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§QGlossary

What is reggaeton?

Urban genre born in Puerto Rico mixing Jamaican reggae, dancehall and hip-hop with the dembow rhythmic pattern.

Explanation

Reggaeton fuses Caribbean reggae with 90s hip-hop and Jamaican dancehall. It exploded out of Puerto Rico in the 90s and went global with Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderón, Bad Bunny and Karol G. Its sonic signature is the dembow pattern, a 4/4 with syncopated emphasis on the third beat.

Examples

  • Bad Bunny - Tití Me Preguntó
  • Karol G - PROVENZA
  • Daddy Yankee - Gasolina
  • J Balvin - Mi Gente

Frequently asked

  1. Where does reggaeton come from?

    From Panama (reggae en español) and Puerto Rico (underground), late 80s and 90s.

  2. What is dembow?

    Reggaeton's basic rhythmic pattern: 4/4 with a syncopated accent on the third beat. The name comes from Shabba Ranks's 'Dem Bow'.

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