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Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s.Reggaetón nació en Panamá y no en Puerto Rico
/ref> It was later popularized in Puerto Rico. It has evolved from
dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
and has been influenced by American hip hop, Latin American, and Caribbean music. Vocals include
rapping Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
and singing, typically in Spanish. Reggaeton is regarded as one of the most popular music genres in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, Panama, Dominican Republic, Cuba,
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
, and Venezuela. Over the 2010s, the genre has seen increased popularity across Latin America, as well as acceptance within mainstream Western music.


Etymology

The word ''reggaeton'' (formed from the word ''reggae'' plus the
augmentative An augmentative (abbreviated ) is a morphological form of a word which expresses greater intensity, often in size but also in other attributes. It is the opposite of a diminutive. Overaugmenting something often makes it grotesque and so in so ...
suffix ) was first used in 1988 when El General's representative Michael Ellis gave it that name to describe it as "''reggae grande''" (big reggae). The spellings ''reggaeton'' and ''reggaetón'' are common, although prescriptivist sources such as the
Fundéu BBVA The FundéuRAE (''Fundéu'' being an acronym for es, Fundación del Español Urgente, lit=Foundation of Emerging Spanish) is a non-profit organization founded in February 2005 in Madrid, Spain. The foundation was created in collaboration with t ...
and the ''
Academia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua Española The Academia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua Española (Spanish for ''Puerto Rican Academy of the Spanish Language'') is an association of academics and experts on the use of the Spanish language in Puerto Rico. It was founded in San Juan on Januar ...
'' recommend the spelling ''reguetón'', as it conforms more closely with traditional Spanish spelling rules."Reguetón"
. Fundéu BBVA. Retrieved 20 January 2012. "The adaptation 'reguetón' is appropriate and already has a certain use. Therefore it is the recommended form. If the original form is used, it would be written in italics, although since it is a mix of an English word and a Spanish one, there are reasons to write it with tilde and without it (problem solved by the completely adapted form)."
"Ya No Sería 'Reggaetón' Sino 'Reguetón
. El Mundo. Retrieved 20 January 2012. "The music genre Puerto Ricans Daddy Yankee, Don Omar and Calle 13 are spreading through the world has a name; it is pronounced 'reguetón', but there is no consensus of how to write it in Spanish; the Puerto Rican Academy of the Spanish Language will propose that it be written how it is said."


