History
The first Reggae recordings in Latin America were made in Panama in the mid-1970s. A large number of Jamaican immigrants, brought in to build the Panama Canal, brought Reggae music with them and introduced it to the local population. Nando Boom is considered one of the first raggamuffin deejays from Panama. Without Panamanian ragga deejays like El General, reggaeton would never have caught on. Some even argue that reggaeton itself started in Panama, and that Puerto Rican artists merely added influences from house music and hip hop. Those, however, are defining elements of the reggaeton sound. Reggae is a style of music developed in Jamaica and is closely linked to the Rastafari movement, though not universally popular among Rastafarians. ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... Panama Canal The Panama Canal is a large canal, 82 kilometres (51 miles) long, that cuts through the isthmus of Panama, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Jamaica’s style of rapping that was the predecessor of today rap/ hip-hop. Ragga muffin (or ragga) is a kind of reggae that includes digitized backing instrumentation. House music refers to a collection of styles of electronic dance music, the earliest forms beginning in the early- to mid- 1980s.
In 1985, rapper Vico C from Puerto Rico produced one of the first Spanish-language hip hop records in Puerto Rico. Thus the two main influences of the genre were in place, as well as the two main producing countries. 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Vico C ( born Armando Lozada Cruz on September 8, 1971) is a Puerto Rican rap singer who was born in New York but raised in Puerto Rico. ...
Reggae production took off seriously in Panama in the early nineties, about the same time Jamaican ragga imports were becoming popular in Puerto Rico. It was common practice to translate an original Jamaican reggae song (the same melody and rhythm, but with translated lyrics). Towards the middle of the decade, Puerto Ricans were producing their own "riddims" with clear influences from hip hop and other styles. These are considered the first proper reggaeton tracks, initially called "under", a short form of "Underground".
The reggaeton scene widened when Puerto Rican and Cuban styles perfused the Panamanian-style reggae. Today, the music flourishes throughout Latin America
Historically there has been an invisible line that has segregated Jamaican music and other Latin dance styles. But that line was breached in Panama, a country with a significant Jamaican population that had migrated south to work on the Panama Canal in the early 20th century.
There's a heated debate about whether reggaeton originated in Panama or Puerto Rico. While it seems obvious that the roots are Panamanian, some of the best know (and earliest) purveyors of today's reggaeton sounds come from Puerto Rico, so the confusion is easily understood.
Panama:
Panamanian El General (Edgardo A. Franco) was one of the pioneers of the Reggaeton sound, returning to Panama from an accounting job in the states to record the new dancehall fusion.
During the 1990s, the reggae sound became more popular in Panama and continued to change as elements of hip hop, rap and other Caribbean music fused with the older reggae dancehall style.
The first Reggae recordings in Latin America were made in Panama in the mid-1970s. A large number of Jamaican immigrants, brought in to build the Panama Canal, brought Reggae music with them and introduced it to the local population. Nando Boom is considered one of the first raggamuffin deejays from Panama. Without Panamanian ragga deejays like El General, reggaeton would never have caught on. Some even argue that reggaeton itself started in Panama, and that Puerto Rican artists merely added influences from house music and hip hop. Those, however, are defining elements of the reggaeton sound. Reggae is a style of music developed in Jamaica and is closely linked to the Rastafari movement, though not universally popular among Rastafarians. ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... Panama Canal The Panama Canal is a large canal, 82 kilometres (51 miles) long, that cuts through the isthmus of Panama, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Jamaica’s style of rapping that was the predecessor of today rap/ hip-hop. Ragga muffin (or ragga) is a kind of reggae that includes digitized backing instrumentation. House music refers to a collection of styles of electronic dance music, the earliest forms beginning in the early- to mid- 1980s.
In 1985, rapper Vico C from Puerto Rico produced one of the first Spanish-language hip hop records in Puerto Rico. Thus the two main influences of the genre were in place, as well as the two main producing countries. 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Vico C ( born Armando Lozada Cruz on September 8, 1971) is a Puerto Rican rap singer who was born in New York but raised in Puerto Rico. ...
Reggae production took off seriously in Panama in the early nineties, about the same time Jamaican ragga imports were becoming popular in Puerto Rico. It was common practice to translate an original Jamaican reggae song (the same melody and rhythm, but with translated lyrics). Towards the middle of the decade, Puerto Ricans were producing their own "riddims" with clear influences from hip hop and other styles. These are considered the first proper reggaeton tracks, initially called "under", a short form of "Underground".
The reggaeton scene widened when Puerto Rican and Cuban styles perfused the Panamanian-style reggae. Today, the music flourishes throughout Latin America
Historically there has been an invisible line that has segregated Jamaican music and other Latin dance styles. But that line was breached in Panama, a country with a significant Jamaican population that had migrated south to work on the Panama Canal in the early 20th century.
There's a heated debate about whether reggaeton originated in Panama or Puerto Rico. While it seems obvious that the roots are Panamanian, some of the best know (and earliest) purveyors of today's reggaeton sounds come from Puerto Rico, so the confusion is easily understood.
Panama:
Panamanian El General (Edgardo A. Franco) was one of the pioneers of the Reggaeton sound, returning to Panama from an accounting job in the states to record the new dancehall fusion.
During the 1990s, the reggae sound became more popular in Panama and continued to change as elements of hip hop, rap and other Caribbean music fused with the older reggae dancehall style.