite in Puerto Rican freestyle sessions, to the point where, for a time, Spanish-language reggae in Puerto Rico was simply called Dembow. Vocalists drew on a variety of styles, borrowing from dancehall, hip-hop, and various Latin musical traditions and creating a distinctive synthesis. By the mid-90s, a catchier tag came along, and reggaeton began to describe what was emerging as far and away the most popular music for lower-class Puerto Rican youth, at home and in the United States.

Reggaeton isn't only a snappy marketing label, it also served to distinguish a uniquely Puerto Rican style from such precursors as Latin hip-hop and Reggae en Español. In this sense, the music's Panamanian roots notwithstanding, Puerto Rico does have a special claim to reggaeton. It was but a skip and a jump before it found widespread support among Hispanic youth in the US. Circulating via channels of migration and - increasingly and importantly - on the Internet, reggaeton soon became the sound of a generation, finding footholds in a number of US cities with significant Latino populations.

With a building presence in clubs and on radio in New York and Miami, a couple breakthrough hits were all that reggaeton needed to introduce its sensuous sounds to the mainstream. With its Spanglish verses and overt pan-Latino pride, New York-based rapper N.O.R.E.'s "Oye Mi Canto", featuring Nina Sky and reggaeton stalwarts Tego Calderon and Daddy Yankee, explicitly pushed and promoted reggaeton to what had become - thanks to 2003's banner year for dancehall - a reggae-friendly audience. Climbing the charts soon thereafter, Daddy Yankee's "Gasolina" became the kind of pop anthem that no one could ignore (or avoid), convincing hip-hop moguls from Lil Jon to Diddy to get in on the action. In the last few years, on the heels of these hits, reggaeton has spread across the US and the globe, but especially in Latin America, where the music's transnationalism, for all its power to animate expressions of pan-Latino identity, sometimes comes into conflict with national identities, as when Puerto Ricans and Panamanians debate claims over origins, or when Cuban reggaeton producers bemoan the dominance of Puerto Rican style.

Reggaeton's unmistakable boom-ch-boom-chick relates directly to the late-'80sarly-'90s dancehall reggae that inspired it, though it is not unreasonable for people to hear such syncopations as somehow inherently "Latin". Indeed, Jamaican reggae itself, like so many other Caribbean and American genres, bears a strong relation to Latin-Caribbean music, especially Cuban son, a genre that contributed many stylistic features to calypso and other popular music of the 20th-century Caribbean tourist industry. One finds essentially the same rhythmic patterns, with different accents, in nearly all Caribbean pop, a product of the region's shared African, European, and indigenous cultural heritage, a high degree of inter-island migration, and more recent patterns of convergence. The same 3+3+2 subdivision that cuts compellingly across a steady 4/4 pulse can be heard and felt in Jamaican reggae and mento, Trinidadian soca and calypso, Haitian meringue and konpa, Puerto Rican bomba and plena, Dominican merengue and bachata, Cuban son and mambo, and, among others, Nuyorican salsa.

Still, for all its connections to related styles and historical precedents, reggaeton brings some new features to the table. As an utterly electronic style - usually produced on computers, drum machines, and keyboards - reggaeton embraces new possibilities for a high-tech, post-hip-hop, Latin Caribbean aesthetic. This can best be heard in reggaeton producers' unconventional approach to the snare drum. Whereas a typical recording, even in a sample-based genre such as hip-hop, usually employs a single snare drum sound, reggaeton producers revel in the ability to draw from dozens of their favorite snare samples, frequently employing several in the course of a single song. By switching the snare sound every eight measures or so (and foregrounding it in the mix), they give form to what might otherwise be repetitive, subtly shifting the mood of the music in mid-verse or from verse to chorus. Reggaeton is undeniably a product of the digital age, and the genre's predilection for space-age synths, techno-indebted kick-drum crescendos, and sound effects gives the productions an unmistakable modern edge.

Reggaeton also represents a break from previous Latin music in that it appears to have fostered a greater dialogue with non-Latin forms such as hip-hop and reggae rather than the popular Spanish-language genres it has supplanted. Hip-hop's emphasis on drums and reggae's taste for bass serve as cornerstones of the music. Contemporary dancehall reggae is still a vital source: reggaeton artists continue to make use of the newest riddims to emerge from Jamaica. (Ivy Queen's hit "Quiero Bailar", for instance, employs the "Liquid" riddim, produced by Jamaican crossover-guru Jeremy Harding.) And the "Dem Bow" remains a staple, turning up in a remarkably high percentage of reggaeton tracks, sometimes quite explicitly and sometimes as a more subtle addition to the overall rhythmic texture. Indeed, reggaeton's use of the "Dem Bow" as a common building block recalls the frequent use of the "Amen" break in drum'n'bass or the "Drag Rap (Triggerman)" beat in New Orleans bounce.

If there's a prevailing sameness about the sound of reggaeton today, it's mainly a testament to the dominance of the Luny Tunes production duo. But, if Luny Tunes appear content to rehash the same synth-patches, the same riffs and basslines, and the same drum patterns, it reflects the tradition of creative re-use that takes the Jamaican example of "re-licked" riddims as a model. Just as Lenky's "Diwali" riddim, in various guises, produced a number of hit songs (Sean Paul's "Get Busy", Wayne Wonder's "No Letting Go", Lumidee's "Never Leave You"), the galloping beat for "Gasolina", especially with new layers added or prominent riffs removed, can provide a solid foundation for any number of new songs. The best reggaeton songs to date succeed not so much by offering new sounds to listeners but by using already resonant synths and samples in novel ways and leaving space for vocalists to display their creativity over familiar forms.

Nevertheless, reggaeton has become increasingly ecumenical in its approach to sample sources. Bachata, the popular Dominican genre known for its emotional ballads and plucky guitars, has been finding its way into a growing number of reggaeton productions, while salsa remixes of reggaeton hits have become common. A new song by Tego Calderón, whose El Abayarde (Sony International; 2003) contained interludes performed to the Afro-Puerto-Rican sounds of bomba and plena, features a mix of percussive styles that point to Afro-Cuban forms as well as other Afro-Latin traditions. Given its links to hip-hop and dancehall, it's not surprising that a number of recent reggaeton riddims employ the sort of "orientalist" flutes and strings that have marked so many pop songs of the last few years. And, of course, as reggaeton continues its pop ascension, reaching more and more middle-class ears, it will no doubt be shaped and styled for that audience - a penchant for overwrought singing, borrowed from pop-salsa balladry as well as American Idol-style shows of gospel-fried virtuosity, has already begun to take hold. In the end, the music's consistency may prove to be its greatest strength, offering an omnivorous stylistic template to producers: drop anything from a salsa break to a sitar line under that ol' boom-ch-boom-chick and you've got reggaeton.
Representin' (in the Doghouse)
One of the most interesting things about reggaeton's newfound success is the implication that US audiences are finally embracing music performed in a language other than English. This may be due more to the power of the music than any sort of emerging open-mindedness, but it raises some interesting questions. Despite all the Spanish-speakers living in the US, including all the gringos who learned a little Español in high school, it seems likely that, as with Jamaican dancehall, few listeners outside of the music's core audience are able to follow all the lyrics. Those who do, especially those who find them rather scandalous, are understandably concerned with reggaeton's seemingly unabated and uncensored rise to the top. As club music first and foremost, reggaeton tends toward partying and sex as primary subjects. Descriptions of sexual acts and female bodies alternate between explicit language and innuendo, and women rarely appear as anything other than objects of the male gaze. The music's attendant dance-style, perreo ("doggystyle"), was seen as so salacious at one point that the Puerto Rican government attempted to ban it - a move that only affirmed reggaeton's anti-establishment character.

Reggaeton's relationship to hip-hop and reggae - and the shared socio-cultural circumstances of urban poverty, high unemployment, and (coerced) participation in the violent-but-profitable trans-American drug trade - go a long way toward accounting for reggaeton's focus on sex and the bleak realities of ghetto/street/thug life. But, the glamorization of violence and material gain is far from a subcultural pathology: these are the preoccupations of mainstream American culture and society, too. San Juan is no more responsible for advancing stereotypes and negative imagery than, say, Hollywood or Washington. Overlooking the inherent critique of racial injustice in reggaeton's bling-filled fantasies is to miss the boat.

