Tu Pum Pum: Panamanian Artists Helped Birth Reggaeton, Then the Industry Left Them Behind
This article is a summary of reporting by Remezcla. Originally published February 28, 2018.
This investigative music history piece details Panama's foundational role in the genesis of reggaeton, tracing its origins back to West Indian laborers in the Panama Canal Zone. It explores how artists like Renato, El General, and Gringo El Original adapted dancehall into reggae en español aboard Panama City's Diablos Rojos transit buses. The article also examines why commercial recognition and industry capital subsequently drifted away from Panamanian pioneers.
AI Summary
An exploration of how Panamanian artists and West Indian canal workers pioneered reggae en español before the commercial industry sidelined them.
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