History

Often mistaken for reggae or ''reggae en Español'', reggaeton is a younger genre that originated in the late-1980s in Panama and since then hasfrom become popularized by Puerto Rican artists.
/ref> It had its origins in what was known as Rap y reggae "underground" music, due to its circulation through informal networks and performances at unofficial venues. DJ Playero and DJ Nelson were inspired by hip hop and
Dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
to produce " riddims", the first reggaeton tracks. As Caribbean and African-American music gained momentum in Puerto Rico, reggae rap in Spanish marked the beginning of the Boricua underground and was a creative outlet for many young people. This created an inconspicuous-yet-prominent underground youth culture which sought to express itself. As a youth culture existing on the fringes of society and the law, it has often been criticized. The Puerto Rican police launched a campaign against underground music by confiscating cassette tapes from music stores under penal obscenity codes, levying fines and demonizing rappers in the media. Bootleg recordings and word of mouth became the primary means of distribution for this music until 1998, when it coalesced into modern reggaeton. The genre's popularity increased when it was discovered by international audiences during the early 2000s. The new genre, simply called "underground" and later "''perreo''", had explicit lyrics about drugs, violence, poverty, friendship, love and sex. These themes, depicting the troubles of inner-city life, can still be found in reggaeton. "Underground" music was recorded in ''marquesinas'' (or
carports A carport is a covered structure used to offer limited protection to vehicles, primarily cars, from rain and snow. The structure can either be free standing or attached to a wall. Unlike most structures, a carport does not have four walls, and us ...
) by creators using second-hand recording equipment, mostly. The cassettes were then sold or distributed on the streets from the trunk of a car.Mayra Santos, "Puerto Rican Underground", ''Centro vol. 8 1 & 2'' (1996), p. 219-231. Many of the recordings were made in small ''marquesinas'' and at public "housing complexes such as Villa Kennedy, and Jurutungo". Despite that, the quality of the cassettes was good enough to help increase their popularity among Puerto Rican youth. The availability and quality of the cassettes led to reggaeton's popularity, which crossed socioeconomic barriers in the Puerto Rican music scene. The most popular cassettes in the early 1990s were DJ Negro's ''The Noise I'' and ''II'' and DJ Playero's 37 and 38. Gerardo Cruet, who created the recordings, spread the genre from the marginalized residential areas into other sectors of society, particularly private schools. By the mid-1990s, "underground" cassettes were being sold in music stores. The genre caught on with middle-class youth, then found its way into the media. By this time, Puerto Rico had several clubs dedicated to the underground scene; Club Rappers in Carolina and PlayMakers in Puerto Nuevo were the most notable.
Bobby "Digital" Dixon Bobby or Bobbie may refer to: People * Bobby (given name), a list of names * Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh * Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea * Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwriter * Bobby, old slang for a constabl ...
's " Dem Bow" production was played in clubs. Underground music was not originally intended to be club music. In South Florida, DJ Laz and Hugo Diaz of the Diaz Brothers were popularizing the genre from Palm Beach to Miami. Underground music in Puerto Rico was harshly criticized. In February 1995, there was a government-sponsored campaign against underground music and its cultural influence. Puerto Rican police raided six record stores in San Juan, hundreds of cassettes were confiscated and fines imposed in accordance with Laws 112 and 117 against obscenity. The Department of Education banned baggy clothing and underground music from schools. For months after the raids local media demonized rappers, calling them "irresponsible corrupters of the public order." In 1995, DJ Negro released ''The Noise 3'' with a