Only relatively recently, with its acquisition of market power and stateside acceptance, has reggaeton reached Puerto Rico's middle- and upper-classes. What was previously denigrated as crude and crass now stands as a national symbol and a promising source of foreign exchange. In a place where, despite their celebrated mixed-ness, over 90% of Puerto Ricans self-identify as "white", it's no accident that a prominent reggaeton artist like Tego Calderon foregrounds his blackness by wearing an Afro, referring to himself as "El Negro Calde", and incorporating Afro-Puerto-Rican traditions. In the US, Hispanic immigrants often find themselves living alongside, and racialized along with, African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans, so it's no surprise that reggaeton works in sympathy and solidarity with the cultural politics of hip-hop and reggae.

As reggaeton increases its reach, finding a receptive audience not just in the US and Latin America, but in Europe, Asia, and Africa, its spread will more likely resemble that of hip-hop-reggae than salsa and merengue. In that sense, it will represent a break from previous transmissions of Latin music as "world music". By integrating itself into the urban music market, reggaeton essentially markets itself, like hip-hop and dancehall, as mainstream pop, even as underground currents and fringe movements remain vital expressions of, and contributions to, the genre's evolving sound. Top-selling artists like R. Kelly, Sean Paul, and Britney Spears are already exploring reggaeton riddims, particularly in remixes, and, to that extent, reggaeton is being "cleaned up" and stylized for the MTV masses. And, just as it always has, reggaeton will continue to draw from the most compelling contemporary pop, borrowing styles and samples from hip-hop, versioning the latest dancehall riddims, and pushing an already tech-savvy sound further into the synthesized stratosphere.

Reggaeton will also no doubt continue its dialogue with more "traditional" Latin music: one can already hear how reggaeton's hip-hop-inflected Caribbean rhythms are finding their way into other Latin genres. Salsa bands, Rock en Español groups, and Latin-tinged musicians of all stripes are now adding touches of reggaeton to their performances, often by foregrounding and accenting, if not modulating, their snare-drums.

And yet, for all its power and popularity, reggaeton remains an embattled pop form: it's not reggae, it's not rap, and for some, it's not Latin either. Reggaeton has been belittled by a vast array of critics, among them rockists, reggae purists, hip-hop heads, upper- and middle-class Puerto Ricans, and Latin music aficionados. Purists of all sorts decry reggaeton, which makes sense, for it is an inherently hybrid music. It is also, in essence, an industrial music - a high-tech product with a tendency toward, and an aesthetic based around, recycled rhythms and riffs. Although reggaeton's detractors have some valid complaints, especially with regard to the genre's most crassly commercial releases, it is clear that quite frequently they simply have not listened closely enough, or to the right things. . . or with their hips.

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That beat you've been hearing - the steady boom-ch-boom-chick rattling the trunks of passing cars and moving masses in the club - isn't just another fleeting hip-hop trend. It's the new sound of the Americas.

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Nueva Sociedad | Democracia y política en América Latina

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Fue alucinante. Corría el año 2003 y en la tarima del Estadio Hiram Bithorn de San Juan la senadora Velda González -ex-actriz, abuela de once y estimada figura pública elegida en cinco ocasiones- hacía lo impensable. Flanqueada por los astros del reggaetón Héctor y Tito (entonces conocidos como el dúo Los Bambinos), la senadora de sonrisa dulce y sutil maquillaje contoneaba ligeramente las caderas a la vez que giraba la cabeza de lado a lado al son bullanguero de una canción de reggaetón.

Lo sorprendente era que, apenas un año antes, esta misma senadora había presidido vistas públicas en contra del reggaetón. El objetivo era regular las letras y las imágenes de video del reggaetón. También lo era moderar losalegados excesos del baile que suele acompañarlo, conocido como perreo, que se caracteriza por la sensual manera en que los participantes se estriegan unos contra otros al son del ritmo de origen jamaiquino llamado dembow, que ha sido la espina dorsal del género. Blandiendo su reputación de defensora de los derechos femeninos, González criticaba el reggaetón por explotar "sexualmente a la mujer a través de frases soeces y vídeos de movimientos eróticos en los que las chicas bailan casi desnudas" y por promover el perreo, al que acusaba de ser un "factor detonante de actos criminales". Sus esfuerzos como "Jinete del Apocalipsis" del reggaetón generaron tal conmoción en los medios de comunicación que la escritora Ana Lydia Vega señaló la ironía de que un simple baile se convirtiera en una obsesión nacional. "Perrear o no perrear", escribió Vega. "He ahí por fin un dilema de envergadura para rellenar el insondable vacío emocional que nos dejan, cuatrienio tras cuatrienio, las victorias electorales y los fracasos plebiscitarios."

Inicialmente conocido como "underground", entre otros nombres, el reggaetón es un sancocho de rap en español y reggae en español, que llegó a su punto en los barrios y caseríos de Puerto Rico. Desde el comienzo, fue producido por y para la juventud urbana de las clases más pobres. Pero ya para mediados de la década del 90 las letras sexualmente explícitas del reggaetón y sus crónicas de la violencia cotidiana llegaron a oídos de una malhumorada clase media, que respondió al nuevo género musical con su propio estilo de hostilidad. "Muchos trataron de detenernos", recuerda en una entrevista Daddy Yankee, la estrella máxima del reggaetón. "Como pionero que soy, creo que puedo hablar sobre eso, sobre cómo el gobierno trató de pararnos, sobre cómo personas de otros estratos sociales (...) miraban por encima del hombro a los jóvenes de los barrios, subestimándonos y viéndonos como marginados."

Percibiendo el reggaetón como la antítesis de sus valores, los portavoces de la clase media no tardaron en atacarlo, llamándolo, entre otros apelativos, inmoral, artísticamente deficiente, un atentado al orden social, apolítico, misógino, una versión aguada del hip-hop y el reggae, la sentencia de muerte de la salsa, y una música ajena a Puerto Rico. En las ejemplares palabras del fenecido poeta Edwin Reyes, el género es una "forma primitiva de expresión musical" que transmite "las formas más elementales de la emoción" a través de un "sonsonete embrutecedor y agresivo".

El Estado, que enfrentaba una ola criminal sin precedentes y aparentemente incontrolable, no se quedó atrás. Debido a que el reggaetón se asociaba con los ciudadanos más pobres y negros del país y su supuesta predisposición hacia la violencia y la depravación sexual, fue hostigado oficialmente como un vehículo criminal. En 1995, el Escuadrón de Control del Vicio de la Policía de Puerto Rico, con la ayuda de la Guardia Nacional, tomó la iniciativa sin precedentes de confiscar grabaciones de tiendas de música, alegando que las letras de reggaetón eran obscenas y promovían el uso de drogas y el crimen. El Departamento de Educación de la isla se unió a estos esfuerzos y prohibió la música underground y la ropa holgada, en un intento de eliminar la plaga de la cultura hip-hop de las escuelas.

Pero a lo largo de 2003, año de campañas electorales, el cuerpo político cambió sutilmente de bando. Durante ese periodo, se volvió muy común ver a políticos en plena campaña bailando patitiesos en su esfuerzo por mostrarle al electorado joven que ellos estaban al día con la moda. Ya para 2007, cuando la cantante pop mexicana Paulina Rubio expresó que su sencillo de reggaetón era un tributo a Puerto Rico ya que "está claro que el reguetón es de ustedes", y nadie protestó, el escritor Juan Antonio Ramos declaró que la guerra contra el reggaetón había acabado. "Hace cinco o siete años atrás tal afirmación habría sido tomada no solo como un lamentable desatino, sino como un monumental insulto a la dignidad del pueblo puertorriqueño", escribió Ramos sobre la afirmación de Rubio. "El éxito del reguetón es tal que se ha quedado sin detractores (...) No sería exagerado decir que hablar mal del reguetón es casi un sacrilegio. Es casi ser un mal puertorriqueño."

Aunque Ramos exagera ya que apenas unos meses después el anfitrión televisivo Rubén Sánchez prometía en su programa explorar "cuán responsable es el reggaetón de la ola de violencia que vive el país", sí acertaba al señalar que el género se había convertido de una música temida y marginada en el principal producto de exportación musical de la isla. Pero, ¿cómo ocurrió tan rápidamente un cambio tan drástico? ¿Cómo fue que el reggaetón llegó a dominar la banda sonora nacional? ¿Y cómo fue que un fenómeno musical que se originó en una posesión colonial pobre de Estados Unidos alcanzó tanta popularidad que hasta sus antiguos enemigos tuvieron que aparentar que les gustaba?

Para hacer corto un cuento largo, la respuesta es simple: el éxito comercial. El detalle es que esta victoria le llegó al reggaetón de la manera más inesperada.

