Reggaetón emerged from an underground Spanish-language reggae-rap scene in Puerto Rico and Panama, with a direct musical lineage traceable to Jamaican reggae, and now defines artists like Bad Bunny.
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At 59:44 · chapter starts 55:30
Reggae's export journey is one of music's great diffusion stories. In Britain, the Windrush Generation — Caribbean migrants who arrived in the UK post-WWII — brought their music with them to London, which became the genre's de facto second city. [1] — Chuck "The Windrush Generation brought Caribbean music to London after World War II, and reggae's 2-and-4 rhythm lodged itself deep in British cul…" 55:20 The 2-and-4 rhythm lodged itself into the DNA of British acts across the spectrum: from ska-adjacent groups like The Specials, Madness, and UB40 to punk-adjacent artists like The Clash and even the Sex Pistols. Johnny Rotten was a reggae fan, and Public Image Limited — which he founded after the Pistols — has Lee Scratch Perry-style dub running through it. In Africa, South African and Ivory Coast artists took up Rastafari culture; in Uganda and Ghana, reggae artists like Bobi Wine became actual political leaders. In New Zealand, Bob Marley's 1979 Auckland concert lit a spark in Māori musicians who adopted and transformed the genre with their own vocal harmonies. The hip-hop connection runs through DJ Kool Herc, born in Kingston, who brought Jamaican toasting to the Bronx at age 12. [2] — Chuck "Reggaetón didn't come from nowhere. It emerged from underground Spanish-language reggae-rap scenes in Panama and Puerto Rico, drawing direc…" 59:44 And the reggaetón line from Kingston to Bad Bunny via Puerto Rico and Panama closes the circle on reggae's global reach.
Bob Marley's 1979 Auckland concert sparked a Māori reggae movement in New Zealand, with Māori musicians adopting the genre and infusing it with their own vocal harmonies and culture.
DJ Kool Herc, widely credited as a founding father of hip-hop, was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and brought Jamaican toasting traditions with him when he moved to the Bronx at age 12.
Reggaetón didn't come from nowhere. It emerged from underground Spanish-language reggae-rap scenes in Panama and Puerto Rico, drawing directly on Jamaican reggae's rhythms and attitude. The line from Kingston to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance is a straight one.
The Frozen soundtrack was the best-selling album of 2014, selling 10 million copies including streaming equivalents — beating Taylor Swift's 1989.
Most music historians point to 1968 as the year reggae was definitively born, marked by songs like Desmond Dekker's 'The Israelites' and the first use of the word 'reggae' by Toots and the Maytals.
Mento, the earliest predecessor to reggae from the 1940s–50s, blended African work songs with European musical influences and featured instruments like banjo, guitar, and the rumba box.
Transistor radios allowed Jamaicans to tune into Miami R&B stations for the first time in the 1950s–60s, directly inspiring ska and setting the stage for reggae.
Rocksteady, the slower, vocal-heavy predecessor to reggae, was popular for just about two years but produced major hits including the original 'Tide Is High' and 'Ain't No Sunshine.'
Joe Higgs' 1960 debut hit 'Manny-O' with Higgs and Wilson was one of the first records ever pressed and sold in Jamaica, selling 50,000 copies — a remarkable figure for the era.
Two days after being shot in the chest and shoulder at his home in 1976, Bob Marley still performed the Smile Jamaica anti-violence concert, showing extraordinary commitment to peace.
Catch a Fire (1972) is considered the Wailers' first full-blown reggae album, despite the group having released approximately four albums prior that were more R&B in style.
DJ Kool Herc, widely credited as a founding father of hip-hop, was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and brought Jamaican toasting traditions with him when he moved to the Bronx at age 12.
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