mockup In manufacturing and design, a mockup, or mock-up, is a scale or full-size model of a design or device, used for teaching, demonstration, design evaluation, promotion, and other purposes. A mockup may be a ''prototype'' if it provides at leas ...
label reading, "Non-explicit lyrics". The album had no cursing until the last song. It was a hit, and underground music continued to seep into the mainstream. Senator
Velda González Velda González de Modestti (April 10, 1933 – April 20, 2016) was a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, comedian, politician and former senator. She was a member of the Senate of Puerto Rico from 1981 to 2005. Early years and studies Velda Gonzále ...
of the Popular Democratic Party and the media continued to view the movement as a social nuisance. During the mid-1990s, the Puerto Rican police and National Guard confiscated reggaeton tapes and CDs to get "obscene" lyrics out of the hands of consumers. Schools banned hip hop clothing and music to quell reggaeton's influence. In 2002, Senator González led public hearings to regulate the sexual "slackness" of reggaeton lyrics. Although the effort did not seem to negatively affect public opinion about reggaeton, it reflected the unease of the government and the upper social classes with what the music represented. Because of its often sexually-charged content and its roots in poor, urban communities, many middle- and upper-class Puerto Ricans found reggaeton threatening, "immoral, as well as artistically deficient, a threat to the social order, apolitical". Despite the controversy, reggaeton slowly gained acceptance as part of Puerto Rican culture — helped, in part, by politicians including González who began to use reggaeton in election campaigns to appeal to younger voters in 2003. Puerto Rican mainstream acceptance of reggaeton has grown and the genre has become part of popular culture, including a 2006 Pepsi commercial with Daddy Yankee and PepsiCo's choice of Ivy Queen as musical spokesperson for Mountain Dew. Other examples of greater acceptance in Puerto Rico are religiously- and educationally-influenced lyrics; ''Reggae School'' is a rap album produced to teach math skills to children, similar to ''
School House Rock ''Schoolhouse Rock!'' is an American interstitial programming series of animated Musical film, musical educational short films (and later, videos) that aired during the Saturday-morning cartoon, Saturday morning children's programming block on the ...
''. Reggaeton expanded when other producers, such as DJ Nelson and DJ Eric, followed DJ Playero. During the 1990s, Ivy Queen's 1996 album ''
En Mi Imperio ''En Mi Imperio'' (English: ''In My Empire'') is the debut album by Puerto Rican reggaeton singer-songwriter Ivy Queen released on House of Music Records and distributed by Sony International Records on September 2, 1997. The album gained her t ...
'', DJ Playero's ''Playero 37'' (introducing Daddy Yankee) and ''The Noise: Underground'', ''The Noise 5'' and ''The Noise 6'' were popular in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Don Chezina, Tempo,
Eddie Dee Eddie Alexander Ávila Ortiz (born April 26, 1977), originally known by his stage name Eddie Dee, is a Puerto Rican hip hop recording artist, lyricist and dancer. He began his career in 1990 and launched his debut studio album three years later ...
, Baby Rasta & Gringo and Lito & Polaco were also popular. The name "reggaeton" became prominent during the early 2000s, characterized by the dembow beat. It was coined in Puerto Rico to describe a unique fusion of Puerto Rican music. Reggaeton is currently popular throughout Latin America. It increased in popularity with Latino youth in the United States when DJ Joe and DJ Blass worked with
Plan B Plan B typically refers to a contingency plan, a plan devised for an outcome other than in the expected plan. Plan B may also refer to: * Plan B, a brand name of levonorgestrel, an emergency contraception drug Film and television * Plan B En ...
and
Sir Speedy Sir Speedy is a printing and marketing services company headquartered in Mission Viejo, California, United States. Founded in 1968, the company has nearly 600 franchises Franchise may refer to: Business and law * Franchising, a bus ...
on ''Reggaeton Sex'', ''Sandunguero'' and ''Fatal Fantasy''.