Es una gran ironía que el camino del reggaetón hacia la gloria fuera posible gracias a las buenas intenciones de los detractores del género. A la vez que la popularidad del reggaetón aumentaba, los medios de comunicación, las organizaciones religiosas y los guardabarreras culturales unieron sus esfuerzos para reprimirlo y regularlo, lo cual desató una cadena de eventos de consecuencias imprevistas. Si la intención era aplastar el reggaetón, el resultado fue exactamente lo contrario.

Antes de que los medios de comunicación y el Estado se aferraran al reggaetón como un conveniente símbolo de los males sociales, el género era básicamente un fenómeno de los sectores populares. Los esfuerzos por censurarlo, sin embargo, lo transformaron de marginal en célebre, amplificando su reputación como el nuevo idioma de rebeldía para gran parte de la juventud isleña. "La lógica te lo dice", asegura Ivy Queen, la única mujer entre las grandes estrellas del reggaetón. "Cuando le prohíbes algo a un muchacho es cuando más va a querer saber. Velda González nos dio la mejor promoción, porque le creó la curiosidad al mundo entero. Hay que agradecérselo. Ella nos ayudó en la comercialización del género."

Una vez que el reggaetón rebasó las fronteras de los barrios pobres, su represión también se hizo imposible por otra razón: el reggaetón era "real". A diferencia del comercializado y saneado rap en español y de la salsa romántica que reemplazó a las letras barriocéntricas del periodo clásico, el reggaetón hacía referencia directa a las condiciones sociales prevalecientes en el país: tasas de desempleo de hasta 65% en algunas zonas, escuelas descalabradas, corrupción gubernamental y una violencia rampante vinculada al narcotráfico. Si bien los funcionarios del gobierno trataron de culpar a la música por muchos de estos problemas, la generación del reggaetón entendió que el lenguaje crudo, la sexualidad explícita y las crónicas callejeras descarnadas no eran más obscenas, violentas o moralmente cuestionables que el estado general del país. Ejemplo de esto es la canción "Censurarme por ser rapero" de Eddie Dee, donde se criticala corrupción moral de las elites isleñas al referirse al ex-secretario de Educación, Víctor Fajardo, quien fue detenido por robo de fondos federales en 2002, y a Edison Misla Aldarondo, ex-portavoz de la Cámara de Representantes, que fue encontrado culpable de extorsión, lavado de dinero e intento de violación de una menor:

Censurarme por ser rapero / Es como censurar a un pueblo entero / A mí no me importa si te gusto o si te disgusto / Pues mi diploma de 4to año está firmao por un corrupto (...) / La mayoría de nosotros somos más gente que ellos / Díganme, a qué rapero de esta isla / Lo han acusao de las puercás que han acusao a Misla.

Lo más irónico fue, sin embargo, que a pesar de que el Estado se salió con la suya al lograr que los productores de reggaetón sanearan sus producciones, el tiro terminó saliéndole por la culata. El alegado objetivo de la censura estatal era detener el avance de la música, pero el resultado fue la elaboración de letras aptas para la radio, con lo cual las canciones se popularizaron no solo entre la juventud de barrios y caseríos, sino también entre los jóvenes de clase media. De esta forma, el reggaetón se convirtió rápidamente en la norma en fiestas, discotecas y otros lugares de reunión. Esto, como era de esperarse, produjo un impacto enorme en las ventas, lo cual convirtió el reggaetón de una industria artesanal (grabaciones caseras que se vendían desde los autos de las personas) a una industria de masas, en la que las grandes discográficas vendían sus producciones en las tiendas departamentales. Entre 2002 y 2003, las ventas aumentaron exponencialmente, con las nuevas producciones de reggaetón vendiendo entre 50.000 y 100.000 unidades al mes, es decir alrededor de un tercio de los diez álbumes más vendidos en Puerto Rico.

Al adquirir la respetabilidad conferida por ser parte aceptada de la cultura pop, el género se convirtió en un vehículo para promover las carreras de intérpretes con educación musical y sensibilidades artísticas eclécticas. Un punto clave en ese proceso de legitimación social fue el lanzamiento del primer disco de Tego Calderón en 2003, que la crítica consideró de una gran sofisticación musical, poética y política. Por un lado, sus letras populistas les recordaban a muchos al Sonero Mayor, Ismael Rivera. Por otro lado, sus innovadoras fusiones musicales, su uso de músicos de renombre mundial en las presentaciones en vivo y su personalidad humilde y a la vez carismática gustaron tanto a los amantes de la salsa de la vieja escuela como a los intelectuales de izquierda. De forma estratégica, Calderón logró combinar una fuerte dosis de hip-hop con un estilo experimental de reggaetón arraigado en las prácticas caribeñas salseras, las cuales se nutrían a su vez de las tradiciones musicales de la clase trabajadora y las comunidades afrodiaspóricas.

A partir del exitoso primer álbum de Calderón, los críticos del reggaetón empezaron a pensar que quizás el problema no era el género, sino la falta de profesionalidad con la cual se había producido. Como dijo la periodista Laura Rivera Meléndez en su entusiasta reseña de un concierto que Calderón ofreció en 2003 y que contó con la participación de laureados músicos como Roberto Roena y Tempo Alomar, "cualquier género al que se le dedique tiempo y cuidado musical puede trascender los prejuicios y convertirse en portavoz de variadas generaciones y clases sociales". En otras palabras, ya que el reggaetón había llegado para quedarse, la respuesta más apropiada tal vez no fuera menospreciarlo sino nacionalizarlo; es decir, cultivar a artistas de la talla de Calderón, quienes darían continuidad y vigencia a las tradiciones musicales nacionales oficialmente reconocidas.

Sin duda, la popularidad del reggaetón en su propia tierra era vital para el nuevo estatus del género como música nacional. Pero igual de importante, si no más, fue su validación por los mercados musicales internacionales, incluyendo no solo a EEUU sino también Europa (en particular España e Italia), México, República Dominicana, Panamá, Japón y Australia.

La canción que arrasó en el mundo entero y que inició la fiebre global del reggaetón fue la acertadamente titulada "Gasolina", de Daddy Yankee, una oda a lo que las mujeres desean desde una perspectiva resueltamente masculina. Esta canción, y su fenomenal éxito, parecían haber surgido de la nada, pero enhorabuena para una aletargada industria del disco, que había estado buscando desesperadamente el próximo producto para vender en el mercado urbano juvenil. La esperanza de que el reggaetón hiciera por los latinos lo que el hip-hop había hecho por los afroestadounidenses provocó una oleada de cambios en la industria. Estaciones de "música tropical" en Nueva York, Los Ángeles, Chicago y Miami rápidamente alteraron sus formatos para incorporar el reggaetón y otros géneros "hurban" ("Hispanic urban" o "hispano urbano"). Del mismo modo, sellos disqueros hip-hop establecieron subdivisiones latinas y firmaron contratos con los más prometedores artistas disponibles. Astros como Daddy Yankee no solo estaban ganando millones, sino también siendo contratados para promocionar productos, participar de giras y promover líneas de ropa. Dos años después de que "Gasolina" engrasara la ruta, los álbumes de reggaetón alcanzaban ventas de oro, platino y doble platino, y se colocaban entre los mayores éxitos de la industria latina del disco.

Con la intensificación de las ventas fuera de Puerto Rico, una recelosa industria musical local reconoció, finalmente, los méritos "artísticos" del reggaetón. El momento decisivo fue cuando el novel dúo Calle 13 -compuesto por dos jóvenes de clase media, claros de piel y con educación universitaria- ganaron tres Grammys Latinos en 2006.

La entrada de Calle 13 al panteón del reggaetón también representó un cambio significativo en otros sentidos. Mientras que Calderón era el propulsor reggaetónico de una estética afrocaribeña de clase trabajadora, Calle 13 fusionaba una amplia gama de estilos musicales con letras surrealistas inusuales para el género. A través de oportunas intervenciones en la política convencionalcon temas hip-hop como "Querido FBI", que denunciaba el asesinato del líder independentista Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, Calle 13 redefinió además la relación del reggaetón con lo nacional. Aunque Calle 13, al igual que otros reggaetoneros, suele centrarse en temas relacionados con la sexualidad, el racismo y la violencia de la vida en los barrios, su vocalista, Residente, también se autodesignó como el "sistema digestivo de la nación", transformando la basura del deseo y la política en un nuevo lenguaje para criticar el statu quo. "A mí me aburre hablar del sistema", rapea Residente en "Tributo a la policía" (2007), una canción de protesta en contra del asesinato de un civil desarmado por un policía. "Pero me jode como enema el sistema / Así que le saco el deo al sistema / Así que le escupo flema al sistema".

Por supuesto, la creciente complejidad del reggaetón no significó una aceptación unánime en Puerto Rico. Pero con el éxito global de Daddy Yankee y el populismo de Tego, así como con el sonido "alternativo" de Calle 13 y sus invectivas contra el poder del Estado, el reggaetón se hizo titular de todas las calificaciones necesarias para convertirse en una música nacional presentable más allá de las fronteras isleñas. Y a pesar de que hoy en día los reggaetoneros están haciendo más canciones de base tecno, hip-hop, r&b y balada pop, entre otros géneros, la nominación de Wisín y Yandel en la categoría de mejor video de música pop para los prestigiosos premios MTV de 2009 marca un nuevo momento. No solo porque prueba que el reggaetón sigue en pleno apogeo, sino porque dos de sus artistas acaban de entrar por la puerta grande en los anales del pop internacional como conominados junto con las megaestrellas Britney Spears, Beyonce y Lady Gaga. n n n

En gran medida, fue la reputación global del reggaetón la que forzó a las elites puertorriqueñas a aceptarlo como un valioso producto cultural de exportación que genera atención y prestigio para la isla. Anteriormente, desdeñar el reggaetón era equivalente a menospreciar la cultura juvenil urbana, negra y pobre -es decir, desdeñarlo resultaba en extremo fácil-. Pero hoy el género representa una de las historias más impresionantes de triunfo económico y cultural puertorriqueño; un fenómeno que ha sido recibido con beneplácito quizás porque surge en un momento en el que muchas personas en Puerto Rico han perdido confianza en el gobierno y no creen que la isla pueda recuperarse de la corrupción rampante, la incompetencia de los liderazgos y el faccionalismo de los partidos políticos.

La historia del reggaetón, entonces, alimenta la esperanza de que, aun bajo condiciones adversas, los puertorriqueños pueden encontrar maneras creativas de generar un impacto en la economía global. Y a la vez que nutre la imaginación, también nos dice mucho sobre qué tipo de nación los puertorriqueños están imaginando y habitando en la era global.

Para empezar, el reggaetón pone en evidencia la centralidad de la cultura negra y la migración de ideas hacia (y desde) Puerto Rico, no como suplementos exóticos sino como elementos constitutivos. Si en el pasado los puertorriqueños, al igual que otros latinoamericanos, han celebrado a España como la "madre patria", el reggaetón redirige la mirada hacia las diásporas africanas. Si mucha de la alta cultura puertorriqueña insiste en distanciar a Puerto Rico de EEUU, el reggaetón se acerca a la cultura popular del mainstream estadounidense al unirse con la hip-hop nation (la nación hip-hop). Si los puertorriqueños que viven en la isla se vanaglorian de ser más blancos y tener más recursos económicos que los otros isleños caribeños, el reggaetón insiste en que Puerto Rico es tan parte de EEUU como del Caribe. En ese sentido, aunque el reggaetón tiende a imaginar la nación como un espacio contenido, también sugiere que lo local está compuesto de culturas globalizadas.

Al mismo tiempo, la historia de triunfo del reggaetón subraya el lugar contradictorio que ocupa Puerto Rico en la economía global. Si bien la isla es más pobre que todos los estados de la Unión, al usar un modelo de producción independiente inspirado por el hip-hop estadounidense los reggaetoneros se convirtieron no solo en estrellas globales sino también en empresarios locales. Esto es evidente en la proliferación de sellos disqueros como Flow Music, de DJ Nelson, El Cartel Records, de Daddy Yankee, y WY Records, de Wisín y Yandel, que han permitido a los intérpretes mantener un grado de control mucho mayor sobre sus productos y ventas en comparación con los músicos de salsa, quienes también crearon un género musical global pero casi siempre trabajaron como asalariados. Al convertirse en el más importante producto de exportación cultural puertorriqueño desde Ricky Martin, el reggaetón revela cómo grupos sociales repudiados por el Estado, por los educadores y por los medios de comunicación han llevado una creación casera de la infamia subterránea a la popularidad global.

Igualmente significativo es que la economía política del reggaetón desenmascara los vínculos existentes entre la elite y otras esferas de poder. Por ejemplo, muchas de las dramáticas acciones de censura contra el reggaetón eran en parte una reacción al rumor generalizado de que sus grabaciones eran financiadas por el narcotráfico. Pero igual que ocurre con las operaciones gubernamentales, las líneas entre lo legal y lo ilegal son en extremo difusas. Un caso ejemplar fue el asesinato del presunto narcotraficante José "Coquito" López Rosario en 2006. Durante meses, las noticias sobre el caso ocuparon la primera plana de los periódicos en Puerto Rico, principalmente por sus estrechos vínculos tanto con artistas de reggaetón como con funcionarios del gobierno. Estas relaciones comprobaban que, según han señalado muchos de sus artistas, el reggaetón no es ni más ni menos corrupto que las elites que rigen el país.

La habilidad de las clases más pobres de la isla para reconocer la hipocresía de las clases altas pone de relieve el creciente papel que desempeñan los mercados globales en la valoración de la cultura nacional, y cómo los consumidores locales, las audiencias y las corporaciones han desplazado a las tradicionales elites a la hora de moldear las ideas sobre la nación. En resumidas cuentas, la historia del reggaetón es un buen punto de entrada para entender la manera en que está cambiando el concepto que Puerto Rico tiene de sí mismo: si bien aún es una colonia pobre de EEUU, con más de la mitad de su población viviendo en el continente, y aunque sigue sumergido en un descontento generalizado, Puerto Rico está jugando el juego nacional mejor que nunca (en el escenario global).

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Fue alucinante. Corría el año 2003 y en la tarima del Estadio Hiram Bithorn de San Juan la senadora Velda González -ex-actriz, abuela de once y estimada figura pública elegida en cinco ocasiones- hacía lo impensable.

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Over the past year or so, reggaeton -- once too violent and salacious for prime time -- has been mutating into something that strongly resembles pop music.

Prodded by producers such as Luny Tunes and the irrepressibly experimental Calle 13, the relentless bump-and-grind gangsta imperative has been finely retuned into something that sounds like "The Chronic"-era hip-hop with a strong Caribbean feel. When you listen to Voltio's new album, "En lo Claro" (Sony Norte), the process seems complete.

Sounding more like Cypress Hill's B-Real than Snoop Dogg, Voltio (nee Julio Irving Ramos Filomeno) has suddenly become a dominant voice in the genre. His 2005 self-titled debut album drew praise for its storytelling, innovation and groundbreaking cover of the Hector Lavoe hit "Julito Marana." But "En lo Claro (Frankly Speaking)" so successfully navigates Puerto Rican street culture's rawness, playful sarcasm and salsa roots that it challenges Calle 13 and Daddy Yankee for urban album of the year.

The album is ambitiously eclectic, ranging from the bubble-gum reggaeton of "Ponmela (Put It There for Me)" featuring hitmakers Jowell y Randy and "Un Amor Como Tu (A Love Like You)" with Arcangel, to the vallenato-infused satire of "El Mellao (The Man With Missing Teeth)" and a salsa dura tune "Pelea (Fight)" that sounds as if it's off Willie Colon's first album. In a startlingly effective ballad/hip-hop fusion, Voltio trades verses with the late great Tito Rodriguez in "Yo Se Que Tiemblas (I Know You Tremble)," which remakes a Tito Curet Alonso bolero from the '60s.

Many of reggaeton's basic elements are present in "En lo Claro." "Me Pones Mal (You Make Me Bad)," produced by the trendy Nely is a high-concept wall-of-dembow strut about an irresistible dance-floor attraction, and "Ponmela" rhymes "la mini" with bikini and Houdini with a coy innocence that resonates with its revival of post-disco DJ Arthur Baker's "Planet Rock" rhythms.

Outside of a couple of Tego Calderon tracks, there haven't been many rock-meets-reggaeton tracks to recall Run DMC's and Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," but here Voltio calls on Puerto Rican rockers Vivanativa on "Feka" with surprisingly strong results. Taking a page from Calle 13, Voltio goes cumbia on "Cristina," a hilarious duet with Yerba Buena vocalist Cucu Diamantes.

"En lo Claro's" musical experimentation is so attention-grabbing that you can almost miss how much skill Voltio has as a lyricist. His tongue-twisting intensity appears on "Tu Te Crees (You Think)," and his storytelling carries "Perdoname."

