Jamaican music as a whole has influenced so many genres and cultures around the world. You can find reggae in Israel, South Africa, Brazil, Holland, Germany and many other countries. We can certainly thank Bob Marley and his legendary music for being the ambassador of reggae music around the world, but the story of Reggaeton has its own twist.
The origin of reggaeton is always a matter of debate between people that believe it originated in Panama versus people that believe that it originated in Puerto Rico. Both places are valid candidates for being the birthplace of reggaeton. Puerto Rico is a logical birth place due to its proximity to Jamaica and Panama could also be the spot due to its large West Indian population who went to Panama in the early 20th Century to work on the canal. Many afro-Panamanians can trace their roots back to Jamaica and other islands in the Carribean. Often, they speak English as well as Spanish, some even speak old school Jamaican Slang!
So here is the thing, if you listen to the Panamanian Reggaeton from back in the day (like in the 1970s), it sounds like people rapping in Spanish or English over merengue and bachata. There are a few songs like El General’s Pu Tun Tun that are in Spanish with a traditional dancehall riddim, but for the most part the original reggaeton was really different from what we hear now. Early on, in Panama, artists would hear Jamaican reggae and dancehall tracks and translate them into Spanish. Some of the pioneers include El General, Nando Boom, Chico Man and several other Panamanian artists. Once the music started to become successful in Panama, it spread across the Caribbean and Spanish speaking world. Simultaneously, hip-hop and reggae were being introduced in Puerto Rico.
I remember a few years back I went to Puerto Rico and when we jumped into the cab, I thought I was going to hear Sean Paul over the bookshelf riddim, but no, it was some local artist “chatting” in Spanish over the bookshelf riddim. It was fyah! In the late 80s and 90s, Puerto Ricans were producing their own riddims with influences from hip hop and other styles of music such as salsa, reggae, dancehall. These riddims became the foundation for the modern day reggaeton track. Unfortunately, the larger Puerto Rican society was not ready for reggaeton or Reggae Rap in Spanish. The police aka Babylon, often raided underground rap events, defaming artists on the radio and the distribution of reggaeton tapes. By trying to hold back the underground reggae/rap movement in Puerto Rico, the police helped fuel the fire that would result in what we know today as reggaeton. It was in the underground music scene that famous artists like Daddy Yankee and Don Omar.
In recent years, reggaeton has become bigger than life. Reggaeton albums continue to outsell other genres of music at a time when album sales are down overall. The success of reggaeton can be directly linked the Spanish speaking immigrants and their children in the United States and the internet. Reggaeton artists tour all over the Americas, often selling out stadiums.
Although, reggaeton has influences from various styles of music, there are still some similarities to reggae and more specifically dancehall. Lyrically, most reggaeton songs are about slackness. The beats are different, but there is a certain rhythm to a reggaeton track just like in dancehall. Don’t expect to learn any jamaican patois when listening to most reggaeton, but please feel free to shake your bottom!
Here are some reggaeton tracks to help you get familiar:
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Tego Calderon – Cuando Baila Reggaeton
Daddy Yankee – Lo Que Paso, Paso