2004: Crossover

In 2004, reggaeton became popular throughout the United States and Europe. Tego Calderón was receiving airplay in the U.S., and the music was popular among youth. Daddy Yankee's ''
El Cangri.com ''El Cangri.com'' is the second studio album by Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee. It was released in 2002 by V.I. Music. The album was a success in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic with songs "Latigazo", "Muévete y Perrea", "¡Dimelo!" ...
'' became popular that year in the country, as did
Héctor & Tito Héctor & Tito, were a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo famous for their song "Ay Amor", featuring salsa singer Víctor Manuelle, which was the group's only charting song in the United States. They are widely regarded as one of the most influential an ...
.
Luny Tunes Luny Tunes are a reggaeton production duo consisting of Francisco Saldaña (Luny) and Víctor Cabrera (Tunes) who have been known for creating unique musical rhythms for some of the most popular reggaeton artists since the early 2000s. Biograph ...
and Noriega's '' Mas Flow'', Yaga & Mackie's ''
Sonando Diferente Yaga & Mackie are a reggaeton duo from Puerto Rico. They are signed to Los Mackieavelikos Inc. Discography Studio albums * 2002: ''Sonando Diferente'' * 2004: ''Clase Aparte'' * 2005: ''La Moda'' * 2007: ''La Reunión'' * 2008: ''Los Mackieav ...
'', Tego Calderón's '' El Abayarde'', Ivy Queen's '' Diva'', Zion & Lennox's '' Motivando a la Yal'' and the '' Desafío'' compilation were also well-received. Rapper N.O.R.E. released a hit single, " Oye Mi Canto". Daddy Yankee released '' Barrio Fino'' and a hit single, "
Gasolina "Gasolina" ( en, "Gasoline") is a song on Daddy Yankee's 2004 album ''Barrio Fino''. It features uncredited vocals from Glory, who sings the line "dame más gasolina" (meaning "Give me more gasoline"). The song was released as the album's lead ...
", opening the door for reggaeton globally. Tego Calderón recorded the singles "Pa' Que Retozen" and "Guasa Guasa". Don Omar was popular, particularly in Europe, with "
Pobre Diabla Pobre Diabla may refer to: *Pobre Diabla (Mexican TV series), a 2009 telenovela *Pobre Diabla (Peruvian TV series), a 2000 telenovela *"Pobre Diabla", a song by Don Omar from the album ''The Last Don Live ''The Last Don Live'' is a live album by ...
" and " Dale Don Dale". Other popular reggaeton artists include
Tony Dize Tony Feliciano Rivera (born May 31, 1982), better known by stage name Tony Dize, is an American singer of Puerto Rican descent. His first recorded performance was from the album ''Blin Blin, Vol. 1'', with Wisin & Yandel in 2003, after which he c ...
, Angel & Khriz, Nina Sky, Dyland & Lenny,
RKM & Ken-Y Rakim & Ken-Y is a reggaeton duo formed in 2003 by José Nieves (Rakim) and Kenny Vázquez (Ken-Y). The artists are renowned in the Latin music world for being the first to successfully fuse mainstream pop music with the reggaeton street rhythms ...
, Julio Voltio, Calle 13,
Héctor Delgado Hector () is an English, French, Scottish, and Spanish given name. The name is derived from the name of Hektor, a legendary Trojan champion who was killed by the Greek Achilles. The name ''Hektor'' is probably derived from the Greek ''ékhein'', m ...
, Wisin & Yandel and Tito El Bambino. In late 2004 and early 2005, inspired by the success of "Gasolina", Shakira collaborated with
Alejandro Sanz Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, better known as Alejandro Sanz (; born 18 December 1968), is a Spanish musician, singer and composer. Sanz has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He has received the Latin Grammy for Latin Grammy Awar ...
to record " La Tortura" and "La Tortura – Shaketon Remix" for her album, '' Fijación Oral Vol. 1'', further popularizing reggaeton. Four reggaeton songs were sung at the
2005 MTV Video Music Awards The 2005 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2005, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The show was hosted by Diddy at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The big winner of the night was Green Day, who ...
: by Don Omar (" Dile"), Tego Calderón, Daddy Yankee, and Shakira with Sanz – the first time any reggaeton song was performed on that stage. Musicians began to incorporate
bachata Bachata may refer to: * Bachata (music), a genre of Latin American music **Traditional bachata, a subgenre of bachata music * Bachata (dance), a dance style from the Dominican Republic * Bachatón, a hybrid bachata/reggaeton music style * "Bachata ...
into reggaeton,Raquel Z. Rivera, Wayne Marshall and Deborah Pacini Hernandez
"Reggaeton"
Duke University Press. 2009. pg. 143-144
with Ivy Queen releasing singles ("
Te He Querido, Te He Llorado "Te He Querido, Te He Llorado" (English: "I Have Loved You, I Have Cried For You") is a song by Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican reggaeton, reggaetón recording artist Ivy Queen, from her fifth studio album, ''Flashback (Ivy Queen album), Flashb ...
" and "La Mala") featuring bachata's signature guitar sound, slower, romantic rhythms and emotive singing style. Daddy Yankee's " Lo Que Paso, Paso" and Don Omar's "Dile" are also bachata-influenced. In 2005 producers began to remix existing reggaeton music with bachata, marketing it as '' bachaton'': "bachata, Puerto Rican style".


