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Due to the popularity of this article, the author Aisha Al-Muslim will write a follow up to this article. Be sure to check it out in early July.
As
Spanish reggae has gotten popular over the last decade,
Panamanian reggae artists have increasingly felt that their
contributions are being overlooked and their music copied
by Puerto Rican musicians.
There
is even a question about who invented Spanish reggae, which
sounds similar to Jamaican reggae, except for the fact that
its language is usually Spanish, not English.
Though many people believe Spanish reggae was created in
Puerto Rico, I think that it came from Panama. Unlike Puerto
Rico, Panama is home to many West Indians, whose culture
originally produced reggae. They moved to Panama to build
the Panama Canal and stayed to make a life. Spanish reggae
was invented during the 1980’s. Panamanian musicians
like El General and Renato made Spanish reggae popular all
over the world. But in New York, Puerto Rican artists dominate
the airwaves, while Panamanians feel overlooked.
Just
as Puerto Ricans have taken credit for inventing salsa,
they are also getting recognition for inventing Spanish
reggae, which really belongs to Panamanians.
Puerto Rican artists like Vico C and Ivy Queen are well
known for being Spanish reggae musicians, but the artist
who really gave Spanish reggae a good name was EL General.
It seems to me that only Puerto Rican Spanish reggae is
played on the Spanish radio stations here. On the few shows
that include any Spanish reggae at all, the music is by
members of the Reggaeton group of Puerto Rican artists.
Similar groups exist for Honduran and Panamanian musicians,
but their music almost never gets played on the Spanish
radio stations in New York.
Panamanian Spanish reggae artists get angry with Puerto
Ricans, whom they accuse of trying to copy the Panamanian
sound. When I go to Panama, I constantly hear a lot of Panamanian
reggae artist complain about Puerto Rican musicians, saying
that beats are stolen from them and their lyrics are imitated.
A Panamanian reggae artist named Suppose has released a
song in Panama criticizing Puerto Rican reggae for just
not being as good as Panamanian reggae.
My cousin, DJ Black, who is a Panamanian reggae artist,
agrees. Even though Panamanians are not being given credit
for inventing Spanish reggae, Panamanians know that they
invented Spanish reggae and that they have the Caribbean
roots and language to prove it.
Comments
sent in by readers:
Panamanians
just hating on Puerto Rican because we getting money
of Puerto Rican reggae which means Ricans make
better Spanish reggae.panama only had 1 big reggae
artist which was el general and he use to record his
music in Puerto rico get ya facts str8 |
I had a comment in response to the article "The roots Of Spanish Reggae". While it is true that Panamanians may have had their own form of Reggaeton for quite some time, I have never heard it be referred to as reggaeton. I have listened to El General, as well as Vico C for a long time now. I think the two styles may be related, BUT, I think they are two SEPARATE styles that were formed in two different countries, from SIMILAR origins. They are both Caribean/African derived rhythms, there's no need to argue! Also, there are West Indian immigrants in many places throughout the Caribean as well as Latin America, not just Panama, and this is well documented. Reggae as well as Rap have been popular in Puerto Rico for a long time, and these as well as Bomba y Plena, and Salsa, are the roots of Puerto Rican Reggaeton. Does this Panamanian form have anything to do with the Puerto Rican form? It may, but I'm not so certain of that. It sounds to me that the Panamanians are now mad because Puerto Ricans are getting world wide recognition for something that they have actually been doing for awhile. Reggaeton was the underdog for a long time, and could not get played on really any radio station. Now that it's popular they want to claim it?! Why not before when it was the underdog?! The only people claiming it were the Puerto Ricans! I believe the reason that reggaeton has become so popular in the U.S. is due to the amount of Puerto Ricans living in the U.S., whom support this form of music. Puerto Ricans do not take credit for Salsa, that is an assumption made due to the U.S.-Cuban Embargo, which prohibits many Cuban artists from selling or performing in the U.S., not to mention that Cuban Americans do not want anyone contributing to the Castro government by buying or going to concerts by Cuban nationals. Therefor much of the Salsa that you hear is from Puerto Ricans, not to mention that some Cubans immigrated to Puerto Rico. Also, much of Salsa was also created in N.Y. from Cuban rhythms, not only by Cubans, but Puerto Ricans as well.
Also, Panamanian reggae DOES not have the same beats as Puerto Rican reggaeton! Puerto Rican reggaeton sounds more raw.
SINCE WHEN IS PUERTO RICO NOT IN THE CARIBBEAN?! For God Sakes! You can probably hear Jamaican radio stations from Puerto Rico!
By the way, I can remember when the only Spanish Reggae that I heard on the radio, was El General, due to reggaeton not being marketable.
-tiadelabahia@sbcglobal.net
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