Reggae en Español

Tracing the origins and cultural impact of an Afro-Panamanian musical genre

In Reggae en Español, Sonja Stephenson Watson chronicles the emergence and influence of a complex and rich musical genre that has become emblematic of Afro-Panamanian identity. Born in Panama in the late 1970s when artists of West Indian ancestry infused Jamaican reggae rhythms with Spanish lyrics and Panamanian folk music, reggae en español is shown in this book to be a powerful narrative of migration, hybridity, and resistance that compels recognition of Blackness as central to Panamanian history and culture.

This is the first book to document the origin story of this genre and its diasporic linkages. Watson explores how reggae en español emerged from transnational circuits, drawing influences from Africa, the Caribbean, Central America, and the United States. She illustrates how artists such as El General, Renato, Nando Boom, El Maleante, Rude Girl, and Chicho Man have used music to address issues of race, place, and identity, while inserting Black voices into national narratives that have historically excluded them. This book offers a groundbreaking perspective on how music can shape identity and connect communities across borders.