2006–2017: Topping the charts

In May 2006, Don Omar's ''
King of Kings King of Kings; grc-gre, Βασιλεὺς Βασιλέων, Basileùs Basiléōn; hy, արքայից արքա, ark'ayits ark'a; sa, महाराजाधिराज, Mahārājadhirāja; ka, მეფეთ მეფე, ''Mepet mepe'' ...
'' was the highest-ranking reggaeton LP to date on the U.S. charts, debuting atop the Top Latin Albums chart and peaking at number seven on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Omar's single, "Angelito", topped the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' Latin Rhythm Radio Chart. He broke
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
' in-store-appearance sales record at Downtown Disney's Virgin music store. In June 2007, Daddy Yankee's '' El Cartel III: The Big Boss'' set a first-week sales record for a reggaeton album, with 88,000 copies sold. It topped the Top Latin Albums and Top Rap Albums charts, the first reggaeton album to do so on the latter. The album peaked at number nine on the ''Billboard'' 200, the second-highest reggaeton album on the mainstream chart.
Artist Chart History – Daddy Yankee An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, the ...
– Billboard.com – Accessed 10 November 2008
The third-highest-ranking reggaeton album was Wisin & Yandel's '' Wisin vs. Yandel: Los Extraterrestres'', which debuted at number 14 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number one on the Top Latin Albums chart later in 2007. Billboard.com – Artist Chart History – Wisin & Yandel/ref> In 2008 Daddy Yankee soundtrack to his film, '' Talento de Barrio'', debuted at number 13 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. It peaked at number one on the Top Latin Albums chart, number three on ''Billboard's'' Top Soundtracks and number six on the Top Rap Albums chart. In 2009, Wisin & Yandel's '' La Revolución'' debuted at number seven on the ''Billboard'' 200, number one on the Top Latin Albums and number three on the Top Rap Albums charts. By 2008, Reggaeton was the "biggest-selling genre of Latin music" and one of its artists, Tego Calderon, was using it to describe and encourage
black pride Black Pride in the United States is a movement which encourages black people to celebrate African-American culture and embrace their African heritage. In the United States, it was a direct response to white racism especially during the Civi ...
.


2017–present: "Despacito" effect

In 2017, the music video for " Despacito" by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee reached one billion views in less than three months. From January 2018 to November 2020, the music video was the most viewed YouTube video of all-time. With its 3.3 million certified sales plus track-equivalent streams, "Despacito" became one of the best-selling Latin singles in the United States. The success of the song and its remix version led Daddy Yankee to become the most listened-to artist worldwide on the streaming service Spotify on 9 July 2017, being the first Latin artist to do so. He later became the fifth most listened-to male artist and the sixth overall of 2017 on Spotify. In June 2017, "Despacito" was cited by ''Billboard''s Leila Cobo as the song that renewed interest in the Latin music market from recording labels in the United States. Julyssa Lopez of ''The Washington Post'' stated that the successes of "Despacito" and J Balvin's " Mi Gente" is "the beginning of a new Latin crossover era." Stephanie Ho of Genius website wrote that "the successes of 'Despacito' and 'Mi Gente' could point to the beginning of a successful wave for Spanish-language music in the US." Ho also stated that "as 'Despacito' proves, fans don't need to understand the language in order to enjoy the music", referring to the worldwide success of the song, including various non-Spanish-speaking countries.


"Te Boté" and the minimalist dembow

In April 2018, "Te Boté" was released by Nio Garcia, Casper Magico,
Darell Darell is a given name derived from an English surname, which was derived from Norman-French , originally denoting one who came from Airelle in France. There are no longer any towns in France called Airelle, but is the French word for huckleberry. ...
, Ozuna, Bad Bunny and Nicky Jam. It reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs chart. It currently has over 1.8 billion views on YouTube. Many artists began to mark strong commercial trends in a market dominated by mixing Latin trap and reggaeton followed by a new minimalist dembow rhythm. For example, songs such as "Adictiva" by Daddy Yankee and Anuel AA, "Asesina" by Brytiago and Darell, "Cuando Te Besé" by Becky G and Paulo Londra, "No Te Veo" by Casper Magico and many other songs have been made in this style.


