A NEW SHADE OF RED, WHITE, & BLUE
ANCIRA
The conception of Reggaeton, and how the genre has evolved from a musical subculture to a staple in mainstream music.
Streamers of red, white, and blue line the backyard fence of a suburban American household. It’s the fourth of July, 2017; the entire block is invited to the steak grilling, cornhole tossing, neighbor to neighbor collaboration that the festivities entail. As all the interactions amongst the goers play out, the “Today’s Top hits” playlist on Spotify streams off the host’s bluetooth speaker. Most of the time it serves as no more than catchy background noise that is occasionally hummed or sung along to. This is until the latest hit comes on, during which, by popular demand, the host turns up the volume. This year, it is "Despacito Feat. Justin Bieber (Remix)" by Luis Fonsi.
Luis Fonsi in the music video for his hit song, "Despacito"
The introductory guitar strum plays, and a series of reactions follow. Goers of all ages make sure their circle of conversation knows they love the song, most of the time never failing to say that they don’t know what any of the lyrics mean. Those who don’t call attention to it still effortlessly bob their heads to the beat. There are those couple people who claim that they learned the lyrics and attempt to sing along before the entire function chants “Des-pa-cito!” Who would have thought that the peak of this predominantly white, family-oriented house party would be vibing to a Latin American hit single, let alone on the fourth of July? Of course, the Justin Bieber feature may be a potential answer to this question, but there’s no doubt that it serves as a segue for a global recognition and taste of Latin American music and culture.
Luis Fonsi may seem to have come out of nowhere as far as American pop culture is concerned. This is not the case. In fact, Fonsi released music for almost two decades prior to ‘Despacito’. He has been a consistent figure in Latin American mainstream culture throughout his career, mostly known for singing ballads. Although the record with Justin Bieber may have seemed to be a new, up-and-coming style of pop music for many Americans, the sound of ‘Despacito’ was a long time coming before it was co-opted by mainstream culture. Little do most of these party goers know that this song they rave about is deep rooted in a Latino subculture with a dense history and powerful cultivation that was initially against all odds. The track’s success aside, it serves as only a sliver of the overtly expressive and heavily controversial sound that is Reggaeton.
Luis Fonsi
The basis of what eventually became Reggaeton derived from the construction of the Panama Canal in the early 1900s. While the canal was being built, the site was heavily populated by migrant workers from Jamaica. After the project was completed, many of the Jamaican laborers stayed in Panama. Consequently, much of their music and culture came with them, and is the cause of Panama’s exposure to the large Reggae craze that hit Jamaica in the 1970s, only in this case much of the music was in Spanish. This influenced both Panama and eventually Puerto Rico in the development of a fusion of Salsa, Jamaican and Spanish language reggae, hip hop and rap, all to become Reggaeton.
Although the cultivation of this new sub genre of music was very natural and authentic, the sound was far beneath the mainstream for a long time. This was due to the controversial topics of crime, sex, and drug use being talked about in the lyrics. The culture associated with it was considered dangerous and sleazy; for this reason, Puerto Rican government even took measures to prohibit the distribution and listening of Reggaeton. Records were
Laborers working on the Panama Canal
banned due to the overly explicit content. Vulgarity wasn’t only associated with the lyricism, but also with the dancing that the music entailed. The most popular form of dance related to Reggaeton to this day is referred to as ‘perreo,’ which is the epitome of what most people refer to as "grinding." Although this form of dance is more socially accepted now, 'perreo' was an especially controversial form of dance during the 90s, when measures were being taken to crack down on Reggaeton culture. These beginnings of what has now blown up to be a global phenomenon are very much akin to the origination of hip hop and rap, especially in regards to its consistent struggle with authoritative power.
Fast forward to the present time, Reggaeton has come dramatically far, and is now a reigning power in the realm of mainstream music. Aside from the universally streamed hits such as the previously mentioned “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and “Mi Gente” by J Balvin, Reggaeton is heavily listened to by teenagers in Latin American countries. Even now, the newfound appreciation for this genre is not unanimous. Reggaeton is still widely criticized for lyricism that glorifies violence and drug use, as well as the misogynistic tendencies the writing conveys. This comes to no surprise when looking at examples such as lyrics found in J Balvin’s ‘Ginza’, translated as “Come closer to my pants/We’ll fuck like animals.” Nevertheless, this does not put a halt to its vast consumption by the youth in Latin America. This has been a concern of many parents in these countries who believe that the music will corrupt their children and negatively influence their decisions. Again, very similar to rap and hip hop today. Religious belief is very prevalent in these areas which also puts a damper on the willingness for parents to allow their children to listen to Reggaeton.
If listened to in the background, it may be difficult for a person unfamiliar with the genre to differentiate one song from the next. This is due to the ever consistent beat found in Reggaeton, referred to as “dembow.” It is a simple, two-bar loop that would be verbally expressed as boom-chi-boom-chick. Though simple in its nature, it is infectious and is a staple for the rhythm of most Reggaeton tracks. This rhythm is commonly referred to as a dancehall beat, and has been used in many recent mainstream hits. An example of this is in French Montana’s track titled “Unforgettable” featuring Swae Lee. What differentiates one song from the next is the ways in which the artist decides to body the beat. Daddy Yankee, one of the most recognizable names in Reggaeton music outside of Latin America, is known for his fast paced and consistently hard hitting syllables when he raps. J Balvin, another big name in Reggaeton, is known for his smooth vocals and lyricism. The vocal choices these artists make, no matter how much they differ, all mostly stay within the realm of the dembow beat. Although this does not limit the different types of artists with which they work.
Daddy Yankee
J Balvin
Reggaeton collaborations with American music industry moguls have become more and more common. This has often been in an effort to grant Latin American music artists more exposure in the mainstream. This is a subculture that has felt neglected due to its history and is in the midst of basking in newfound recognition, using American pop stars as an influential asset. Luis Fonsi speaks on this in an interview with the Miami Herald, stating, “Not only have I been able to return to the countries that have been a big part of my success as an artist, but also I’ve been able to perform in several countries for the first time like Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Hungary, Portugal, Sweden and Cyprus to name a few. To see so many people dancing and singing along even though Spanish is not their native language is an incredible feeling. I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to continue doing what I love and also keep growing as an artist.” Other singles, such as J Balvin’s “Mi Gente” featuring Beyonce or “Safari” featuring Pharrell Williams, are also playing a part in the movement that is Reggaeton. American pop features are not the only way Reggaeton artists gain attention outside of Latin america. Many singles are translated in English and released as a separate version, such as “El Perdón,” also known as “Forgiveness,” by Enrique Iglesias and Nicky Jam. This aids the music in being more accessible to listeners.
Cover art for "Despacito"
J Balvin & Pharrell Williams while shooting the music video for "Safari"
It is astonishing to think that small countries such as Panama and Puerto Rico have come so far in regards to their musical achievements. Though many listeners may not be knowledgeable about the history and development of the genre that brought the American fourth of July party “Despacito,” it’s still a step in the right direction of diversifying the taste of mainstream music listeners. It is the hope of many influential Reggaeton artists that this is only the beginning of what will eventually become a commonality of knowledge and streaming of the genre worldwide. But for now, they salute America’s latest national anthem sung the world over, “Despacito.”
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