Reggaeton is a Latino hybrid of dancehall reggae and hip hop, though its influences include more traditional Latin sounds like salsa, merengue and bachata. From San Juan to Tokyo, reggaeton is everywhere in 2008 and its stars are packing out concerts at home in the Hispanic countries, across the United States and in Europe.

For a time suppressed by the authorities in its home land Puerto Rico, this raw, bass-heavy dance music has been embraced by the urban underclass across the Spanish speaking world. Having made a sizeable dent in the consciousness of hip hop fans in the States, its now garnering massive interest from major labels in the wake of international hits like Daddy Yankee's 'Gasolina' Singers and MC's like Don Omar, Nina Sky and Tego Calderon are in demand for collaborations with top hip hop and R'n'B artists, adding some Caribbean spice in much the same way Sean Paul did a few years ago.

But this new sounds did not spring fully formed from the glossy studios of New York. It was first crested in the streets of Panama and Puerto Rico and, like so much Latin music and culture, its origins lie in migration,  in this case that of Jamaican labourers to Panama for the construction of the Panama Canal.

As reggae moved into the digital era and dance hall exploded internationally in the late 80's and early 90's Panamanians of Jamaican origin such as El General began recording Spanish-language versions of reggae hits by the likes of Shabba Ranks and little Lenny. While reggaeton today has moved away from simply mimicking dancehall tracks, the early 90's ragga beat lives on.

Reggaeton's lyrical themes have been characterised by a preoccupation with sex uninhibited and often crude rhymes, not to mention lewd dancing based around a style knows as 'perreo' (or 'doggy'), leave little to the imagination and have sparked people's interest in the music and the culture behind it. There are, however, artist like Tego Calderon, Votio and Vico C who are pushing a more conscious and sophisticated message and after the crossover successes of 2005, reggaeton looks set to become a permanent part of the latin urban music around the world.