Characteristics


Rhythm

The dembow riddim was created by Jamaican
dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
producers during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Dembow consists of a kick drum, kickdown drum, palito, snare drum, timbal, timballroll and (sometimes) a high-hat cymbal. Dembow's percussion pattern was influenced by dancehall and other West Indian music (
soca Soca or SOCA may refer to: Places * Soča, a river in Slovenia and Italy * Soča, Bovec, Slovenia * Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport, by ICAO code * Soca, a village in Banloc Commune, Timiș County, Romania * SoCa, Southern California Other u ...
, calypso and cadence); this gives dembow a pan-Caribbean flavor. Steely & Clevie, creators of the Poco Man Jam riddim, are usually credited with the creation of dembow. At its heart is the 3+3+2 ( tresillo) rhythm, complemented by a bass drum in 4/4 time. The riddim was first highlighted by Shabba Ranks in " Dem Bow", from his 1991 album '' Just Reality''. To this day, elements of the song's accompaniment track are found in over 80% of all reggaeton productions. During the mid-1980s, dancehall music was revolutionized by the electronic keyboard and drum machine; subsequently, many dancehall producers used them to create different dancehall riddims. Dembow's role in reggaeton is a basic building block, a skeletal sketch in percussion. In Reggaeton 'dembow' also incorporates identical Jamaican riddims such as Bam Bam, Hot This Year, Poco Man Jam, Fever Pitch, Red Alert, Trailer Reloaded and Big Up riddims, and several samples are often used. Some reggaeton hits incorporate a lighter, electrified version of the riddim. Examples are " Pa' Que la Pases Bien" and " Quiero Bailar", which uses the Liquid riddim. Since 2018 a new variation of the Dembow rhythm has emerged; Starting with Te Bote, a sharper minimalist Dembow has become a stable of Reggaeton production which has allowed for more syncopated rhythmic experiments.


Lyrics and themes

Reggaeton lyrical structure resembles that of hip hop. Although most reggaeton artists recite their lyrics
rapping Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
(or resembling rapping) rather than singing, many alternate rapping and singing. Reggaeton uses traditional verse-chorus-bridge hip hop structure. Like hip hop, reggaeton songs have a hook which is repeated throughout the song.
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
ethnic identity is a common musical, lyrical and visual theme. Unlike hip-hop CDs, reggaeton discs generally do not have parental advisories. An exception is Daddy Yankee's ''
Barrio Fino en Directo ''Barrio Fino en Directo'' is the second live album by Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee, released on December 13, 2005, by El Cartel Records and distributed by Interescope Records. The album is a live collection of songs from Daddy Yankee's previ ...
'' (''Barrio Fino Live''), whose live material (and with
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
in " Gangsta Zone") were labeled explicit. Snoop Dogg and Daddy Yankee filmed the video for "Gangsta Zone" in Torres Sabana housing projects in Carolina, Puerto Rico on January 27, 2006. Shot in grayscale, Daddy Yankee said the video depicts "the real way we live on the island". Artists such as
Alexis & Fido Alexis & Fido, a.k.a. Los Pitbulls,Reggaetón 'Pitbulls' Ready To S ...
circumvent radio and television censorship by sexual innuendo and lyrics with
double meaning A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...
s. Some songs have raised concerns about their depiction of women. Although reggaeton began as a mostly-male genre, the number of women artists has been a slowly increasing and include the " Queen of Reggaeton", Ivy Queen,
Mey Vidal Mey Vidal (born October 10, 1984) is a Cuban reggae en Español, Dance hall, and reggaeton singer and composer. Born in Palma Soriano, a city in Santiago de Cuba Province, is one of the first to represent the female genre in the reggaeton ...
, K-Narias, Adassa,
La Sista La Sista (Maidel Amador Canales) is a female reggaeton singer.Gutierrez, Evan C.La Sista Biography, Allmusic, retrieved December 16, 2010 From Loíza, Puerto Rico, several members of her family are also musicians. She got a big break at the age ...
and Glory.


Dance

''Sandungueo'', or ''perreo'', is a dance associated with reggaeton which emerged during the early 1990s in Puerto Rico. It focuses on grinding, with one partner facing the back of the other (usually male behind female). Another way of describing this dance is "back-to-front", where the woman presses her rear into the pelvis of her partner to create sexual stimulation. Since traditional couple dancing is face-to-face (such as square dancing and the waltz), reggaeton dancing initially shocked observers with its sensuality but was featured in several music videos. It is also known as
daggering Daggering is a form of dance originating from Jamaica. The dance incorporates the male dancer ramming his crotch area into the female dancer's buttocks, and other forms of frantic movement. Daggering is not a traditional dance; it is of recent orig ...
, grinding or juking in the English-speaking areas of the U.S.


