Reggaeton

The scene in the summer of 1995; unknown duo from Residencial Luis Llorens Torres in San Juan, rapping at a club on the beach in Puerto Nuevo, Vega Baja

Reggaeton (UK: /ˈrɛɡtn, ˌrɛɡˈtɒn/,[5][6] US: /ˌrɛɡˈtn, ˌrɡ-/),[7][8] also known as reggaetón or reguetón,[9] (Spanish: [reɣeˈton]) is a modern style of popular and electronic music that originated in Panamá during the late 1980s, and which rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s through a plethora of Puerto Rican musicians.[10][11][12] It has been popularized and dominated by artists from Puerto Rico since the early 1990s.[3]

It has evolved from dancehall, with elements of hip hop, Latin American, and Caribbean music. Vocals include toasting/rapping and singing, typically in Spanish.

Reggaetón, today, is regarded as one of the most popular music genres, worldwide; it is the top music genre among the Spanish-speaking Caribbean nations and one of the primary modern genres within the Spanish-language music industry. Seemingly endless artists have risen to fame, not only from the Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Panamá, Dominican Republic, Cuba), but particularly from Colombia (Feid, J Balvin, Karol G, Maluma, Manuel Turizo, etc.) as of around 2010. Argentina has seen a modern surge in young artists inspired by the reggaetón style, fusing their music with Spanish rap verses, trapetón and R&B-style vocals (such as the “Los Del Espacio”, including LIT killah, Tiago PZK, Duki, Emilia, and María Becerra, as well as Argentine pop star Tini).

Several established, world-famous performers—notably Puerto Rican-American Jennifer Lopez and Shakira from Colombia—have embraced the style, recording numerous duets and collaborations with top reggaetoneros. Several other emerging international artists are seeing success in the genre as well, including Catalán-Spanish singer Bad Gyal (from Barcelona) and trilingual Brazilian star Anitta (from Rio de Janeiro). Mexican-American singer Becky G (from Los Angeles, California) has experienced huge success in recent years, as a Latino American artist in the reggaetón genre.[13] In 2004, Daddy Yankee released his smash single “Gasolina”, regarded by many as the first globally-successful reggaetón song; Daddy Yankee is credited with bringing the style to western pop music listeners. By the 2010s, the genre had seen increased popularity across Latin America, as well as modern acceptance within mainstream Western music; during the 2010s, several new award categories (focusing on reggaetón and Latin music) were unveiled at various American music awards shows, notably the English-language American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Grammy Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards.[14]

  1. ^ Castillo, Pamela (6 July 2016). "El reggaetón: cuatro décadas de historia con fusiones latinas". El Comercio (in Spanish). Quito, Ecuador. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Reggaeton's true origins have long been overlooked. An important new podcast sets the record straight". Washington Post. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b "You Love Reggaeton, But Do You Know Where it Came From?". Shondaland. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Vibra Urbana Festival Spotlighted Reggaeton Around the World: Get to Know 15 Artists". Latina.com. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Reggaeton". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  6. ^ "reggaeton". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020.
  7. ^ "reggaeton". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  8. ^ "reggaeton". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference fundeu was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cabrera, María (15 July 2008). "El Reggaetón nació en Panamá". El Diario Vasco. Donostia–San Sebastián, Spain. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Reggaetón nació en Panamá y no en Puerto Rico". ABC Color (in Spanish). Asunción, Paraguay. EFE. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  12. ^ Herrera, Isabelia (11 August 2021). "Reggaeton's History Is Complex. A New Podcast Helps Us Listen That Way". New York Times. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  13. ^ "The rise of reggaeton". The Stanford Daily. 27 April 2018. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  14. ^ "The reggaeton revolution is here, and Nicky Jam saw it coming". NBC News. Archived from the original on 17 November 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2018.