El Reggaeton Sigue Dominando

Reggaeton still rules Latin music roost

Thursday, 28 December 2006

During the past year, many voices predicted the imminent demise of reggaeton, claiming that the genre was stuck in a lyrical and musical rut. Judging from Billboard's year-end Latin charts, reports of reggaeton's death have been greatly exaggerated. Reggaeton, a mix of dancehall, rap, tropical music and a distinctive bass-heavy beat, dominated the Latin charts in 2006, with titles in the genre occupying four of the top five slots of the year-end Top Latin Albums recap. The resilient format remains a hit with the younger Latin audience. Daddy Yankee leads the charge. For the second year in a row, he is Latin music's top-selling artist of the year, thanks this time to his live set "Barrio Fino: En Directo." Beyond reggaeton, the only album to share the top five on the Top Latin Albums recap with the boys from Puerto Rico came from the boys and girl from Mexico -- RBD, the six-person pop group propelled to fame by the primetime telenovela "Rebelde." Their album "Nuestro Amor" was No. 4 on the chart. RBD" target="_blank">RBD is also the No. 2 act on the Top Latin Album Artists recap behind Daddy Yankee. Reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel top the Hot Latin Rhythm Songs Artists and Hot Latin Songs Artists recaps after placing an extraordinary 14 tracks on the Billboard charts. And newcomers Rakim & Ken-Y score the top title on the Hot Latin Songs recap and the Hot Latin Rhythm Songs tally with "Down." On the tropical end, a more purist note is struck by bachata duo Monchy & Alexandra, who rule the Top Tropical Album Artists chart thanks to three charting albums. In the regional Mexican realm, Grupo Montez De Durango leads the Top Regional Mexican Albums chart with "Borron Y Cuenta Nueva" and is also No. 1 on the Top Regional Mexican Album Artists chart with seven titles. The Hot Regional Mexican Songs Artists chart is topped by perennial radio favorite Conjunto Primavera, but the real surprise is newcomer Mariano Barba, whose track "Aliado Del Tiempo" hits No. 1 on the Hot Regional Mexican Songs chart. In Latin pop, despite stiff competition from Shakira and Mana, RBD amply dominates the fray, heading the Top Latin Pop Albums chart with "Nuestro Amor," Top Latin Pop Album Artists and the Hot Latin Pop Songs. Reuters/Billboard By Leila Cobo