Popularity


Latin America

Over the past decade, reggaeton has received mainstream recognition in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, where the genre originated from, including Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama, the Dominican Republic,
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
and Venezuela, where it is now regarded as one of the most popular music genres. Reggaeton has also seen increased popularity in the wider Latin America region, including in
El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
,
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
,
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
, Nicaragua,
Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador and Peru. In Cuba, reggaeton came to incorporate elements of traditional Cuban music, leading to the hybrid Cubaton. Two bands credited with popularizing Cubaton are Máxima Alerta (founded in 1999) and
Cubanito 20.02 Cubanito, also known by the former name Cubanito 20.02, is a Cuban reggaeton/ cubaton band. The band is credited, along with the band Máxima Alerta, with popularizing cubaton, though Cubanito is influenced more by Jamaican music, whereas Máxima ...
. The former is notable for fusing Cubaton with other genres, such as son Cubano,
conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...
, cumbia,
salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...
, merengue, and Cuban rumba, as well as styles and forms such as rap and ballads, whereas the latter's music is influenced more by Jamaican music. The government of Cuba imposed restrictions on reggaeton in public places in 2012. In March 2019, the government went a step further; they banned the "aggressive, sexually explicit and obscene messages of reggaeton" from radio and television, as well as performances by street musicians. The first name of reggaeton in Brazil was the Señores Cafetões group, who became known in 2007 with the track "Piriguete" - which at the time was mistakenly mistaken by Brazilians for hip hop and Brazilian funk because reggaeton was still a genre almost unknown in the country. In Brazil, this musical genre only reached a reasonable popularity around the middle of the decade of 2010. The first great success of the genre in the country was the song "Yes or no" by Anitta with Maluma. One of the explanations for reggaeton has not reached the same level of popularity that exists in other Latin American countries is due to the fact that Brazil is a Portuguese-speaking country, which has historically led it to become more isolationist than other Latin American countries in the musical scene. The musical rhythm only became popular in the country when it reached other markets, like the American. The genre is now overcoming the obstacle of language. Some of the biggest names in the Brazilian music market have partnered with artists from other Latin American countries and explored the rhythm.


United States

The New York-based rapper N.O.R.E., also known as Noreaga, produced Nina Sky's 2004 hit " Oye Mi Canto", which featured Tego Calderón and Daddy Yankee, and reggaeton became popular in the U.S.Marshall, Wayne. "The Rise of Reggaeton". oston Phoenix 19 January 2006. Daddy Yankee then caught the attention of many hip-hop artists with his song "
Gasolina "Gasolina" ( en, "Gasoline") is a song on Daddy Yankee's 2004 album ''Barrio Fino''. It features uncredited vocals from Glory, who sings the line "dame más gasolina" (meaning "Give me more gasoline"). The song was released as the album's lead ...
", and that year XM Radio introduced its reggaeton channel,
Fuego (XM) Fuego is the Spanish word for "fire". It may also refer to: Places *Volcán de Fuego, a stratovolcano in Guatemala *Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago off the southern tip of South America * Punta Fuego, a headland in the Philippines Music *F ...
. Although XM Radio removed the channel in December 2007 from home and car receivers, it can still be streamed from the XM Satellite Radio website. Reggaeton is the foundation of a Latin-American commercial-radio term, hurban, a combination of "Hispanic" and "urban" used to evoke the musical influences of hip hop and Latin American music. Reggaeton, which evolved from dancehall and reggae, and with influences from hip hop has helped Latin-Americans contribute to urban American culture and keep many aspects of their Hispanic heritage. The music relates to American socioeconomic issues, including gender and race, in common with hip hop.


Europe

Although reggaeton is less popular in Europe than it is in Latin America, it appeals to Latin American immigrants, especially in Spain. A Spanish media custom, ''"La Canción del Verano"'' ("The Song of the Summer"), in which one or two songs define the season's mood, was the basis of the popularity of reggaeton songs such as "Baila Morena" by
Héctor & Tito Héctor & Tito, were a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo famous for their song "Ay Amor", featuring salsa singer Víctor Manuelle, which was the group's only charting song in the United States. They are widely regarded as one of the most influential an ...
and Daddy Yankee's "Gasolina" in 2005.


