Reggaeton News:
Listen without Prejudice
©Barrio305.com
Comment
on this Article
Without a doubt Daddy Yankee’s mega hit “Gazolina”
is the Reggaeton songs that everyone knows about. And yes, it is a great
song, perhaps one of the best tracks to come out in recent memory. But
is that all there is?
Sadly, for some the answer seems to be, yes. Which can be frustrating
for any self respecting Reggaeton fan. Yes, some Reggaeton
songs will offer the same repetitive, beat over and over. But for those
who are willing to dig a little deeper, a world of full of surprises
awaits.
For the crowd that bases their opinion of an entire
musical genre, on one song, Reggaeton is nothing but
a fad that will go the way of the Macarena. That is their loss.
First, if one is looking for straightforward musical
innovation, then look no further than Reggaeton. Lets take for instance,
Producers like Luny Tunes who are consistently blurring the line between
Hip Hop, R&B, Dancehall and Salsa. Their sound is innovative and
fresh. They simply take chances and try what’s never been done
before.
.
In their most recent effort, the widely acclaimed “Mas Flow 2”,
tracks such as the exotic “Mirame2” blend Dembow beats with
a romantic Middle Eastern vocal, that simply sounds like nothing else
out there. “Verme”, their most adventurous track to date,
takes what has to be the best R&B melody of the year and spins it
over a furry of synthesizers, which climax when Nore and Baby Ranks
trade vocals in English and Spanish.
Upon its release "Verme" was wildly criticized
for being too different. Today it stands as one of the most requested
songs on Radio Barrio305, proving that sometimes a good song will take
time to grow on you.
As further proof of the importance of Reggaeton,
in a recent New York Times article, critic Kelefa Sanneh points out
what most of the listening public already suspects:
Which is that “alternative” music,
long regarded as the ultimate bastion of innovation, is no longer the
sole provider of cool and exciting ideas. Although, most music magazines
lack a section that provides Reggaeton content, one cannot ignore that
some of the best music of our times is being produced by the likes of
Luny Tunes, DJ Blass and Echo.
So let’s face it; at this very moment there is nothing out there
like Reggaeton but just like what happened at the birth of Rock and
Roll and latter on with Hip Hop, there are lots of naysayers who doubt
the music will make it as a permanent genre.
In the end, artists who avoid using “commercial formulas”
and are willing to take the chances to push things forward, will take
Reggaeton to next level. And although there are some out there, that
will always find an excuse to not like this music, let’s set the
record straight once and for all -- when it comes to music that is fresh,
cool and exciting there is nothing like Reggaeton.
Barrio 305
©Barrio305.com
