Reggaeton Heritage Month Proposal Highlights Panama’s Influence

Reggaeton has become one of the world’s most popular genres, yet its Black Caribbean roots are often overlooked. A new proposal in the New York City Council seeks to recognize that history while celebrating the music itself.

On September 10, New York City Council Member Farah N. Louis introduced a resolution to designate October as Reggaeton Heritage Month in New York City. The proposal explicitly recognizes the genre’s Afro-Caribbean roots in Panama.

According to the proposal, the genre’s roots trace to Afro-Caribbean communities in Panama, where Spanish-language adaptations of reggae and other Jamaican genres emerged in the late 1970s. The resolution also recognizes New York’s influence on the genre, particularly through its fusion with dancehall and hip-hop.

For decades, conversations about reggaeton’s epicenter have focused on Puerto Rico and, to a lesser extent, Colombia. Although Panama hasn’t produced a star on the scale of Bad Bunny or Karol G in recent memory, its importance should not be understated. The proposal aims to set the record straight and trace the genre’s early history through one pivotal figure who bridged Panama and New York City: El General.

Often regarded as reggaeton’s first superstar, El General is named in the resolution, highlighting a pivotal chapter in his career. In 1985, he moved to Brooklyn and became involved in New York’s Caribbean music community, refining his sound in response to the local scene. This evolution led to worldwide hits such as “Tu Pun Pun,””Rica y Apretadita,” and “Te Ves Buena.”

This is one of three resolutions Louis introduced. The proposals seek to recognize Caribbean contributions to New York City and address issues affecting the city’s Haitian community. Sponsored alongside Council Members Amanda Farías and Justin Sanchez, the reggaeton measure describes the genre as an expression of Afro-Caribbean and Latin American identity. It recognizes New York’s role in its development. The other two resolutions would designate October 17 as Wyclef Jean Day and call on the U.S. Senate to restore Temporary Protected Status for Haiti.

The proposal is currently before the New York City Council’s Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Relations. If adopted, it would not only establish a month-long reggaeton celebration in New York but also put Panama at the center of the conversation, where it belongs.