Asia

In the Philippines, reggaeton artists primarily use the Filipino language instead of Spanish or English. One example of a popular local reggaeton act is Zamboangueño duo Dos Fuertes, who had a dance hit in 2007 with "Tarat Tat", and who primarily uses the
Chavacano language Chavacano or Chabacano is a group of Spanish-based creole languages, Spanish-based creole language varieties spoken in the Philippines. The variety spoken in Zamboanga City, located in the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao, has the hi ...
in their songs. In 2020, Malaysian rapper
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released the single and music video "China Reggaeton" featuring Anthony Wong. It is the first time reggaeton was sung in the Chinese languagea of Mandarin and Hakka and accompanied by traditional Chinese instruments like the erhu,
pipa The pipa, pípá, or p'i-p'a () is a traditional Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments. Sometimes called the "Chinese lute", the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets rang ...
and
guzheng The zheng () or gu zheng (), is a Chinese plucked zither. The modern guzheng commonly has 21, 25, or 26 strings, is long, and is tuned in a major pentatonic scale. It has a large, resonant soundboard made from ''Paulownia'' wood. Other co ...
, creating a fusion of reggaeton and traditional Chinese musical styles.


Criticism

Despite the great popularity of the genre as a whole, reggaeton has also attracted criticism due to its constant references to sexual and violent themes. Mexican singer-songwriter
Aleks Syntek Raúl Alejandro Escajadillo Peña (born 29 September 1969), known by his stage name, Aleks Syntek, is a Mexican singer and songwriter. He has earned nine nominations for the Latin Grammy Awards, a Grammy nomination, five nominations for the MT ...
made a public post on social media complaining that such music was played on Mexico City's airport in the morning with children present. By 2019, other singers who expressed dismay over the genre included vallenato singer
Carlos Vives Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo (born 7 August 1961) is a Colombian singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his interpretation of traditional music styles of Colombia such as vallenato, cumbia, champeta, bambuco and porro as well as genres ...
and
Heroes Del Silencio Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
singer
Enrique Bunbury Enrique Ortiz de Landázuri Izarduy (born 11 August 1967), best known as Enrique Bunbury, is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He has been described as "by far the most international star of Spanish rock." He was propelled to fame as lead singer ...
. That same year, some activists stated that reggaeton music gives way to misogynistic and sadistic messages. Some reggaeton singers have decided to counteract such accusations. One notable example is singer
Flex Flex or FLEX may refer to: Computing * Flex (language), developed by Alan Kay * FLEX (operating system), a single-tasking operating system for the Motorola 6800 * FlexOS, an operating system developed by Digital Research * FLEX (protocol), a comm ...
, who in 2009 committed himself to singing songs with romance messages, a sub genre he dubbed “romantic style”.


See also

*
List of reggaeton musicians This is a list of notable reggaeton artists (musicians, singers and producers) and groups. Argentina *Bizarrap *Cazzu * Duki * Emilia * J Mena *Khea * Lali * Lit Killah *María Becerra *Nathy Peluso *Nicki Nicole *Oriana *Paulo Londra *Tiago ...
* Reggae en Español *
Panamanian reggaetón Brief description In Panama, reggaetón is a musical genre that is a combination of reggae, Jamaican dancehall, hip hop, soca, Bomba, Plena and various Caribbean music styles. Lyrics to reggaetón are typically sexually explicit and are generally ...
*
Dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
* Calypso *
Soca Soca or SOCA may refer to: Places * Soča, a river in Slovenia and Italy * Soča, Bovec, Slovenia * Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport, by ICAO code * Soca, a village in Banloc Commune, Timiș County, Romania * SoCa, Southern California Other u ...
*
Latino poetry Latino poetry is a branch of American poetry written by poets born or living in the United States who are of Latin American origin or descent and whose roots are tied to the Americas and their languages, cultures, and geography. Languages The ...
* Nuyorican * Kwaito


References


External links

* * {{Music in spanish Reggae genres Fusion music genres Puerto Rican styles of music Panamanian styles of music Urbano music genres 2000s in Latin music 2010s in Latin music 2020s in Latin music Articles containing video clips