Reggaeton (Puerto Rico)

Reggaeton is a music genre that began in Panama in the 1990s and grew in popularity when it reached Puerto Rico. It evolved from dancehall and incorporates elements of American hip hop, Latin American, and Caribbean music.

Population: 2,768,364 million people (2021)

Official languages: Spanish and English 

Main Ethnic groups: White mainly of Spanish origin 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%

Capital:  San Juan 

Culture: Puerto Rican culture is a combination of Taino, Spanish, and African traditions as a result of various contacts between local Taino people and Spanish settlers. In today's Puerto Rico, you may observe elements of all three.

Something good to know: Puerto Ricans are recognised for their great hospitality, and are frequently described as being outgoing and welcoming to outsiders!

Issues: The biggest issue Puerto Rico is currently facing is their ageing population. There are fewer working-age individuals in the economy as a result of the ageing population. It is causing the economy to struggle to fill in-demand jobs, suffer from lower productivity, higher labour costs, delayed company development, and worse international competitiveness. Another issue in Puerto Rico is that it is owned by the U.S and they are NOT even permitted to vote in US elections. Because Puerto Rico is not a state, a panel of US judges unanimously agreed in 2010 that the US constitution does not grant Puerto Ricans the right to vote for members of the House of Representatives. This is a problem because they are underrepresented in U.S politics because they have no political voice. The U.S is not very interested in Puerto Rico therefore The US government doesn't assist them enough with the resources they require to maintain a strong territory. For example during Hurricanes. 

Challenge: Hurricanes have posed a significant threat to Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria was the most recent hurricane to hit Puerto Rico, and it was a deadly category 5 storm. The damage caused by this terrible hurricane was $91.61 billion USD. Some areas of Puerto Rico are still recovering three years later from Hurricane Maria.

Benefit:There is a benefit though of being owned by the U.S, because Puerto Ricans are citizens of the United States, they are free to travel, live, work, and reside in both countries. There is no need for a visa or passport.

Geography: Mountains, coastal lowlands, and karst country are the three main geographic regions of Puerto Rico. Mountainous terrain covers more than 60% of the island. The Cordillera Central, Sierra de Cayey, Sierra de Luquillo, and Sierra de Bermeja are the four mountain ranges that dominate the island's interior.

National Dish: Arroz con gandules is the national dish but Puerto Rico is known for many other delicious foods like empanadas, Rellenos de papa, Tostones and Maduros, Pasteles, Mofongo and Arroz con Dulce! 

Reggaeton is the music style I will be talking about!

Dem Bow is a common reggaeton rhythm. This rhythm can be traced back to Jamaica. Samplers, bass synthesizers, timbales, guiras, drum machines, cuatros, and flamenco guitars are commonly used instruments in Reggaeton music. Reggaeton is usually very explicit and can contain some very sexisit lyrics. The themes in this music style are drugs, violence, friendship, love, sex and poverty. Many of the themes investigated contradicted not only political values but also religious values. It became taboo to listen to reggaeton, and many venues were raided or closed down, such as The Noise (the most popular reggaeton club) in New York, which had to change locations five times.

My all-time favourite reggaeton artist is Daddy Yankee. Daddy Yankee rose to underground success in hidden locations and eventually increased in popularity as Puerto Rican beliefs became more secular. He currently has around 40.2 million monthly listeners. Critics and fans have labelled Daddy Yankee the "King of Reggaetón." In 1994, he created the term reggaeton to describe the new music genre emerging from Puerto Rico. Many Latin urban performers look up to him as a major influence.

Reggaeton artists are not required to wear a specific outfit or costume; however, the majority of reggaeton artists dress in baggy clothes and wear everything BIG. They do this to show that they are rebelling against mainstream culture. Baggy clothing is worn by reggaeton artists like Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny to draw attention away from their bodies and toward their music.

Reggaeton is one of my favourite genres of music because of how unique, catchy, and upbeat it is. Reggaeton is distinct in that it combines Jamaican reggae and dancehall influences with Latin American influences such as bomba and plena, as well as hip hop and spanish rapping. I find that Super cool!

"Cuando escucha el reggaeton en la cocina."

"A ella le gusta la gasolina, Dame más gasolina"

Translation:

"When she hears reggaeton in the kitchen."

"She likes it with (gasoline), give me more gasoline"

When Daddy Yankee says "Cuando escucha el reggaeton en la cocina." "A ella le gusta la gasolina, Dame más gasolina". I relate to him because from what I understand he is saying when he hears reggaeton in the kitchen he feels super excited and fired up like how I feel when I listen to reggaeton. The reason I related gasoline to being fired up is because I am imagining reggaeton is like gasoline for humans. It keeps us happy like how gasoline keeps cars happy. 

Daddy Yankee stated that the song Gasolina, which he wrote, was about energy independence. Many people were taken aback because they assumed he was referring to alcohol or drugs. Everyone was looking for a hidden meaning in his lyrics, which is why this song was such a huge success. Daddy Yankee insisted it is more straightforward than what people assumed.

Reggaeton was the fifth most popular genre in the US in 2018. According to a BuzzAngle survey that analyses music consumption data, reggaeton outperformed traditional country music in the United States, capturing 10.8 percent of the music consumption market in 2018, compared to 7.9 percent for the cowboy's rhythm.

There is data illustrating Donald Trump's cultural conflicts in the United States, which are characterised by the former president's anti-immigrant stance. Even though the songs are about cars and unrequited love, listening to reggaeton has almost become a political act. Which has made it even more popular.

"THE MUSIC STREAMING REVOLUTION WAS THE KEY TO THE GLOBALIZATION OF URBAN MUSIC. REGGAETON HAS GONE GLOBAL THANKS TO STREAMING PLATFORMS AND SOCIAL MEDIA" -MAURICIO MENDOZA

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCF1_jI8Prk 

4 Global Economic Issues of an Aging Population. (n.d.). Investopedia. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from  https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/011216/4-global-economic-issues-aging-population.asp 

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Fast Facts About Puerto Rico. (n.d.). Welcome to Puerto Rico. Retrieved September 29, 2021, from  https://welcome.topuertorico.org/fastfacts.shtml 

A Primer on Puerto Rican Dishes: The Cuisine To Try More Than Ever Right Now. (n.d.). Lunch Rush. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from  https://www.ezcater.com/lunchrush/office/primer-puerto-rican-dishes-cuisine-try-ever-right-now/ 

Puerto Rican Culture—Rich with History and Tradition. (n.d.). Family Search. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from  https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/puerto-rican-culture-tradition/ 

Puerto Rico sees more pain and little progress three years after Hurricane Maria. (n.d.). NBC NEWS. Retrieved September 29, 2021, from  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/puerto-rico-sees-more-pain-little-progress-three-years-after-n1240513 

What Languages Are Spoken In Puerto Rico? (n.d.). World Atlas. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from  https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-puerto-rico.html 

Reyes, R. R. (19–12-18). Latin Trap. Arcgis.  https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/61d166d09baa44b2989eeb498ac48f74