HISTORY OF THE REGGAE LATIN ROOTS IN PANAMA

Courtesy of Vidal Valdez
Panama

The Reggae as musical sort has its origins in Jamaica and the same popularizes throughout the decade of 1970 in the rest of the British Antilles and in the communities of black immigrants of these islands in North America, Great Britain and Central America, place towards where great migratory movements from black workers of these islands from the S.XIX for the construction of the railroads of the banana companies, the Railroad of Panama and for the construction of the Panama Canal arrived. It is for that reason that in Panama settles down from the S.XIX, a great community immigrant of afro-Caribbean origin, many of which came mainly from the island of Jamaica when still the isthmus of Panama was a Colombian department and later with the separation of Panama of Colombia and the construction of the channel it settles down a much greater number of immigrants of Barbados and other islands of the Caribbean. This Afro-Caribbean Community settles down what is called in its majority in the peripheral populations to the Railroad and the Panama Canal in the “transient zone” of which the majors concentrations of these immigrants settled down very especially in the terminal cities of Panama and in Columbus who enjoys climatic conditions similar to those of the islands of the Caribbean in improvised districts, cabins or quarters of tenancy with conditions of subhuman life. Other groups settle down soon in the Province of Bocas del Toro, originating partly of the Islands of San Andres and Providencia. After the foundation of the Republic of Panama in 1903 and with the construction of the Panama Canal a American colonial enclave arises that was known like Zone of the Channel in which they worked and many members of this community settled down constituting their main and more loyal source of manpower since they counted on the advantage to speak the same language that the American masters and for being an element with those who the Americans maintained to confidence relations majors that with any other group of workers of the Zone of the Channel. Many of the been born ones in the Zone of the Channel obtained the American citizenship and especially emigrated to the United States to the City of New York, constituting a small community of bilingual Afro-Panamanian who dominates so much the Spanish as the English, besides conserving many customs and brought traditions of the isthmus along with the inherited customs of their Caribbean ancestors afro. In Panama the phenomenon occurs of which this community preserved many cultural elements for a long time, especially of the English language in its dialectal gastronomy, the use variant Caribbean, its religions and very important, its music, very popular by the way, especially the Calypso that with time also was giving space so that Panamanian of nonAntillean origin they became popular you interpret, this would be a prelude than it would happen soon to the Reggae. It is necessary to mention that even though this community never lost its nexuses with its countries of origin simultaneously with time has been integrated itself within the poor districts where many to the Panamanian cultural set through cultural and racial mestization settled down, mixing with the native typical mestizos of this country of origin Hispanic-African Hispanic-native and his derivations, and consequently they have gone little by little losing the use of the English language; but they even preserve its original characteristic of double identity: as Panamanian they are Hispano-American but simultaneously they are afrocaribeños. All the previous one will constitute the culture broth from where it will arise and take roots the Reggae in Total Spanish or in Panama. Initially Total, or the Reggae in Spanish, began in the decade of the 70, within the afro-Caribbean community, like a hobbie of the DJ's who while they mixed songs in the dances improvised verses, more than nothing those of Haitian music since the verses in patois were lent for improvisations of the DJ's which were humorous or sexual. In 1977 an immigrant guayanés, which he knew themselves him popularly like Guyana, along with a known local DJ like Wasanga, introduces the Reggae rate for the first time in Panama. Notese that “Guyana” is a well-known British ex--colony like the British Guayana, and the fact that a community of descendants of immigrants of the British colonies in Panama existed facilitated that Guyana settled down and was welcomed in the country. The Reggae arrived at Panama in its purer, well-known version like Roots, of who his it interprets more outstanding is the legendary Bob Marley. Therefore from 1977 in Panama, and as the sort was gaining acceptance, bands were arising from Reggae Roots in the Cities of Columbus and Panama, which realized live presentations in the sectors of the Playita in Columbus and Río Abajo in City of Panama, especially afro-Caribbean districts. It is as well as they arise you interpret like Calito Soul, Rastanini and Wasanga, being the promoter of these events Juan Bass. The precursors of the sort are several, some before were DJ's and singing simultaneously, whereas others went more and more interesting with the common contests of talents. The First Competition of Reggae between Groups of Reggaeseros of Panama and Columbus, was realized in the “Theater River”, of Abajo River, City of Panama, in the same appeared the Bachuto groups of Park Lefevre, OriginalC, Renato and the 4 Stars. All touched with the instruments that yielded professor Edgardo Maloney. In this competition of Reggae Original group C won and secondly it was the group of Renato and the 4 Stars (being one of its Frank Edgardo members, that later will be known in the decade of 1990 like “the General”). In 1978, the places where this new sort could be listened to and be danced were in the Great Farm, the Discotheque “Machine Disc” and in the Garden “the Compa” of Pedregal where Nando appeared Boom all the week ends. Seeing the good acceptance of the public people began to ask more of the Panamanian artists to sing in the new rate. One of the first landmarks in the sort was on the part of DJ Renato that in 1978 removed in vinyl the first production from Reggae in Spanish with subjects like “Bemba Radio”, “Marijuana” and “Criticism”. In the decade of 1980 the dance sort of the Reggae, the Dancehall Reggae is introduced popularly, and the new Panamanian sort of the Reggae in Spanish reaches popularity in all the country to arriving for the first time at the national television network. Renato shines with “the Deni”, a subject that makes popular within the country, to take a part of the difficult times of the dictatorship from Panama vacilón. Simultaneously they arise new you interpret like Ness and Sensacionales and Chicho Man, and they among others add to the new rate Renato and Nando Boom, that consitituyen the first generation of the total one.

PEACE, LOVE AND THAT THE LANCE CONTINUES BURNING!