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In Panama, dancehall reggae sung in
Spanish language Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...
by artists of Latin American origin is known as ''Reggae en Español'' (in English, Spanish reggae). It originated in the late 1980s in Panama. ''Reggae en Español'' goes by several names; in Panama, it is called "''La Plena panameña''". Currently, reggae en Español contains three main subgenres: reggae 110, ''reggae bultrón'', and romantic flow. In addition, and although technically they would not fall into the category of ''reggae en Español'' even though it derived from Jamaican dancehall rhythms, ''reggae en Español'' also includes two music fusions: Spanish dancehall and reggae soca.


History


Early developments

Reggae as a
music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
al genre has its origins in
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
, and it became popular throughout the 1970s in the black-immigrant communities of the other British West Indies,
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
, and Great Britain. Jamaican reggae was embraced in Panama by the descendants of black workers that immigrated to the Isthmus during the construction of the Panama Railroad (mid-19th century), the railways for the banana companies (late 19th century), and the
Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...
(early 20th century). Prior to the period of construction of the Panama Canal (1904–1915), most of the Afro-Caribbean communities in Panama were of Haiti descent, but with the construction of the canal these communities grew in diversity with immigrants from other parts of the Caribbean such as
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
,
Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...
, Martinique,
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...
, Haiti,
Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...
, Dominica, Puerto Rico, French and British Guyana and other
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
Islands. In 1977, a Guyanese immigrant who went by the nickname "Guyana", along with a local DJ known as "Wassabanga" introduced for first time the reggae rhythms in Panama with lyrics in Spanish. Wassabanga's music along with later interpreters such as Rastanini and Calito Soul, were perhaps the first remarkable cases of reggae en Español, at a time when many Panamanians were already developing a musical and spiritual bond with the Mecca of reggae music ( Kingston, Jamaica), a bond catalyzed mainly by the call to arms issued by the music of
Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...
.Manuel, Peter. ''Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae'', 2 edition. March 28, 2006. Temple University Press. Retrieved on 2009-02-10. In 1984, Hernando Brin produced the first record in Panamá of reggae in Spanish on vinyl, called "Treatment", composed by Calvin Caldeira (Omega) from Guyana, Hector Watler(Mesias), Erick Green (Gringo), Edgert Robinson (Body) and Hernando Brin (Super Nandi). The record was produced by record label Prodim in Panama, and it included the first song "Padre Por Favor Educa a los Niños" ("''Father Please Educate the Children''")."Soy el 1er cantante de reggae en Panamá (I'm the first singer of reggae in Panama)"
/ref> In the early to mid-1980s, Panamanians like Renato, El General, Nando Boom, El Maleante and Chicho Man started to take Jamaican dancehall songs and beats, singing over them with Spanish lyrics, most of the time preserving the melodies and the rhythms. They also sped up riddims. This style was called ''reggae en Español'' or "Spanish reggae". The music continued to grow throughout the 1980s, with many stars developing in Panama. Between the 1980s and 1990s, the Panamanian artist Chicho Man emerged as one of the greater exponents of Panamanian reggae. In his short five-year career as an artist, he introduced the "romantic" element in Spanish reggae, and produced only one LP which included songs like "La Noche Que Te Conocí", "Lady in Red", "Llega Navidad", "Muévela", "No Quiero Ir a Isla Coiba" and "Un Nuevo Estilo". His songs were recorded in a warehouse, where a Panamanian producer called Calito LPD produced reggae instrumental tracks and recorded them on cassette. After serving a term in a US prison, he announced his withdrawal from the reggae scene to become a Christian preacher.Chicho Man, the missionary of God
/ref> In the 1990s, the genre had grown in Panama. In 1991, singer Apache Ness with Papa Chan, Kafu Banton, Calito Soul, Wassa Banga, and Original Dan decided to join forces and create the foundation "One Love One Blood" singing about urban street experiences under the rhythm called ''reggae bultrón''. In 1996 came artists such as Aldo Ranks, El Renegado, and Jam & Suppose who sang the hit "Camión Lleno de Gun". Jr. Ranks and Tony Bull already had good records with late singer Danger Man and they formed the musical group called The Killamanjaros. Later in Panama, the romanticism had been mixed with reggae and ''reggae romántico'' ("romantic reggae"), now better known as "romantic flow". Those who keep alive the reggae with romantic lyrics are the following: Flex (aka Nigga), El Roockie, El Aspirante, Kathy Phillips, Eddy Lover, Tommy Real, Makano, Catherine, as well as groups like Raíces y Cultura and La Factoría who became famous by the Panamanian producer Irving DiBlasio.MiDiario.Com: "DIBLASIO catolic music awards". Url
/ref> In the year 1996, considered the golden age of Panamanian reggae, appeared the productions ''Los Cuentos de la Cripta'' and ''La Mafia'' by producer El Chombo, with songs like "Las Chicas Quieren Chorizo" ("''The Girls Want Chorizo''") by Wassabanga, "El Cubo de Leche" by Jam & Suppose and "Estaban Celebrando" by Aldo Ranks. The Museum of Reggae in Spanish was inaugurated on April 19, 2023. It is located on Calle 13 in the Santa Ana neighborhood of Panama City. This museum was created by Raul Isaac Alvarez who is a fan of the reggae music. The idea behind the museum was to show Panama's contribution as the pioneers of reggae in Spanish and how this country influenced others such as Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Central America. The Museum of Reggae in Spanish has recognized the 10 pioneers of the genre including El General, Rude Girl, Renato, Nando Boom, Chicho Man, Carmensita Anderson, Gringo Man, Apache Ness, Super Nandi and Principal.


References


External links

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Dasvibes Reggae

Reggae Argentino

Reggae en españa

Reggae en Costa Rica

Reggae en Venezuela

El Rasta – Reggae en español

Puertoreggae – Reggae en Puerto Rico

Raíces Rústicas – Reggae Lounge


Official reggae in Spanish websites


Plena507

Reggae.com.pa

PanamaReggaeNextplena.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reggae En Espanol 20th-century music genres Reggae genres Urbano music genres Caribbean music genres Panamanian styles of music Jamaican styles of music