My History Of Reggaeton: 1992–2000
How Salsa Video Mixtapes Introduced Me To Reggaeton
The summer of 1992 is the first time I ever heard Reggaeton. I was 10 years old and my family was living in exotic Fayetteville, North Carolina as part of our nomadic journey throughout random states that had a military installation where my father was needed. One humid Carolina summer night, I vividly remember going over to Danielito (RIP) and Felix’s (other Felix) house for a barbeque. Danielito and Felix (brothers) were the children of the other Puerto Rican couple that lived in our neighborhood, so our families always kicked it, listened to salsa music, played dominoes, and all that fun stuff. Like most Latino households music was a constant; whether it be to dance, have background tunes for chit-chat, or just sit en la sala with your fresh new gear on. Back in the early 1990s without the internet, finding out about new music or hearing new music was totally dependent on the radio, MTV, or reading music publications like Rolling Stone or Spin. This should not come as a surprise to you but news and/or information about Latin music was hard to find in North Carolina in 1992. However in Fayetteville, NC there was an industrious Boricua who ran his own record store with VHS tapes, cassettes, and DVDs. This was where my first experience in searching for music began and where I was introduced to Reggaeton.
Enter the salsa-video-mix-tape era! Every Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban family I knew had at least one copy of a videotape, whether officially licensed or bootleg, that had salsa, merengue, and bachata videos on them. These VHS tapes were sold out of “Mom and Pop” record-stores across the USA but they were concentrated in major American cities (think NYC, Chicago, LA). Record labels like RMM (Ritmo Mundo Musical) and SONY Music would produce VHS tape compilations of salsa, merengue, bachata, and in 1992 reggaeton music videos. These mixtapes would end up in millions of homes across the Spanish speaking world, fueling parties with great songs. My father recounted an interesting story of being in the Pentagon Mall (yes that Pentagon) in the early 1990s and going to the bookstore. He was surprised to find these same VHS tapes and a few CDs that called his attention (THEY WERE ALL SALSA). He immediately copped these randomly placed jewels and they would be the soundtrack to pretty much every party I attended from 1992–1997.
Now the summer of 1992 is important because that was the first time I heard this chorus sung by a slim man in a military uniform: “Muévelo, muévelo (Qué sabroso) Muévelo, muévelo (Cómo lo haces) Ven a bailar (Mm) Ven a gozar (Mm)”. “Muevelo con El General” was the first reggaeton song I ever heard. Now re-read that sentence. I know there were other reggaeton artists or Latin rap artists that made songs prior to the aforementioned “Muevelo”, but this was the first time I specifically remember hearing the sound that power many a boat trip to Icacos, Puerto Rico.
Reggaeton entering my universe was the music that I could call mine for the first time. My parents did not like it and most adults I knew thought it was a passing musical fad. Few had the foresight to see what this genre would eventually become. This exploration into the genre of Reggaeton is not one that will delve into who deserves the credit for “inventing” this style of music that has captivated the globe rather how Reggaeton has been in my life since that humid summer in Fayetteville in 1992. Reggaeton remains a strong celestial music body in my universe because of the simple fact that key life events of mine align with the history of what may be the most popular music on the planet right now.
The Salsa-video-mix-tape that first introduced me to Reggaeton did not have a link or any more info about where I could find more of this music. The VHS came with the tracklist of music video titles and the artist it corresponded to on the back of the sleeve. El General’s “Muevelo” video came on the screen after yet another cheesy early 1990s slow Salsa song played. It was probably Tony Vega or Jerry Rivera, Salsa that my Dad refers to as “Salsa-Monga”, which literally translates to “Limp-Dick Salsa”. Unfortunately, the late 1980s and early 1990s saw a decline in the glory days of Salsa music and the soneros of past were replaced by Romantic-Salsa pop singing leading men. The 1970s were the golden age of Salsa and my father constantly played me albums from some of the great musical giants from Fania Records. We were way past those days and the “Salsa-Pop” era had actually pushed me towards discovering Hip-Hop in 1992 because of whack it was, so when I heard the synth-piano chord intro roll into a chopped up reggae beat with an island flavor of timbales I was immediately intrigued. What the hell was this?!?!?! Everyone in the house started moving and dancing. “Muevelo”, and more importantly the Reggaeton beat that would accompany me throughout my travels, were uploaded into my Boricua DNA that day. Being alive in 1991 limited what music I had access to. I was also a ten-year-old whose musical exploration was in its infancy, so all I knew was that there was a new type of music in Spanish that made me feel a certain way and that most adults hated it. I was 100% in.
