Reggaeton Politics - Mainstream Resistance
Access the essay ︎Reggaeton is currently one of the world's most popular music genre. In this audio essay, it is presented as a tool for social change, a non-violent weapon of social movements and a platform of expression for the most marginalized communities in Latin America.
Most reggaeton music present in the mainstream music industry is heavily whitewashed, perpetuates sexist ideologies, and exports to the west a distorted and socially regressive image of Latin American culture. For being sexual in essence, reggaeton finds itself at the intersection of social and moral discourses. It has been repeatedly targeted and censored by religious institutions, governments and politicians, which ironically helped its rise and revealed its social significance.
The bilingual essay goes through the history of its black Panamanian, Jamaican and Puerto Rican roots, the evolution of its message, and ends on optimistic speculations about its future. It is composed of a collection of pieces of podcasts, interviews, academic talks, radio shows, news broadcasts, music pieces and sounds of events such as protests and concerts.
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