Reggaeton Music and Dances

Discover reggaeton music and its exotic dances...

Young music lovers in Latin Australia, Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America popularised this brand of urban music that is now dubbed "Reggaeton". It is a fine mix of Latin pop, R&B, bolero, hip hop, bachata, merengue, plena, bomba, salsa - all from Latin America; and blended with Jamaican rub-a-dub reggae. The roots of Reggaeton are readily traced to Panama and Hispanic youth who took pleasure in rapping and singing often in spanish.

Talk of rhythm and beat, Raggaeton is got it, and made a fine point of laying claim to it's unique "Dem Bow" style. Remember way back in the 90's when Shabba Ranks made it to the top of the chats with his dancehall song. But the lyrics of Raggaeton are more slanted toward hip hop than dancehall and its genre is referenced in Puerto Ricco where it was popularized and made famous.

The Reggaeton Beat 
It's the reggaeton beat, or Dem Bow, that drives the music and dances. The beat is described as a drum-machine track that originated with Jamaican dancehall rhythm. Reggaeton combines a syncopated snare and steady kick drum to create an unusual rhythm. There's a 4/4 beat emphasized by the kick drum, and the snare starts with the "and" of the 3rd 8th note and right on the 4th 8th note. There are about 95 beats per minute, and the result is a magnified "boom-ch-boom-chick" sounding beat.

Reggaeton beat sounds are usually synthesized electronically. There are also simple melodies created with electronic instruments, keyboards, and electric guitars. The beats are versatile, and can be based on bolero, hip-hop, salsa, merengue, bachata, or other similar beats. 

The Reggaeton Dance
Sensual (and controversial) dancing can often be seen in reggaeton clubs or on music videos. The perreo type dance is a form of grinding dance derived from Puerto Rico. The dance puts women in control of the dance and is very provocative in its nature. Perreo moves are popular in dancehall, rhythm and blues, and hip-hop music as well. A slightly calmer form of reggaeton dancing is cumbia, which was originally a folk dance and music from Colombia. Like perreo, the cumbia dance is flirtatious in nature with the women luring the men toward them and then pushing them away.

Some of the leading artists in reggaeton include CandyMan, Esko, Fito Blanko, Nicky Jam, La Fabrica, Don Miguelo, Daddy Yankee, De la Ghetto, DJ Blass, Baby Rasta & Gringo, Don Chezina, Lito & Polaco, Eddie Dee, Adassa, El Chombo, and Tony Touch. Some popular producers of reggaeton music are Eliel, Luny Tunes, and Noriega.

With the widespread popularity of reggaeton music, there are now many radio stations specializing in this type of music. There are also online radio venues where fans can download music, listen online, or watch the reggaeton music video of choice. The major benefit of online radio is fans can listen to their favorite music or watch their favorite videos around the clock.