The Beat That Changed Pop Music

Reggaeton is one of the most popular music genres in the world. Its history is rooted in diaspora migration, censorship, poverty and the reclaiming of Afro-Caribbean identity. We go to New York, one of the homes of reggaeton's evolution, to explore the music's history and talk to those who've helped pioneer the sound and those who are changing its image.



Learn more here:

Norient. “The Rise of Reggaeton.”



Cultura Colectiva. “Beyond Despacito: The History You Need to Know About the World's Top Music Genre.”



Wax Poetics. “Digital Rhythm: The Loopy Origins of Dembow And the Knotty Dancehall Roots of Reggaeton.”



Music tracks courtesy of APM, West One, Wayne Marshall and Audio Network.



*Presented by*: Sana Saeed

*Edited by:* Michael Zipkin

*Animations by:* Kai Tang

*Produced by:* Kathryn Wheeler, Omar Duwaji and Sana Saeed

*Shot by: *Fanny Texier, Kori Feener, Omar Duwaji

*Executive Producer:* Sarah Nasr



*Special Thanks: *

Red Bull Music

Scott Fitzpatrick

Daniel Alvarenga

Melissa Aparicio

Karla Caraballo-Torres



Music tracks courtesy of Audio Network, West One, Scott Fitzpatrick, and Wayne Marshall.

Footage and images courtesy of AP, Getty, Reuters and Creative Commons.