Reggaeton Music

Reggaeton is a form of urban music which became popular with Latin American youth during the early 1990s and spread over the course of 10 years to North American, European, Asian, and Australian audiences. Originating in Panama, Reggaeton blends Jamaican music influences of reggae and dancehall with those of Latin America, such as bomba, plena, salsa, merengue, latin pop and bachata as well as that of hip hop, R&B, and electronica. However, Reggaeton is also combined with rapping or singing in Spanish. Reggaeton has given the Hispanic youth a musical genre that they can consider their own.

Reggaeton's roots are from Panama. The music eventually made its way and continued evolving and coming to prominence in Puerto Rico. Reggaeton started as an adaptation of Jamaican reggae to the Spanish language and overall culture in Panama. The origins of reggaeton begin with the first reggae recordings being made in Panama during the 1970s. Reportedly, the Jamaican influence on Panamanian music has been strong since the early 20th century when Jamaican laborers were used to help build the Panama Canal.