Chapter 1
The Panamanian foundation
Chapter 2
Puerto Rico goes underground
Chapter 3
The magic of the Dem Bow
Chapter 4
Global takeover and the streaming era
YOUR GOAL
Master of The history of reggaeton
Ch 1 · The Panamanian foundation
chino The Panamanian foundation
Panama's vibrant pulse, a crossroads of sound Where island rhythms met Spanish ground 'Reggae en Español,' a new groove profound.

chino Edgardo Franco popularized the Panamanian sound globally under his stage name El General.

chino Panamanian artists pioneered the genre by translating Jamaican dancehall hits into Spanish.
Fun Fact
Bus sound systems: Panama's 'diablos rojos' bus drivers competed to install the loudest sound systems, making public transit the main way people discovered new music in the 1980s.
Glossary
reggae en español (noun)
A music genre originating in Latin America that adapts Jamaican reggae and dancehall rhythms with Spanish lyrics. In the 1980s, Panamanian artists like El General pioneered this genre by translating Jamaican dancehall hits.
A music genre originating in Latin America that adapts Jamaican reggae and dancehall rhythms with Spanish lyrics. In the 1980s, Panamanian artists like El General pioneered this genre by translating Jamaican dancehall hits.
Quiz
Which Caribbean island's music style directly merged with Panamanian Spanish vocals to form 'Reggae en Español'?
Quiz
Which Panamanian artist is widely considered a pioneer for translating Jamaican reggae into Spanish in the 1980s?
Quiz
What role did Panama's colorful 'diablos rojos' buses play in the early days of Spanish reggae?
Quiz
In what decade did the first recordings of reggae in Spanish begin to emerge in Panama?

