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Reggaeton Round Up, Part 2: ¡Cumbia Tranzas Güey!
This round up we gwan mainstream cumbia-techno-rave-trance-synth-reggaeton. Like I said before, my Nigga from Panama is featured on a ravy cumbiaton track of the new A.B. Quintanilla project, Kumbia All Stars.
Reggaeton Round Up, Part 1: Puro Plena
A few months ago a friend emailed me pointing out the name of the popular latin artist Nigga. After doing some poking around on the net I discovered that Nigga is Panamanian and got his name because someone said he sings like a Jamaican. Probably in a move not un-similar to the Nas album name decision, his name was changed to DJ Flex, for the U.S. market, in fear of offending the United Stateseans (and not Jamaicans?!)I've been hearing a lot of DJ Flex on the radio, with his hit "Te Quiero" and his collaboration with Los Kumbia Allstars "Por Ti Baby" (which is a quite ravey-sounding Cumbia that I'll post later.) Plus, whenever I hear "Panama!" or someone sing "Panama Music" my ears perk up, so I've been watching for this dude.
Panama Baynia
(image by Tragik)Los Rakas. A group after my own musical heart.I happened upon a performance by these Panamanian Dancehall/Hyphsters at San Francisco's Carnaval this past weekend. Great live energy and they mix the raw elements and influences of two places that are a big influence of mine right now. While a lot of the songs on the CD are more straight dancehall, I can tell by their performance that they're going to go for a much more fused, personal yet global perspective on the pan-American experience.
Vamos a bailar la Murga...
La Murga by Willie Colon is one of my favorite salsa songs of all time. In the lyrics Mr. Lavoe canta "vamos a bailar la Murga, la Murga de Panama." I visited Panama just before Carnaval this year. I got the chance to dance to a live Murga band.
This one is Dianas. I'm not sure if it's a different style from Murga or not but it seems similar enough to me.
I also picked up some old and new Panamanian Dancehall.