While street-tough posturing has long been a staple of reggaeton and hip-hop MCs, Voltio proves his "realness" by including a DVD of a live performance from Oso Blanco, Puerto Rico's largest prison. When he performs "Julito Marana," about the death of a gangster, with his live band before a crowd of prisoners, you can feel the connection he's making. "I carry you guys in my heart because I know the suffering of the imprisoned," and frankly speaking, he does.

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Over the past year or so, reggaeton -- once too violent and salacious for prime time -- has been mutating into something that strongly resembles pop music. Prodded by producers such as Luny Tunes and the irrepressibly experimental Calle 13, the relentless bump-and-grind gangsta imperative has been finely retuned into something that sounds like "The Chronic"-era hip-hop with a strong Caribbean feel.

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BY:Fabiola Moraga
En ningún caso, la intención de este artículo es discriminar o clasificar un estilo musical. El título está relacionado a las opiniones generalmente extremas que tiene el reggaeton por parte de la gente.
Desde hace varios años que aunque nos guste o no, hemos bailado en más de alguna ocasión ese ritmo pegajoso y sensual que es el reggaeton. Muchos miles, y porque no decir millones, de jóvenes les fascina y otro tanto del público se tapan los oídos para no dejar entrar esos acordes repetitivos. Sin duda, este género musical da mucho qué hablar generando debate y controversia. Hoy en Mindscore queremos dar una visión de lo bueno y lo malo del reggaeton.

Vamos por parte. El reggaeton tiene como base las influencias del reggae pero con el pasar de los años ha ido evolucionando hasta convertirse en lo que hoy podemos escuchar, o sea, una variación latina del hip-hop con características de la música bailable. En definitiva lo que hoy se escucha es la repetición constante de un compás que domina durante todo el transcurso de la canción. Esto hace de esta música un estilo monótono y que redunda en lo mismo tanto en letras como en melodía.

Otra característica que ha puesto los pelos de punta de algunos y algunas, es el mensaje al que el cantante apela. En sus comienzos el reggaeton apuntaba más a críticas sociales, pero hoy en muchos casos se hace alusión a la mujer desde una forma más bien vulgar y casi burda, apuntando directamente al sexo o a lo que tiene relación con el. Asimismo, esto se manifiesta en el baile erotizado y escandaloso, para algunos, en que el contacto físico es fundamental para la performance.

Dentro de todo esto, existe gente y músicos que se autodefinen como antireggaetoneros ya que manifiestan que este género poco o nada aporta a la música, a la creación, al manejo y el trabajo con los instrumentos, puesto que el reggaeton no cuenta con instrumentos musicales, sino con DJs quienes resultan ser los mismos cantantes y utilizan programas para hacer la música.

Para muchas miradas, el reggaeton se basa en esta repetición que raya en lo molesto y no es nada más que un target comercial que cuenta con los 3 elementos que son una melodía, armonía y ritmo. Existen entendidos que dicen que sin la melodía, este conjunto dejaría de definirse como música, y como para muchos el reggaeton no aporta en melodía del todo, concluyen que este género ni siquiera sería eso, o sea, música.

Por otra parte, no todo es malo. El reggaeton, así como el fútbol, se ha convertido en pasión de multitudes. Esto conlleva a que muchos cantantes reggaetoneros que han salido de barrios populares y socialmente vulnerables, han logrado la fama y la popularidad. Esto ha hecho eco en niños y familias que ven en ellos, modelos a seguir y sin enfocarse en las letras, a veces fuertes, que las canciones poseen, es basarse en tener el sueño de ser un cantante famoso, al igual que sus ídolos.

Poniéndole menos densidad al asunto y dejando de lado las letras que pueden sonar obscenas, el reggaeton tiene esa particularidad de subir la adrenalina en quienes la escuchan y hacer que la gente baile prendiendo a muchos como hogueras danzantes. O sea, si dirigimos como antídoto anti estrés o para animar una fiesta, tan solo porque hace bailar a la gente y olvidarse de todo lo demás, puede ser el género perfecto.

Por último, el reggaeton enfocado particularmente a una meta comercial, rompe los esquemas. Esto se debe a que en poco tiempo se obtienen resultados que son cuantiosos. Esto mismo ha llevado a artistas de la talla de Shakira o Jennifer Lopez a crear temas basados en el reggaeton y sin duda, han logrado éxito y grandes ventas.

Como dicen algunos, las cartas están echadas. El reggaeton existe y mientras haya seguidores, continuará existiendo y también seguirá existiendo la disputa de si este género es para amarlo con frenesí o para odiarlo con el corazón.

Pregunta: ¿Odias, amas o sin decisión clara aún sobre el reggaeton? ¿Por qué?

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Articulo: Razones para amar y para odiar al Reggaeton

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BY: Fabiola MoragaEn ningún caso, la intención de este artículo es discriminar o clasificar un estilo musical. El título está relacionado a las opiniones generalmente extremas que tiene el reggaeton por parte de la gente. Desde hace varios años que aunque nos guste o no, hemos bailado en más de alguna ocasión ese ritmo pegajoso ...

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http://nuso.org/articulo/nacion-reggaeton

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Reggaeton is sweeping the Latin music world with its irrepressible blend of tropical Latin and reggae rhythms. Today many of the most popular reggaeton artists come from Puerto Rico, but you can't keep this music from sailing out to the rest of the world.

The Music

The distinctive sound of today's reggaeton is a mix of Jamaican dancehall rhythms, derived from reggae, and Latin merengue, bomba, plena and sometimes salsa.

It's heavily percussive beat is called "dembow" and comes from Trinidad's 'soca' music; it fuses electronic dance music, hip-hop elements and Spanish / Spanglish rap to form a compelling, driving sound that has been embraced by Hispanic urban youth worldwide.

Roots of Reggaeton

Historically there has been an invisible line that has segregated Jamaican music and other Latin dance styles. But that line was breached in Panama, a country with a significant Jamaican population that had migrated south to work on the Panama Canal in the early 20th century.

There's a heated debate about whether reggaeton originated in Panama or Puerto Rico. While it seems obvious that the roots are Panamanian, some of the best known (and earliest) purveyors of today's reggaeton sounds come from Puerto Rico, so the confusion is easily understood.

Panama

Panamanian El General (Edgardo A. Franco) was one of the pioneers of the Reggaeton sound, returning to Panama from an accounting job in the states to record the new dancehall fusion.

During the 1990s, the reggae sound became more popular in Panama and continued to change as elements of hip-hop, rap and other Carribean music fused with the older reggae dancehall style.

Puerto Rico Takes Over

As the mixture of hip-hop, rap and reggae caught the imagination of urban youth in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Latin cultural centers in the U.S., the majority of new reggaeton artists catching the public's imagination came from Puerto Rico - to the extent that reggaeton is often thought of as primarily Puerto Rican Music.

Puerto Rico's pioneering rapper, Vico C, started releasing hip-hop recordings in the 1980s and over time mixed in urban Panamanian dancehall music. Performing in a suit rather than traditional rapper clothing, Vico added plena and bomba elements to his musical mix. The music caught on and generated a wealth of musical talent bent on expressing the angst, anger, and energy of urban life set to a compelling rhythm.

Reggaeton Takes Off

2004 was the year that reggaeton finally burst out of its confined space. With the release of Daddy Yankee's Barrio Fino, Tego Calderon's El Enemy de los Guasibiri, Ivy Queen's Diva and Real, the reggaeton sensation was off and running and shows no sign of slowing down.

Puerto Rico's large roster of reggaeton artists includes, along with those mentioned above, Voltio, Glory, Wisin & Yandel, Don Omar, Luny Tunes, Calle 13 and Hector El Bambino (now Hector the Father). This Puerto Rican invasion has captured the hearts of urban Hispanic youth the world over.

Pioneering Reggaeton Artists

Dancehall Reggaespanol (Various Artists, 1991)
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La Verdadera Historia: XV Anos de Exitos el General (El General, 2004)
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Vico C: Greatest Hits (Vico C, 1994)
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Puerto Rican Reggaeton Artists

Barrio Fino (Daddy Yankee, 2004)
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Diva (Ivy Queen, 2004)
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El Enemy de los Guasibiri (Tego Calderon, 2004)
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King of Kings (Don Omar, 2006)
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Voltio (Voltio, 2005)
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All About Reggaeton Music and Its Origins and Characteristics

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Reggaeton is sweeping the Latin music world with its irrepressible blend of tropical Latin and reggae rhythms. Today many of the most popular reggaeton artists come from Puerto Rico, but you can't keep this music from sailing out to the rest of the world.

