Reggaeton Added To Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Jul 10th, 2009 - caribbeanworldnews.com
CaribWorldNews, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. July 10, 2009: You can now look up `Reggaeton` in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
The popular music of Latino origin that combines rap with reggae, was added among more than 100 entries to the latest edition of Merriam-Webster Inc.`s Collegiate Dictionary.Reggaeton became popular with Latin American youth in the early 1990s. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences.
Originating in Panama, reggaeton blends Jamaican music influences of reggae and dancehall with those of Latin America, such as bomba, plena, salsa, merengue, latin pop, cumbia and bachata as well as that of hip hop, contemporary R&B, and electronica.
However, reggaeton is also combined with rapping or singing in Spanish. The influence of this genre has spread to the wider Latino communities in the United States, as well as the Latin American audience.
Top reggaeton artists include Daddy Yankee, Queen Ivy, Hector Y Tito and Don Omar.
Reggae has been part of the dictionary for years and is defined as the `popular music of Jamaican origin that combines native styles with elements of rock and soul music and is performed at moderate tempos with the accent on the offbeat.`