Reggaeton is a popular style of Latin urban music that had its origins in Puerto Rico during the early 1990s. It was influenced by dancehall music and American hip-hop as well as Caribbean music. This type of music features both rapping and singing mainly in Spanish. Reggaeton features a special dembow rhythm beat first produced in Jamaica in the 1980s and the name itself is a combination of the word reggae (a type of music from Jamaica) and the suffix –tón which is used in Spanish to show something is bigger or greater. 

Reggaeton began in the poorer neighborhoods of San Juan, Puerto Rico and originally featured lyrics about the challenges facing young people in that area in the 1990s. It was an underground music that was often recorded in carports known as marquesinas and then distributed informally in the streets by way of cassette tapes. Many of these carports were located in social housing complexes but the cassettes were still of a good enough quality that within a short time youth of all social classes became fans.

Reggaeton and its associated hip-hop style of baggy clothing was banned in schools in the mid to late 1990s and was often suppressed by the police. However, this new music style began to become more popular as it was used in election campaigns by politicians to appeal to younger voters in the early 2000s. One of the earliest Reggaeton acts named Daddy Yankee even appeared in a 2006 Pepsi commercial. In the same year, Don Omar’s tune King of Kings was the highest ranked Reggaeton album on the US charts.

Reggaeton finally made a huge name for itself in 2017 when Luis Fonsi debuted Despacito featuring Daddy Yankee. The music video for this song reached over 1 billion views in under three months and became one of the best-selling Latin singles in US history. Today many young artists such as J Balvin and Maluma both from Colombia, as well as Ozuna, Farruko and Bad Baddy all from Puerto Rico are continuing to have great success in this genre consistently topping the Latin charts. 

Colombia can be divided into five natural regions: the Andean mountains, the Pacific coast, the Caribbean coast, the Amazon rainforest and the plains or llanos. These regions have come to play a key role in the development of the various dance and music styles of Colombia.While many people around the world are familiar with famous Colombian pop artists such as Shakira and reggaeton stars such as Maluma, the traditional dances such as cumbia are also popular abroad. 

Perhaps the most popular folkloric dance is Cumbia. This dance dates back to the colonial period and is particularly popular on the Caribbean coast. Cumbia is accompanied by music that is played on drums, flutes and other percussion instruments. It has its roots in both the African and indigenous ancestry of this region. While dancing, the women wear long colorful skirts and they make a circle around the men who are also in traditional outfits including a sombrero which they take on and off during the dance. The men’s clothing often features a white ranch style outfit with a red scarf and the dance is often performed barefoot. 

The tango reached a wider audience in the early 1900s, when it was brought to Paris, France by Argentinian sailors. By the years leading up to World War I it was a worldwide sensation. Upper class Argentinians back home that had previously turned their nose up at it due to its associations with criminals and the lower classes, now embraced it and the previously lewd lyrics were cleaned up. By the early 1930s the tango was in its golden age and no one person better epitomizes this era than the singer Carlos Gardel.

Born abroad in 1890, Gardel moved to Argentina at the age of two and grew up in the Abasto neighborhood of Buenos Aires. After having started his career singing in bars and private parties he soon rose to fame with his beautiful baritone voice and photogenic features. He began touring internationally in the 1920s and was wildly popular throughout Latin America. Unfortunately, his life was cut short when he died in a plane crash in 1935. His death at a young age has immortalized his image in Argentina. Luckily many of his recordings are still available for listening today. To view an original video clip of Gardel performing one of his most famous songs, Mi Buenos Aires Querido click here.

The tango remains popular today and tourists in large numbers descend on Buenos Aires every year to visit various venues in which to view live tango or even take lessons themselves. Opportunities to view the tango vary from impromptu dances on the streets to formal sit-down dinner shows featuring a variety of dancers and musicians. A student of mine who has recently returned from Buenos Aires highly recommends Bar Sur as THE place to go to see live tango in Buenos Aires.

Flamenco is a dance that originated in the south of Spain in the region of Andalucía in the 18th-century. This area of Spain has been heavily influenced by Arabic culture as Arab people were in power here from 711 until 1492. Flamenco also has roots in the gitano or Roma (gypsy) culture.

Traditional flamenco comes in two varieties: jondo, which invokes a type of mournful and soulful singing and carries deep emotional meaning, and a more lighthearted version, alegría, which means happiness in Spanish.  Nowadays there are dozens of newer versions of flamenco as artists around the world experiment with this art form. One thing remains constant however, the rhythms are very complex and take a long time to master.

There are three parts to Flamenco: the guitarist, the singer and the dancer(s). Both males and females can take any part but one most commonly sees male singers and guitarists with female dancers. Generally a performance is broken up into sets with the dancers taking turns dancing alone, in pairs or small groups. Dancers use numerous props to accentuate their movements including their dresses, shawls, castanets and colorful fans called abanicos as well as special high-heeled flamenco shoes that make the distinctive tapping sound on the wooden stage.

Flamenco continues to be very popular in Spain, especially in the city of Seville. Since 1980 a bi-annual month-long festival by the name of Bienal de flamenco has been held there in the month of September in even numbered years. It features numerous performances of both traditional and modern takes on flamenco. Another way to catch live flamenco in Spain is by visiting tablaos. These flamenco bars are open late into the night and serve local specialties such as sangría, an alcoholic beverage made of wine, citrus fruits, rum and carbonated water. Also on offer are Spanish appetizers called tapas. These are commonly made with shrimp, octopus, and chorizo, a spicy Spanish sausage.

If you are heading to Seville on holiday here is a website for information on seeing live shows. Luckily you do not have to fly all the way to Seville to see flamenco as we have a great venue right here in Vancouver. Grab some friends and head down to Kino Café in the Cambie Village showcasing live flamenco Wednesday through Sunday nights.