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Su sonido derivado del con influencias del , se desarrolló en la isla de Puerto Rico en el año 1990. Todo inició en Panamá cuando artistas como "Rasta Nini" y "Nando Boom" de la ciudad de Colón interpretaron en 1984 las primeras canciones de reggae en español. Casi al tiempo, un año más tarde, reconocidos raperos puertorriqueños como "Vico C" y "Big Boy" se convirtieron en los primeros artistas latinos en cantar rap en español. (Puede leer: 'No me hables de reguetón porque eso no es música': Totó la Momposina).

El reggaetón, considerado el género musical que reúne las últimas expresiones culturales de las comunidades del Caribe y América Latina, se asomó por primera vez en los años 90, cuando el panameño Edgardo Armando Franco, conocido como "El General", lanzó una propuesta distinta en la que tuvo como base al ya conocido reggae en español de ese entonces. Esta vez, la nueva mezcla de ritmos incluía reggae jamaiquino y , dando origen a la primera estructura del género. En 1992, Franco ganó un premio MTV al "Mejor Video Latino" con su canción "Muévelo".
(Le puede interesar también: Presentan acción de tutela en contra del reggaetón)
Con el pasar del tiempo, las propuestas musicales que se estaban desarrollando en Puerto Rico y Panamá terminarían encontrándose para dar origen a uno de los géneros musicales más importantes e influyentes de la actualidad en todo el planeta.

A partir del éxito que tuvo el reggae en español que, también incluía , fue en Puerto Rico cuando productores como "Michael Ellis" adoptaron estos 'beats' y le agregaron su toque personal, incluyendo, además, letras diferentes a las que se usaban en el . Este productor boricua también fue el encargado de darle al género el nombre que hoy conocemos.

En 2004, con la aparición del puertorriqueño Daddy Yankee en el marco internacional, el logró entrar con fuerza en el mercado latino y norteamericano. Luego del lanzamiento de su tercer álbum de estudio "Barrio Fino", Yankee logró ubicarse en la primera posición en ventas de la lista Top Latins Albums de Billboard y en la lista de álbumes latinos más importantes de los Estados Unidos.

A su vez, artistas boricuas como "Don Omar", "Wisin y Yandel", "Hector y Tito", entre otros, marcaron la parada en los escenarios musicales más codiciados del mundo, convirtiéndose así en la cara del género que ha inspirado a un sin número de artistas jóvenes. Entre esos, el colombiano J Balvin, quien, de hecho, es en la actualidad uno de los reguetoneros más sonados de la industria. Balvin, ganador de varios premios Grammy Latino, ha llevado sus canciones a la posición número uno de las listas del mercado musical hispanoparlante y el anglosajón. También, es el artista más escuchado en la plataforma Spotify.
(Lea también: J Balvin, el cantante colombiano más escuchado del mundo)
Lo cierto, es que, aunque la crítica proponga cada día una razón para no escuchar reggaetón, el éxito de ese género es una realidad innegable. Considerada por muchos como "una industria genérica" que vuelve desechable las canciones, el reggaetón ha logrado posicionarse a lo largo de los años como una de las expresiones musicales más influyentes del siglo XXI.

Resulta realmente difícil determinar qué tanto puede ocurrir a futuro con este género, teniendo en cuenta que, en un pasado, se dudó de su permanencia en el mercado por supuestamente representar un "mal ejemplo" para las nuevas generaciones. Hoy día, artistas como Shakira, Juanes, Ricky Martín, Luis Fonsi, entre otros pilares de la música latina, han producido canciones en reggaetón junto a exponentes como Wisin y Yandel, Maluma y Daddy Yankee.

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Reggaetón, el género musical que subestimaron | ELESPECTADOR.COM

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Su sonido derivado del con influencias del , se desarrolló en la isla de Puerto Rico en el año 1990. Todo inició en Panamá cuando artistas como "Rasta Nini" y "Nando Boom" de la ciudad de Colón interpretaron en 1984 las primeras canciones de reggae en español .

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El reggaetón es un poco de todo. Es la expresión musical más reciente de las comunidades urbanas de las Américas. Se puede decir que es la versión latina del hip-hop. Pese a que es un género esencialmente urbano se mezcla con lo tropical por su condición festiva y bailable. Es el resultado musical del mestizaje cultural de Latinoamérica de finales del siglo XX y comienzos del XXI.
Las raíces:
La gran mayoría coincide que el reggaetón tiene su origen en Panamá en los años 80. Se consideraba reggae en español. Así fue como el mundo conoció la música de El General a comienzos de los 90. Éxitos como Te ves buena, Muévelo, muévelo y Tu pum pum son considerados clásicos de El General y la música urbana. Paralelo al reggae en español panameño, el rap en español comenzó a desarrollarse en Puerto Rico con Vico C como la gran figura. Tampoco hay que olvidar lo hecho por Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas en Argentina en los 90, aunque fuera un estilo más funk. Otras influencias detrás del producto final son los ritmos de las comunidades afro caribeñas como la champeta en Colombia y el dancehall jamaiquino. La palabra reggaetón se acuñó en Puerto Rico en los noventa cuando se estableció como un sonido genuino y diferente al reggae en español.
El Dem Bow:
A mediados de los noventa la producción en Puerto Rico de esa mezcla de reggae, rap, funk, dancehall, entre otros, era consistente bajo un ritmo base conocido como Dem Bow.

El término viene de la canción Dem Bow del jamaiquino Shabba Ranks y que El General hizo en español como Son Bow. Los beats de ese tema fueron la base de trabajo para los productores que emergieron en esos años. El Dem Bow es básicamente un ritmo de percusión que se crea en un instrumento electrónico conocido como caja de ritmos o beat box.
Evolución:
En los 2000, el reggaetón explotó a nivel comercial y salió de la clandestinidad. Artistas como Tego Calderón, Daddy Yankeey Don Omar emergieron como los líderes de un movimiento cultural. La producción se fragmentó en letristas, cantantes, MCs (los que hacen rimas) y productores (los que hacen los beats). Algunos artistas añadieron percusión afro caribeña, mientras que otros como Calle 13 fusionaron sonidos de otras latitudes. Dúos como Wisin y Yandel añadieron música electrónica. Actos como Tito El Bambino y RKM y Ken-Y optaron por una onda pop con los temas románticos. Las mujeres también están presentes con la puertorriqueña Ivy Queen a la cabeza. Desde 2005, el reggaetón convive con el merengue y la bachata.
Letras:
Hay dos corrientes en el reggaetón. Hay un relato urbano y social que describe el día a día de los barrios populares. La violencia y la denuncia política son elementos constantes en ese tipo de grabaciones. El otro relato es erótico y romántico. Por ejemplo, se narran amores que nacen en la pista de baile. Utiliza un lenguaje gráfico cuando describe los acercamientos físicos de las parejas. Los críticos consideran que es un relato sexista. Una canción incluye rimas y letra tradicional.
Estilo:
Los artistas de reggaetón, sean hombres o mujeres, promueven una imagen de poder. Con excepciones (Tego Calderón y Calle 13), la mayoría se declara rey, reina, patrón, príncipe, etc, del género. Los nombres son bilingües o aparecen en siglas. Los autos, las motos, las joyas, las gafas oscuras y una pista de baile repleta son parte del contenido visual.
Baile:
El baile del reggaetón se conoce como "perreo" porque el principal movimiento es una mímica del coito en postura del perro. No tiene una velocidad determinada y se apoya en la sensualidad. No tiene pasos.
Artistas legendarios:

Daddy Yankee - El hombre de los grandes éxitos. Consistente en el canto y en las rimas.

Tego Calderón - El más arraigado en los barrios populares. Es el más original de todos. Será por siempre un miembro del underground.

Don Omar - La gran voz del reggaetón. Un productor consumado que es padrino de los artistas emergentes.

Wisin y Yandel - Los internacionales. Crearon un sonido que exportó el reggaetón al resto del mundo.

Ivy Queen - La reina del reggaetón. Puso el sentimiento y la denuncia femenina que faltaba en el género.

Calle 13 - Los inteligentes y creativos. Son la consciencia del reggaetón. No le temen a las instituciones políticas.

Vico C - El rapero. Es el precursor de la escena. Es el padre del reggaetón.

Discos recomendados:

El abayarde - Tego Calderón

Meet the Orphans - Don Omar (compara precios)

Barrio fino - Daddy Yankee

Sentimiento - Ivy Queen

Los de atrás vienen conmigo - Calle 13 (compara precios)

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El reggaetón es un poco de todo. Es la expresión musical más reciente de las comunidades urbanas de las Américas. Se puede decir que es la versión latina del hip-hop. Pese a que es un género esencialmente urbano se mezcla con lo tropical por su condición festiva y bailable.

