In the year 2017 the world was captivated by a reggaetón song that made millions of people from all latitudes, races and languages dance their hearts out: Despacito. However, this musical genre has come a long way to achieve the worldwide popularity it has today.
And while reggaeton originated on the island of Puerto Rico in the early 90s, Medellín has played a key role in the consolidation and dissemination of this soft and catchy rhythm.
The story goes back to 2003, when promoter Héctor Camargo organized the first massive reggaetón concert in Colombia (in Medellín to be exact) with stars such as Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen and Tego Calderón, among others, achieving the incredible assistance of 40 thousand people. This event was a revelation for the promoters and musicians of our country, who decided to bet on this Caribbean musical genre, with suggestive and urban lyrics.
After a couple of years, a “Colombian reggaeton scene” had consolidated, with Medellín as its epicenter. And this new artists where so successful and the cultural phenomenon that they generated was so big, that the most important artists of Puerto Rico decided to leave their native island to settle completely in the capital of Antioquia.
Today, any musical artist who intends to make his mark in the history of reggaetón is bound to succeed in Medellín, because this represents winning the favor of the most loyal and enthusiastic public.
And while reggaeton has many critics because of some topics present in the lyrics of their songs, it is a reality that this genre is here to stay and that it represents much of what it means to be Latin American (sensuality, fire, passion and dance).
To learn more about the city where this cultural and musical movement was created, we invite you to our Medellín city tour!
