GuacaMusic: Reggaetoneros!
posted in: Features • Latin
You’ve listened to it, you’ve even danced to it (or attempted to), but do you really know how to sing reggaeton? And most importantly, do you know what those lyrics mean?
From Daddy Yankee to Don Omar, you probably know at least one reggaeton artist. Most likely, you are also familiar with a couple of reggaeton moves (if you don’t, please learn one ASAP by clicking here). However, only a few lucky ones know how to sing this type of urban music, that combines reggae and dancehall with salsa, merengue, latin pop, cumbia, bachata and others.
You don’t necessarily need to be fluent in Spanish to understand a few of the most common reggaeton lyrics. If you are willing to let yourself go and want to learn how to sing”and even write”decent reggaeton, you’ve come to the right place. Here on OurStage, we have some great reggaetoneros, whose lyrics really make you want to get up and sing!
Ready?
Let’s start with two of the most common themes in reggaeton lyrics: Love and Lust, a.k.a. Amor y Pasión. Any experienced reggaetonero knows that you can never go wrong when using the phrases te amo (I love you) te deseo (I want you) or even the more lonely te extranio (I miss you). Take, for example, Yo Te Quiro by Wisin Y Yandel or Amor En La Pista (Love On The Dance Floor) by Tito Y Soylo, a dynamic duo from Caye, Puerto Rico that has put their own stamp on the world of reggaeton.
Love and lust go hand in hand with another one of reggaeton’s main topics: Women, or better said mujeres. Although some reggaetoneros have been accused of humiliating women in their songs, that isn’t the case with Tito Y Soylo. Play their song Dos Mujeres to empathize with a man who can’t choose between two loves.
In reggaeton world, las mujeres are a big part of la fiesta, another main theme in a lot of its songs. When planning your next social gathering, please do not rule out OurStage hits like El Party by Profecia Feat Fenomeno, or Vamos Pal Party by Kitana.
As a consequence of all that partying and loving, reggaetoneros sometimes get into trouble. Pay close attention to the lyrics in Disen y Comentan (Translation: They say and they comment) by Yohan, a song about a guy fairing death as he is being chased by someone who wants to harm him.
The good thing about learning how to sing reggeaton when you aren’t fluent in Spanish is that one word can be repeated many times. Take the song Siguelo by OurStage artist Funky. Once you learn the word Siguelo (which means “Follow it”) you will be able to at least mumble this song
Got it? Singing reggaeton isn’t as threatening as it seems! Go get your Spanish dictionary if you need more inspiration, but don’t forget many of the songs are highly metaphorical, so choose your words wisely. Enjoy this playlist!