Puerto Rican Reggaeton’s First-Ever Digital Archive
The musical genre of reggaeton (oftentimes diminished as misogynistic and repetitive) has a history and impact that’s largely remained unexplored, until recently. In 2019, Patricia Velázquez created the Hasta ‘Bajo Project, the first digital archive dedicated to Puerto Rican reggaeton. The catalog explores the significance of the genre to the island, revealing how its emergence in the ’80s came out of low-income and marginalized neighborhoods. The early style confronted these socio-economic conditions and gave a street-level view of what was happening in Puerto Rico. Through the fan-collected archive assembly process, a greater appreciation for women’s impact within the genre is also rising to attention. Now, Velázquez is collecting physical objects with the hope of creating a museum dedicated to the genre. Learn more at NPR.
Image courtesy of Ivy Queen
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