From the 1900s and beyond: Chronicling (some) of my Favorite Genres of Music! (Part 1) ❤

You see the Part 1 in parentheses in the title? Yeah, I am probably one of the biggest music fanatics you would ever know. From Hip-Hop to Gospel and from Latin to Classical, I am a HUGE music fanatic!!! In this part of my music chronicles (if you will), I talking about my Latin and Caribbean music influences, which I am very fond of. Hey, I'll go even as far as to describe myself as an Latina or a girl of Caribbean descent. I identify with the cultures a lot! In this blog post, I will discuss such genres as: Reggaeton, Bachata, and Reggae. Here we go!

Me Encanta del Reggaeton!

Since coming to prominence in the mid- to late-1990s (even though Latin Rap goes as far back as the late-1980s), Reggaeton has become one of the more popular genres in Latin music. The style of the genre fuses dancehall with reggae and hip-hop to make a distinctive sound that is still heard, even today. Some of the pioneers of this genre include: El General - who's no longer active in the game, Vico C - who now uses Christian messages in his songs, DJ Nelson - one of the first Reggaeton DJs, Daddy Yankee, who has become the best-selling Latin Urban Artist of all time, and other greats such as: Wisin & Yandel, Tego Calderon, Ivy Queen, Calle 13, Don Omar and Luny Tunes.

Reggaeton is also known for having duos. Many of them have went on to have success as a tandem and in solo careers (Wisin y Yandel, anyone?). I love the whole concept of it, and here is some of my favorite duos in the genre:

• Wisin y Yandel - these two need to get back together... ASAP!
• Hector & Tito - no longer a duo; Tito has since had a successful solo career as Tito El Bambino "El Patron"; Hector "El Father" retired from the game back in 2010.
• Chino y Nacho - representing Venezuela in the genre, the duo has went on to become one of the more popular duos in the genre.
• J King y Maximan - highly underrated in my book; these two are amazing!
• Jowell y Randy - the chemistry between these two are incredible; you can tell that they love doing what they do.
• My other faves include:
• Alexis & Fido
• Angel y Khriz 
• Calle 13 (pioneers of alternative Reggaeton)
• Baby Rasta y Gringo
• Los Cadillacs (Luifer y Emilio)
• Gente de Zona
• Zion y Lennox
• Plan B (Chencho y Maldy)
• RKM y Ken-y (no longer a duo)
• Yaga y Mackie
• Magnato y Valentino (pioneers of Romantiko Reggaeton)
• Dyland y Lenny (no longer a duo)

Oh, and I can't forget the solo artists, too! This list is going to be kinda long. Here are some of my favorites - old and new:

• Tego Calderon
• Don Omar
• Ivy Queen
• J Balvin
• Daddy Yankee
• Farruko
• Maluma
• Arcangel
• Voltio (no longer in the game)
• Nicky Jam
• Jadiel (R.I.P.)
• Gadiel (Yandel's younger brother)
• Coscullela
• Franco "El Gorilla"
• Tony Dize
• Vico C
• El General
• Yomo
• Mozart La Para
• De La Ghetto

Bachata!

Moving on from Reggaeton, I now move to the R&B, soul. blues-driven Latin genre of Bachata, which has not reached the mainstream until just a few short years ago, thanks to the undisputed "El Rey de la Bachata" Romeo Santos, who was the band leader of the popular group Aventura before beginning his highly successful solo career, releasing the two commercial and critically acclaimed albums Formula, Vol. 1 and Formula Vol. 2, which are both heavy bachata-driven albums. As I said, Bachata is much like R&B. The genre depicts messages of love, pain, sex and many more topics revolving around intimacy. Check out this song: "Inoncente" by Romeo Santos:

Here are some of my favorite Bachata artists:

• Aventura (Romeo Santos is the former leader of this popular group)
• Prince Royce 
• Romeo Santos
• Hector Acosta "El Torita"
• Maite Perroni

Reggae!

Moving away from Latin genres for a bit, next up is the Caribbean-influenced genre off Reggae. This genre has been a popular genre among Jamaicans and people of other Caribbean countries since the 1960s. When you think of Reggae, who do you think of? Bob Marley, right? But I am going to kill that stereotype right now. There is much more to the Reggae genre than Bob Marley... or any of the Marleys for that matter. Not dismissing their impact, though, but there are more innovators. Here are some:

• Yellowman
• Eek-a-Mouse
• The Heptones
• Shabba Ranks
• Junior Reid (R.I.P.)
• Dirtsman (R.I.P.)
• Barrington Levy
• Musical Youth
• Sister Nancy
• T.O.K.
• Etc...

Right now, if there's a Reggae act that will always be a fan of, its T.O.K. Despite their controversies and outspokenness, they are without a doubt my favorite Reggae group... EVER. Here's one of my favorites: "Gal Yuh A Lead" :D

That's it for Part 1! I'll be back with a Part Two of my favorite genres of music. Oh, can't leave without a Song of the Day - "El Perdon" (Remix) by the incomparable duo of Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias!