Musicians from the jazz and Latin worlds and beyond — from Marc Anthony, Sheila E and Bad Bunny to Questlove — are paying tribute to one of the pioneers of salsa, pianist, composer and bandleader Eddie Palmieri, who died this week at the age of 88. Salsa legend Oscar d’Leon posted on Instagram, "With a broken heart, I say goodbye…
Twenty years ago, reggaeton was well on its way to becoming the sound of urban Cuba. The 1990s had belonged to timba, a polyrhythmic, driving style of contemporary salsa known for its humor and social commentary. In the 2000s, Puerto Rican-inspired reggaeton began to overtake timba’s popularity, especially among the youth, with artists like Eddy K, Elvis Manuel, El Micha,…
2023 has seen countless tributes to hip-hop, celebrating both its golden anniversary and the staying power of a genre that was vilified, underestimated, and branded a passing fad for decades. Nonetheless, while 50 is a major milestone, many believe hip-hop reached its peak decades ago. At the tail end of the golden age of hip-hop, the genre reached a new…
Once a marginalized genre associated with lewdness and criminality — much like the genres from which it draws so much influence, dancehall and hip-hop — reggaeton is now firmly in the mainstream. While dominant across Latin America in the new millennium, reggaeton has made huge inroads with English-speaking audiences in the past decade, particularly with crossover hits like "Bailando," "Despacito,"…
The opening track from Ozomatli’s 1998 self-titled debut album immediately sets the tone for the group’s musical voraciousness. "Como Ves" is awash with the sounds of urban Los Angeles — car traffic, a radio playing, a dog barking — and Brazilian batucada drumming, eventually becoming an energetic party song featuring a funky melodic bassline, lyrics in Spanish, and an African…
The "second British invasion" was well underway in the U.S. when Culture Club’s debut album, Kissing To Be Clever, was released in late 1982. In Britain, punk had given way to new wave, synth pop, and the androgynous-leaning New Romantic fashion movement, pioneered by David Bowie and Roxy Music. Musically, groups like the Police and the Clash were incorporating Jamaican…
Twenty-five years ago, on the heels of one of the most successful, critically beloved hip-hop albums of all time, the Fugees shocked the world by breaking up. The fallout from the romantic relationship between Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean was too much to bear, so the trio went their own ways. Wyclef was the first to release a solo album,…