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https://culturacolectiva.com/musica/historia-del-reggaeton/

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Reggaeton (also spelled with the Spanish accent as Reggaetón, and sometimes as Reguetón in Spanish) is a form of dance music which became popular with Latin American (Latino) youth during the early 1990s and spread to North American, European, Asian, and Australian audiences during the first few years of the 21st century. Reggaeton blends Jamaican music influences of reggae and dancehall with those of Latin America, such as bomba and plena, as well as that of hip hop. The music is also combined with rapping (generally) in Spanish. Reggaeton has given the Hispanic youth, starting with those of Panama and Puerto Rico, a musical genre that they can consider their own. The influence of this genre has spread to the wider Latino communities in the United States, as well as the Latin American and Central American audience.

While it takes influences from hip hop and Jamaican dancehall, it would be wrong to define reggaeton as the 'Hispanic'- or 'Latino'- version of either of these genres; reggaeton has its own specific beat and rhythm, whereas Latino hip hop is simply hip hop recorded by artists of Latino descent. The specific rhythm that characterizes Reggaeton is referred to as "Dem Bow". The name is a reference to the title of the dancehall song that first popularized the beat in the early 1990s. An overwhelming majority of reggaeton songs share the same beat and for the most part, are indistinguishable from one another aside from their lyrics.

Reggaeton's origins represents a hybrid of many different musical genres and influences from various countries in the Caribbean, Latin America and the United States. The genre of Reggaeton however is most closely associated with Puerto Rico, as this is where the musical style later popularized and became most famous, and where the vast majority of its stars originate from.

Reggaeton lyrics tend to be more derived from hip hop than dancehall. Like hip hop, reggaeton has caused some controversy, albeit much less, due to a few of the songs' explicit lyrics and alleged exploitation of women ; supporters claim this criticism is misplaced due to most reggaeton songs having completely clean lyrics, as well as non-violent lyrics. Further controversy surrounds perreo, a dance with explicit sexual overtones which is associated with reggaeton music.

Early History and Origins

Reggaeton's roots are from Panama with the music evolving and coming to prominence in Puerto Rico. Reggaeton starts as an adaptation of Jamaican reggae (and later Jamaican dancehall) to the Spanish-language culture in Panama .

The origins of reggaeton begin with the, first Latin-American reggae recordings being made in Panama during the 1970s. Reportedly, the Jamaican reggae influence on Panamanian music has been strong since the early 20th century, when Jamaican laborers were used to help build the Panama Canal.

Artists such as El General, Chicho Man, Nando Boom, Renato, Black Apache are considered the first raggamuffin DJs from Panama. El General has been identified as one of the fathers of reggaeton, blending Jamaican reggae into a Latin-ised version. It was common practice to translate the lyrics of Jamaican reggae song into Spanish and sing them over the original melodies, a form termed Spanish reggae or Reggae en Español. Meanwhile, during the 1980s the Puerto Rican rapper Vico C released Spanish-language hip hop records in his native island. His production of cassettes throughout the 1980s, mixing reggae and hip hop, also helped spread the early reggaeton sound, and he is widely credited with this achievement . The widespread movement of Spanish reggae in the Latin-American communities of the Caribbean and the urban centres of the United States help increase its popularity .

During the 1990s reggae production took off seriously in Panama; this also occurred separately in Puerto Rico due to the increased popularity of Jamaican ragga imports. Towards the middle of the decade, Puerto Ricans were producing their own " riddims" with clear influences from hip hop and other styles. These are considered the first proper reggaeton tracks, initially called "under", a short form of "Underground". DJ Playero was one of the most famous producers at the time, releasing several "underground" cassettes that featured early performances of some soon-to-be-famous artists like Daddy Yankee. The basis for reggaeton was laid in Puerto Rico at this time, with the melding of Panamanian Spanish reggae, with influences from dancehall, hip-hop and various other Latin American musical genres .

The genre morphed through the years, at various points being termed Melaza, musica underground, reggae de Puerto Rico, and Dem Bow. This last name originated from reggaeton's distinguishing rhythmic feature: the Dem Bow (alternately spelled Dembow) beat. This beat was constructed by Jamaican record producer Bobby "Digital" Dixon, and first became popular in the song "Dem Bow" (They Bow) performed by Jamaican dancehall artist Shabba Ranks in 1991. The song and beat achieved greater popularity among Spanish-speaking Latin Americans when Panamanian artist El General released the song "Son Bow" in 1991, a Spanish language cover of "Dem Bow" using the same musical track. It should be pointed out that neither Shabba or El General sang "Reggaeton" as neither the genre nor its title were as yet formed. Additionally "Dem Bow" was just a single song in Shabba's catalog, with Ranks not singing another significant song using the "Dem Bow" beat. However the influence of the original Bobby Digital beat is undeniable, and modern Reggaeton often still reflects the original instrumentation, as well as the original rhythmic structure.

Rise to popularity

The name reggaeton only gained prominence in the mid-1990s (from the 1994 to 1995 period), with the Dem Bow beat characterizing the genre; this is in contrast to the more reggae, dancehall and hip hop-derived tracks previously created. The name was created in Puerto Rico to signify the hybrid sound, and distinguish it from the previous Spanish reggae, created from the years of mixing the different genres. Today, the music flourishes throughout Latin America.

Reggaeton soon increased in popularity with Latino youth in the United States when DJ Blass worked with artists such as Plan B and Speedy in albums such as Reggaeton Sex. The first song which introduced Reggaeton to a big amount of fans is the song "Tra Tra" by Don Chezina. From there on reggaeton gained fans with songs such as "Amor Con La Ropa" by Speedy, "No Puedo Estar Sin Sexo" by Plan B, and "Dembow" by Wisin and Yandel.

Reggaeton expanded and became known when other producers followed the steps of DJ Playero, like DJ Nelson and DJ Eric. In the mid 90s albums like Playero 37 (In which Daddy Yankee became known) and The Noise 5 and The Noise 6 were very popular in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Singers like Don Chezina, O.G. Black & Master Joe, Baby Rasta & Gringo, and Lito & Polaco among others were very popular.

Many now popular producers, such as the Dominican duo Luny Tunes, Noriega and Eliel, first appeared in the reggaeton scene in 2003. Albums such as Mas Flow, The Last Don, and Las Gargolas 4 expanded reggaeton's popularity among Latinos in the United States.

2004 was the year that reggaeton gained widespread popularity in the United States, eventually gaining attention in many "Western" countries. This was due to N.O.R.E. introducing the genre to mainstream America with the song " Oye Mi Canto", followed by Daddy Yankee who came out with his album Barrio Fino and his mega hit single " Gasolina". Another important artist that contributed to gain popularity to reggaeton, especially in Europe, is Don Omar, with singles like "Pobre Diabla" and "Dale Don Dale". Other very popular Reggaeton artists include Alexis Y Fido, Khriz Y Angel, Nina Sky, Nicky Jam, Zion y Lennox, Voltio, Calle 13, Héctor El Father, Ivy Queen, Wisin & Yandel, Tito El Bambino and Tego Calderon.

Don Omar's May 2006 album, King of Kings, became history's highest ranking reggaeton LP in the top 10 US charts, with its debut at #1 on the Latin sales charts and the #1 spot on the Billboard Latin Rhythm Radio Chart with the single "Angelito". Don Omar was also able to beat the in-store appearance sales record at Downtown Disney's Virgin music store previously set by pop star Britney Spears, further demonstrating Reggaeton's massive rise to popularity in the United States.

Reggaeton beats

Reggaeton's most notably unique feature is a driving drum-machine track, which sounds almost identical in virtually all reggaeton songs, and was derived from a popular Jamaican dancehall rhythm. As stated previously this beat is called "Dem Bow", from the Bobby Dixon-produced Shabba Ranks song of the same title.

Many of the sounds found in a typical reggaeton beat are electronically synthesized. Simple melodies may be produced with keyboards, electric guitars, and other electronic instruments. Other forms of electronic dance music have significantly influenced reggaeton beats, such as techno, house, and genres such as the merengue hip hop (also called merenhouse) of groups such as Proyecto Uno and Zona 7.

Reggaeton beats are highly versatile. The great variety and flexibility of reggaeton beats can be illustrated by Luny Tunes' CD The Kings of the Beats, which is a collection of purely instrumental beats. Reggaeton beats can be based on merengue, bachata, bolero, and especially hip-hop beats.