Dembow Is A Thing and It Is Forever In My DNA
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Fast-forward to the summer of 1994 and this is where my relationship with Reggaeton takes its next step into becoming a true part of my musical identity. I was 12 going on 13 years old and was spending my summer in Ponce, Puerto Rico just like every other summer prior to that. The summer of 1994, however, was different for two huge reasons:
- Instead of going back to the United States after summer vacation in PR, we would be moving to La Paz, Bolivia. (Yes, it’s not normal and I am aware of that.)
- DJ Playero released Playero 38: Underground the summer before and every kid in Glenview Gardens Ponce who was cool had a copy. I got a copy.
For the uninitiated DJ Playero (Pedro Gerardo Torruelas) is widely credited with creating the “Dembow” beat and style that is synonymous with Reggaeton. 1993 through 1994 are key years in the formation of what Reggaeton would become today. This started what some call the “Golden Era” of Reggaeton with mixtapes like: Playero 37: Underground, The Noise: Underground, The Noise Vol. 1 and The Noise Vol. 2. These tapes featured classic artists and future international mega-stars alike. Here is a quick list of some of the artists and duos on these albums:
- Daddy Yankee (EVER-HEARD OF HIM!!!!)
- Ivy Queen (La Caballota)
- Baby Rasta y Gringo (Classic Duo)
- Maicol & Manuel (Another Classic Duo)
- Rey Pirin (Just loved his name and his voice)
That summer was the first time I went to what old Reggaeton heads refer to as a “Party De Marquesina” or a house party that takes place where your parents park the car at night. I danced my mother-fucking ass off to the dembow rhythm that would be a staple of my future adult nightlife. Prior to this summer, I was already listening to Wu-Tang Clan and Tribe Called Quest but hearing Daddy Yankee’s intro on Playero 38 I knew that I found the sound that was mine. After another epic summer in Puerto Rico, I was off to La Paz with a few new Reggaeton mixtapes and full of the swagger that the rappers were oozing. As soon as I landed in Bolivia I knew that the new music that I loved was not going to be something that would go over well. Middle school and High School was going to be tough and my relationship with Reggaeton would be put on pause but honestly, it was on pause as a genre as well.
No Quiero Reggaeton: 1996–2000
1996–2000 was a time of musical exploration for me. Artists like Nas, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Sade were all artists who cracked open my brain and leaked into every unoccupied space. Unfortunately, there was no room for Reggaeton. The music that we know today was in a funky transition; it existed during this time, but was something that I only heard during my summers in Ponce, or when I would occasionally throw on a CD so a fellow Boricua or Latino kid could hear it for the first time. I was not living in Puerto Rico when local police were raiding independent record stores and confiscating the new Wiso G Album; I was living in places where the popular music was expanding my tastes into different musical orbits. Law Enforcement interdiction, which was the violation of a Constitutional right, and Miguelito were what I remember from this period of time in the history of one of the most-streamed genres on Earth. Reggaeton artists like Ivy Queen, Daddy Yankee, Lito y Polaco, and Horny Man y Panty Man (yes, that was an actual group that existed) released music but personally I do not consider this period of Reggaeton to have any real value, beyond the influence it would have on the culture that led to the expansion of the style into popular music. The late 1990s Reggaeton was super rugged and raw so it’s potential of gaining mass appeal beyond New York City and Puerto Rico was not something that many believed to be possible. The lull in the music was real but new technology, new producers, and two MCees one seasoned, and one new were refining their skills in different ways. That time period from 2004 until 2014 when the music being produced on an island that is 100X35 square miles deserves it’s own little deep dive because that is when Reggaeton went global and I witnessed it first-hand.
(*This is part one of a three-part series on my history of reggeaton)
Felix Caballero
