Daily “siestas” and where dancing in the streets is the norm.
You are planning a summer trip and you and your besties are thinking to go somewhere with rich culture, daily “siestas” and where dancing in the streets is the norm. So where in the world is this place? Literally anywhere in Latin America, that’s where. And there’s one thing that locals love to do, and that’s dance…to Reggaeton. Here’s what you need to know about Reggaeton so that your hips won’t lie on your next trip down south.
Reggaeton Details:
Reggaeton is a musical genre that originated in Puerto Rico. It’s basically a mix between hip hop and Caribbean music. Singers like Daddy Yankee (A.K.A the King of Reggaeton), Don Omar and Wisin y Yandel introduced the “underground” music to pop culture in the early 2000s. All of their songs are 1) sexy and 2) popular in the Latino circles I run in. Both Pitbull and Shakira started joining in on the Reggaeton movement and now people are dancing Reggaeton like it’s nobody’s business.
Different Types of Reggaeton:
There are two types of Reggaeton: 1) aggressive and sexual or 2) sensitive and romantic. But for the sake of time and dancing, watch YouTube music videos and you will find them heavily populated with aggressive looking male singers and minimally clothed women.
How to Dance Reggaeton:
Dancing Reggaeton is not much different than regular dancing, there’s just more hip action and grinding all while trying to look cool, tough, and as sexy as possible.
For beginners – start with your feet shoulder width apart (I recommend wearing shorts or jeans). With a slight bend in your knees, move your hips side to side as you move down slowly, then come back up quickly, but don’t rush it. This requires a lot of leg power. For a sexy, dramatic effect, put one hand on your thigh and make eye contact with the most attractive person in the room.
For more advanced ‘Reggaetoneros’ – The body roll. You want to make them slow and sensual. You start from the chest to your rib cage to your hips. For all the chicas (women) you take it all the way down, pop the booty out and roll up right because you want to be as sexy as possible.
My Top 5 Reggaeton Songs:
- Abusadora – Wisin y Yandel
- Rompe – Daddy Yankee
- Toma – Pitbull
- Sexy Robotica – Don Omar
- Shaky Shaky – Daddy Yankee
So if you hear Reggaeton and you get that urge to shake those hips like you’re Shakira, get out there and dance. Tourists listen to Reggaeton, locals dance to it.
