Let me confess that I have been addicted to Reggaeton or Latin Urban for about 2 years now. I know absolutely nothing about the history of it until last week.

I know it must be related to Reggae given the name. Now I know the beat comes from Spanish Reggae, Dancehall Reggae, Dominican Dembow. Reggae was brought to Panama from Jamaica by the Jamaicans working on the canal. Then Reggaeton was shaped in New York with the final touch of Hip Pop influence. Lots of Latino immigrants settled in the same area, South Bronx, where Hip Hop was born. The mixture of sounds traveled back to Puerto Rico, arguably the center of Reggaeton.

I love how a little bit of curiosity can lead me to such fascinating history. Reggaeton was born in the clubs and I fell in love with Reggaeton and many other Latin dance music in the clubs. It has the raw magic to move your body through the beats. I love the fact it is a diaspora product representing the creativity and potential when different cultures and communities interact with each other organically. It is so much more than the Despacito. I was also shocked to find out that some of the well recognized pop songs have hidden Reggaeton beats.