Although many people believe reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico, in
reality its roots came from Panama. For decades, Panama's multicultural
society allowed music, like Spanish reggae and
dancehall, to flourish. These genres are the foundation of reggeaton. In fact,
Spanish reggae was created and popularized by
Panamanians of Jamacian descent.
Over time, Spanish reggae became more than just
entertainment: it evolved into a symbol of black pride. Artists would
often sing about their experiences and voice their opinions on issues such
as the racism and police brutality in Panama.
Another place that was influential for reggaeton was Puerto Rico and the
U.S.. People often travelled back and forth from these areas, resulting in
a constant flow of culture and music, particularly
dancehall and hip-hop. Hip-hop resonated with Puerto Ricans because artists like Vico C used
his music to depict Puerto Ricans' struggles with poverty, violence, and
drugs. These topics and traditions were passed down to reggaeton.
Reggaeton, first known as underground, was born out of the fusion of American, Latin and Caribbean music.
Reggaeton first appeared and could only be heard in a small, crowded club
in Puerto Rico called The Noise. In its early years, influential DJs would have their own group of
reggaeton artists and they then would have lyrical battles with other
groups. The earlier era of reggaeton had a sense of unity because these
artists were just trying to get out of the slums and poverty. Despite
artists getting some traction, they were often so poor that they had to
resort to selling drugs and had to be sponsored by drug dealers. This
meant that violence was common, and an increase of tension among the major
DJs didn't help.
The environment for reggaeton became more
complex with the implementation of the policy
Mano Dura in the early 1990s. This policy kicked
out the drug dealers from the poor neighborhoods, and continued to attack
not just the poor but the underground music. Eventually, the national
guard began taking away reggaeton cassettes and shutting down clubs. Not
long after, politician Velda Gonzalez and the
rest of society attempted to control the genre's raunchy and erotic lyrics
and videos. Artists did not clean up their lyrics until they chose to work
towards commercializing their music.
In the early 2000s, reggaeton blew up thanks to Tego Calderon and Daddy Yankee. Many corporations scrambled to sign on artists. Money poured in from albums, festivals, award shows, and commercials to the point that several artists became caught up in the fame and power. The brotherhood everyone felt when reggaeton first started was forgotten as the competiton became more fierce. Not to mention, corporations never understood reggaeton and thought it was going to be a fad. The companies restricted artists' creativity by pressuring artists to use the same formula when making new songs. This caused true reggaeton fans to worry that reggaeton may come to an end.
In Medellin, Colombia, everyone loved reggaeton to the point that it
became part of their culture. Reggaeton artists were so touched by the
love they received that they often moved there. These artists then started
to fuse reggaeton and Vallenato, a Colombian music genre, elements together to honor the country that
fully embraced and inspired them.
This evolution was further
established when Colombian artists like J Balvin, and Reykon became
famous. These artists brought back the sense of unity that had originated
with the genre. This resulted in an increase in remixes and collaborations
between artists. This revamp of reggaeton led to a new level of popularity
for the artists as they continue to create global hits. Although the genre
has changed significantly over the past few decades, its origins and
evolution across the American continent proves the genre's ability to
adapt, survive, and unite not only Latinos, but people from all over the
world.
I only covered just a few topics that revolve around
reggaeton. To gain a more vivid and detailed description of the people who
impacted reggaeton and all the decisions that made reggaeton what it is
today, I highly recommend the Spotify podcast
"Loud"
hosted by the Queen of Reggaeton, Ivy Queen. She does an amazing job
explaining how reggaeton's musical characteristics have changed throughout
the years.