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Reggaeton (also spelled with the Spanish accent as Reggaetón, and sometimes as Reguetón or Reggeton in Spanish) is a form of dance music which became popular with Latin American (Latino) youth during the early 1990s and spread to North American, European, Asian, and Australian audiences during the first few years of the 21st century. Reggaeton blends Jamaican music influences of reggae and dancehall with those of Latin America, such as bomba and plena, as well as that of hip hop. The music is also combined with rapping (generally) in Spanish. Reggaeton has given the Hispanic youth, starting with those of Panama and Puerto Rico, a musical genre that they can consider their own. The influence of this genre has spread to the wider Latino communities in the United States, as well as the Latin American audience.

While it takes influences from hip hop and Jamaican dancehall, it would be wrong to define reggaeton as the 'Hispanic'- or 'Latino'- version of either of these genres; reggaeton has its own specific beat and rhythm, whereas Latino hip hop is simply hip hop recorded by artists of Latino descent. The specific rhythm that characterizes Reggaeton is referred to as "Dem Bow". The name is a reference to the title of the dancehall song that first popularized the beat in the early 1990s.

Reggaeton's origins represents a hybrid of many different musical genres and influences from various countries in the Caribbean, Latin America and the United States. The genre of Reggaeton however is most closely associated with Puerto Rico, as this is where the musical style later popularized and became most famous, and where the vast majority of its stars originate from.

Reggaeton lyrics tend to be more derived from hip hop than dancehall. Like hip hop, reggaeton has caused some controversy, albeit much less, due to a few of the songs' explicit lyrics and alleged exploitation of women ; supporters claim this criticism is misplaced due to most reggaeton songs having completely clean lyrics, as well as non-violent lyrics. Further controversy surrounds perreo, a dance with explicit sexual overtones which is associated with reggaeton music.

"hardcore" Latin hip-hop artists include Big Pun, Fat Joe, Akwid, and Jae-P. Reggaeton,

Reggaeton across the world

Puerto Rico

Reggaeton is most commonly thought of as originating from Puerto Rico, where it has flourished and spread across Latin America and the international stage. The Puerto Rican influence in reggaeton has involved the addition of hip-hop to the Panamanian reggae style. Puerto Ricans have claimed reggaeton as their own partly due to the fact that the movement was originally anti-establishment, with the government attempting to ban the perreo ("doggystyle") dance. Reggaeton is now more accepted within the commonwealth.

Reggaeton derives from the post-Salsa music youth generation of the 80s and early 90s in Puerto Rico. Before reggaeton exploded in the mid-nineties, young street artists, heavyly influenced by East Coast hip hop and turntablism, rapped over cassette tracks easily acquired within their Commonwealth (United States insular area) status.

This new genre was simply called "underground". It contained very explicit lyrics about drugs, violence, poverty, homophobia, friendship, love, and sex. These common themes, which in many cases depict the troubles of an inner-city life, can still be found in Reggaeton today. "Underground" music was recorded in "marquesinas" (or Puerto Rican open garage) and distributed in the streets via cassettes. By the early 90s "underground" cassettes were being sold in commercial music stores. The genre caught up with the middle class youth and inevitably found its way to the media.

By this time Puerto Rico had a few clubs dedicated to the "underground" scene. Club Rappers in Carolina, and club PlayMakers in Puerto Nuevo were the most notable. Bobby "Digital" Dixon's dembow track was exploited in order to appeal in the context of the club. "Underground" music wasn't intended originally to be club music.

The Puerto Rican chapter of Morality in Media asked the local authorities to intervene and ban selling "underground" music, which subsequently required that all local productions being sold displayed a Parental Advisory label. By 1993 Dj Negro released The Noise 3 with a mock up label that read Non-Explicit Lyrics. The album contained no cursing until the last song. The album was a hit and "underground" music further crept into the mainstream. Senator Velda González of the Popular Democratic Party and the media continued to view the movement as a social nuisance.

Latin America

Reggaeton has been a huge hit all across the globe, especially in Latin American countries like in the Dominican Republic, Central America, and Mexico. Reggaeton has become staple music in most parties and events, complementing the common mix of merengue, salsa and electronic music and has paved a huge fan base. In some countries (such as Venezuela, with Calle Ciega, Doble Impakto and Mr. Brian and Pescozada and Heavy Clan from El Salvador), domestic "reggaetoneros" have arisen, expanding the Pan-Latin feel of the genre.

United States

In the United States, reggaeton is highly popular among Hispanic youth. Reggaeton is now popular in cities all over the United States, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., Houston, Miami, and almost every city with a large Hispanic population.

Europe

Reggaetón has become popular in Spain because of its appeal to Latin American immigrants, particularly those from Ecuador. A Spanish concept called "La Canción del Verano" (The Summer Song), under which a particular song or two define the mood for the season and are regarded unofficially as such by Spanish media, served as the basis for the extreme popularity of reggaetón songs such as Panamanian rapper Lorna's "Papi Chulo (Te traigo el Mmm)" in 2003, and Daddy Yankee's Gasolina in 2005. Puerto Rican and Panamanian reggaetón artists have toured the country, and Spain is developing a cadre of local reggaetón artists of its own.

Reggaetón is also experiencing a boom in Italy, thanks in big part to artists like Don Omar who filmed the video for his song Angelito in Rome, featuring many of the city's historic landmarks.

See also

• List of reggaeton artists and producers

References

1. "Grow Dem Bow". Village Voice. Retrieved 2006-07-24.
2. Wayne Marshall (2006-01-19). "Rise of Reggaeton". The Phoenix. Retrieved 2006-07-24.
3. ^ Andrea Shea (2005-08-25). "Global Hit: August 25, 2005". The World. Retrieved 2006-07-24.
4. AskMen.com - "5 Things You Didn't Know About Reggaeton"
5. Chicago Sun-Times - "Reggaeton comes up from the underground"
6. Phoenix New Times - "Phoenix sizzles with the latest dance music from Puerto Rico"
7. Jamaicans.com - "a new genre of Caribbean dance music"
8. Mundo Reggaeton - "Reggaeton History"
9. BBC News - "Puerto Rico shakes to a new beat"

• Reggaeton
• Music genres
• Puerto Rican styles of music