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“El Reggaeton Talks About Unity”, Boricua René Pérez, resident de Calle 13, declared in his song ‘Mis Discalpas’. A line that perfectly summarizes the history of the music industry whose culture has always been focused on growth through collaboration and fusion with other Latin American genres.

After two decades of dominance in the Latin American commercial music industry and just over five years as the main genre on the global music scene, it appears that reggaeton is facing a downgrade for the first time since its advent. Is. Mainstream, Nevertheless, its success has accomplished the important task of breaking down cultural barriers and has contributed to the development of other musical styles in Latin America.

This finding is especially interesting in a year when Bad Bunny became the first Latin American to headline the Coachella Festival, the most outstanding annual music event in the United States. Furthermore, this year has been witness to the media development of Karol ji’s international career. However, there is a notable absence of other artists to accompany these leaders, who have already had enough years as heroes of the genre, to be the industry’s global music bells.

With Daddy Yankee retiring and J.J. With Balvin in the background, this year the genre has struggled to maintain the interest it has accumulated since 2017. The lack of globally relevant albums and the paucity of new talent in Dembo’s panorama have contributed to this slump. Recent media moments have included returns to the studio by veterans who are now celebrities, such as Tego Calderón and Ivy Queen, and releases by emerging artists who are yet to become historical figures of the genre, such as Young Miko and Quevedo.

According to Spotify, for a period of five years, reggaeton maintained an annual consumption growth of more than 100%, and during the same period, three of its representatives were placed in the top 10 of the most listened-to artists in the whole world. Notably, Bad Bunny established himself as the most influential musician for four years in a row. However, these percentages are now credited to other genres and artists.

Gateway to a New Latinidad

Contrary to expectations, it is not that British imperial influence has finally succeeded in suppressing foreign culture in their respective regions, but we must remember that along with the increase in Latinity, we are witnessing the astonishing peak of the K-pop industry. are also watching. On the other hand, other genres from the same regions are achieving impressive numbers and gaining media attention that was previously exclusive to Puerto Rican reggaeton.

It took a little more than three years of uncertainty regarding the rapid growth of digital consumption in the so-called Mexican regional, so that this effect was finally visible in the physical world. The streets of the area have become colored by the sounds of refinement, contrabajo and trumpets characteristic of corridos tambados, from being drenched in urban-style electronic rhythms.

The undeniable presence of artists such as Junior H, Natanel Cano and Peso Pluma has changed the music landscape. Peso Pluma, in particular, has emerged as the first Latin American to become the favorite to win the Grammy for Best New Artist. He has dominated digital platforms, appeared on Billboard covers and has been placed among the 10 most listened to artists on Spotify in Latin America. Interestingly, only one of these 10 artists is outside of the Mexican regional realm, and that is Bad Bunny.

A Chilean journalist recently told me that before the arrival of Corridos, Mexican music was non-existent in his country. Today, South American artists are adopting the style, blending an inherently Mexican expression with their own attitudes and sensibilities.

Reggaeton in change, a vision of the Latin future

What is really going on? Record my earlier conversation with Spanish singer-songwriter C. Tangana, who with his album El Madrileño (2020), Evolved from a traditional trapper to an orchestra director who managed to capture the essence of the diverse Latin American musical currents and connect them to their roots as well as update them. A sound map that covers all of Latin America.

It strikes me that given reggaeton’s influence on global pop culture, there can be said “The success is already there, but now I believe it is time to do things that have more cultural significance and relevance, success and sound not unique all over the world. I believe that reclaiming the roots or tradition can help us achieve this.

This approach is unique to Tangana. The avant-garde of traditional Spanish-language styles has been promoted from within the reggaeton industry. A relevant example is the album El Mal Querer (2018) of Rosalia, in which he participated in the same Tangana. The work was seminal to Spanish culture because it merged trap with flamenco in the bogue, a genre so ingrained that it lacked innovation for decades. It parallels the influence of corridos tambados while introducing elements of reggaeton pop into the tradition of corridos.

how is the public Mainstream Are you bored with the existence of this style that was developing in the north of the country and the south of the United States? Bad Bunny decided to record a collaboration with then-teenage Natanel Cano after he was charmed by the viral run ‘El Diablo’. Their version incorporated the most representative elements of their reggaeton-trap style, including the distinctive shot-outs they used. X100 PRE (2018)With the narrative tradition of the corrido and its acoustic arrangements.

What’s more, it’s modern style—traditional—using reggaeton is nothing new. At that time, Daddy Yankee experimented with elements of bachata in such hits as ‘Lo Que Paso Paso’ and ‘Ella Mi Levanto’, which also led to the birth of one of the first sub-genres of reggaeton, El Bachatón. Tego Calderón, on the other hand, mixed reggaeton with Afroantillian bomba. El Abayarde (2003) And Eddie Dee did it himself in this classic with his greatest love, salsa. 12 Disciples (2002).

It should be remembered that corridos tumbados blend the aesthetics and themes of reggaeton pop with the musical tradition of the north of the country with which its interpreters have evolved. According to accounts, one could consider this genre to be a hybrid of reggaeton and there is no way one could believe that a movement that claims the importance of a musical tradition like Corrido Hubiera could have achieved success without its presence. The levels may be an international preview of the Afro-Caribbean style.

Rethinking Reggaeton and Embracing a Latin Future

Reggaeton was easy to export because it combined the digestible modernity of rap and electronic pop, styles already popular in the United States and Europe, with distinctive elements of Latin American culture. Now, with reggaeton’s worldwide consolidation, it’s easy to incorporate its approach into a celebration of Latin American identity before audiences are less familiar with it, due to the simple fact that they already hear reggaeton on a daily basis. Have consumed small doses of it. Afro-Caribbean style influence.

Thanks to the ubiquity of Latin culture inspired by reggaeton, Latin American artists and musicians have the flexibility to explore various musical currents “from the ground up”, as well as work to gain worldwide attention. “I’m trying to do something current, something modern with my folktales that is available to all generations around the world, not just those who only listen to that folktale”, I signed the hanging. “(Latin culture in the world) needs to be established at all levels, not sales level or numbers, but cultural level”.

In the same song with which I began this article, the Resident narrates “You said I was reggaeton, you said I was tango, bossa nova, cumbia, batucada, mambo. fusion concept”, Calle 13 was ahead of its time, as reggaeton would be the catalyst that would lead to the popularization and pioneering of all Latin American musical expressions in the years to come. We just have to wait, as Corridos is the first evidence of this upward trend.