Reggaeton and hip-hop

Reggaeton bears many resemblances to hip-hop. The most notable resemblance to hip-hop is that reggaeton, in most cases, is recited instead of being sung. Another feature is that reggaeton CD's are laid out like hip-hop CD's, including intro's, occasional interludes, and hidden bonus tracks. Reggaeton also has hooks throughout a song that may include a chorus of singers. Reggaeton artists also adopt pseudonyms comparable to those of hip-hop artists. Overall, reggaeton and hip-hop are both thought of as street-styled music popular among urban youth.

Despite the similarities, reggaeton only roughly fits into the Latin hip-hop category but is not synonymous with hip-hop. True Latin hip-hop has beats that almost exactly resemble mainstream hip-hop beats. These "hardcore" Latin hip-hop artists include Big Pun, Fat Joe, Akwid, and Jae-P. Reggaeton, though, has rap-styled lyrics but has a very different beat that is influenced not by hip-hop, but by reggae, dancehall, merengue and techno. Although reggaeton has been highly influenced by American hip-hop, it has also borrowed features from many other genres as well and is not strictly considered to be Latin hip-hop.

Reggaeton and hip-hop are often remixed together, and reggaeton songs and live concerts may feature hip-hop artists such as Lil Jon, 50 Cent, and Eminem. Hip-hop songs such as Usher's Yeah and Snoop Dogg's Drop It Like It's Hot have been remixed by replacing the original beat with a reggaeton beat. In other remixes, reggaeton DJs may rap out an English song in Spanish. Reggaeton and hip-hop are accepting influences from each other today, and these musical blends also signify a cultural melting pot in today's urban scene.

Reggaeton and hip hop artists are often mixed together to create hit singles. Snoop Dogg was featured on Daddy Yankee's Gangsta Zone in his album Barrio Fino En Directo ; as was Paul Wall on remix to Yankee's earlier hit song entitled Machete. The remix of Daddy Yankee's song Rompe featured Lloyd Banks and Young Buck of G-Unit. And Yankee's first U.S. hit Gasolina was remixed, adding Miami rapper Pitbull, and Crunk music producer Lil Jon to the track. Sean Paul collaborated with him on the song 'Oh Man' on his most recent album, The Trinity. Hip hop producer Pharrell Williams produced and sang on the track 'Mamacita' with Daddy Yankee as well. American rapper Juelz Santana was featured on Don Omar's song Conteo on Omar's album King of Kings which was featured in the movie The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Luny Tunes produced the R.Kelly song 'Burn it up' with Wisin Y Yandel on his album TP3 Reloaded as well as producing the remix to Paris Hilton's song Stars are Blind again featuring Wisin y Yandel, which has sold over 300,000 songs on I-Tunes. Popular Reggaeton producer Héctor "El Bambino" produced the hit song 'Here We Go Yo' with Jay-Z, whom he collaborated with to produce his most recent album "Los Rompe Discotekas" (The Club Bangers) which came out earlier this summer. Reggaeton artist Voltio raps alongside with R&B group Jagged Edge on the song 'So Amazing'. The song 'Wanna Ride' was recited and sung by distinguished Reggaeton artists Wisin y Yandel together with veteran rap group Bone Thugs N'Harmony, and which was featured in the movie Take the Lead starring Antonio Banderas. Both genres are accepting influences from each other today, and these musical blends also signify a cultural blending pot in today's urban scene.

Lyrics and themes

Reggaeton lyrical structure highly resembles hip-hop lyrics. Like hip-hop, reggaeton artists recite their lyrics rap-fashion rather than sing it melodically. Like hip-hop music, reggaeton songs have hooks that are repeated throughout the song. Reggaeton also started as a genre composed of mostly male artists, with a slowly increasing number of female artists debuting over the years. Notable female reggaeton artists include Ivy Queen and Glory.

Reggaeton lyrical themes are versatile. Typical themes may include dancing, love stories, partying, short anecdotes of the rapper's life, and problems in life. Popular reggaeton songs are mainly intended to be danceable, rhythmic, party-like songs for young people. Reggaeton may or may not be objectionable depending on the artists, song, and the listener's interpretation, as one reggaeton song may have many interpretations because a song's meaning may not be very clear and direct. For example, the song Gasolina is often considered appropriate for children and has made it into the Reggaeton Niños series. However, because of the various possible connotations and literal interpretations of the song, some people criticize Gasolina as having possibly inappropriate sexual content .

Usually, reggaeton CDs are not labeled "explicit" like many hip-hop CDs are. One exception is that Daddy Yankee's Barrio Fino en Directo ( Barrio Fino Live) was labeled explicit for objectionable content in the live concerts (and for explicit language by Snoop Dogg in Gangsta Zone), even though the regular studio version of Barrio Fino was not labeled explicit. Most reggaeton songs have completely clean lyrics (as in no profanity); very few songs have cursing/swearing in the lyrics. Some reggaeton artists are able to circumvent radio and television censorship by using sexual inuendo and lyrics with double meanings in their music.

Reggaeton across the world

Puerto Rico

Reggaeton is most commonly thought of as originating from Puerto Rico, where it has flourished and spread across Latin America and the international stage. The Puerto Rican influence in reggaeton has involved the addition of hip-hop to the Panamanian reggae style. Puerto Ricans have claimed reggaeton as their own partly due to the fact that the movement was originally anti-establishment, with the government attempting to ban the perreo ("doggystyle") dance. Reggaeton is now more accepted within the commonwealth.

Reggaeton derives from the post- Salsa music youth generation of the 80s and early 90s in Puerto Rico. Before reggaeton exploded in the mid-nineties, young street artists, heavyly influenced by East Coast hip hop and turntablism, rapped over cassette tracks easily acquired within their Commonwealth (United States insular area) status.

This new genre was simply called "underground". It contained very explicit lyrics about drugs, violence, poverty, homophobia, friendship, love, and sex. These common themes still predominate today in reggaeton music. "Underground" music was recorded in "marquesinas" (or Puerto Rican open garage) and distributed in the streets via cassettes. By the early 90s "underground" cassettes were being sold in commercial music stores. The genre caught up with the middle class youth and inevitably found its way to the media.

By this time Puerto Rico had a few clubs dedicated to the "underground" scene. Club Rappers in Carolina, and club PlayMakers in Puerto Nuevo were the most notable. Bobby "Digital" Dixon's dembow track was exploited in order to appeal in the context of the club. "Underground" music wasn't intended originally to be club music.

The Puerto Rican chapter of Morality in Media asked the local authorities to intervene and ban selling "underground" music, which subsequently required that all local productions being sold displayed a Parental Advisory label. By 1993 Dj Negro released The Noise 3 with a mock up label that read Non-Explicit Lyrics. The album contained no cursing until the last song. The album was a hit and "underground" music further crept into the mainstream. Senator Velda González of the Popular Democratic Party and the media continued to view the movement as a social nuisance.

Latin America

Reggaeton has been a huge hit all across the globe, especially in Latin American countries like in the Dominican Republic, Central America, and Mexico. Reggaeton has become staple music in most parties and events, complementing the common mix of merengue, salsa and electronic music and has paved a huge fan base. In some countries (such as Venezuela, with Calle Ciega, Doble Impakto and Mr. Brian and Pescozada and Heavy Clan from El Salvador), domestic "reggaetoneros" have arisen, expanding the Pan-Latin feel of the genre.

United States

In the United States, reggaeton is highly popular among Hispanic youth. Reggaeton is now popular in cities all over the United States, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., Houston, Miami, and almost every city with a large Hispanic population.

Reggaetón has become popular in Spain because of its appeal to Latin American immigrants, particularly those from Ecuador. A Spanish concept called "La Canción del Verano" ( The Summer Song), under which a particular song or two define the mood for the season and are regarded unofficially as such by Spanish media, served as the basis for the extreme popularity of reggaetón songs such as the late Panamanian rapper Lorna's "Papi Chulo (Te traigo el Mmm)" in 2003, and Daddy Yankee's Gasolina in 2005. Puerto Rican and Panamanian reggaetón artists have toured the country, and Spain is developing a cadre of local reggaetón artists of its own.

Reggaetón is also experiencing a boom in Italy, thanks in big part to artists like Don Omar who filmed the video for his song Angelito in Rome, featuring many of the city's historic landmarks.

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Reggaeton (also spelled with the Spanish accent as Reggaetón, and sometimes as Reguetón in Spanish) is a form of dance music which became popular with Latin American (Latino) youth during the early 1990s and spread to North American, European, Asian, and Australian audiences during the first few years of the 21st century.

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https://definicion.de/reggaeton/
http://www.factmag.com/2018/06/22/beginners-guide-reggaeton/