Daily Headlines: December 17, 2012

* Venezuela: Defeated opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles was reelected as Merida state governor though the ruling Socialist Party won twenty of twenty-three states.

* Cuba: Will the Cuban government expand its radio and television ban on reggaeton to other genres of music?

* Brazil: Corinthians of Brazil beat England’s Chelsea 1-0 in World Club Cup final and, thus, became the first from South America team to win the competition since 2006.

* Argentina: The International Monetary Fund could expel Argentina from the organization after failing to meet an inflation deadline.

Cuban Government Pulls Plug on “Cubatón”

The Cuban government issued a radio and television ban against depicting reggaeton, an increasingly popular style of music in Latin America.

“Neither vulgarity nor mediocrity will be able to tarnish the richness of Cuban music,” said the president of the Cultural Ministry’s music institute, Orlando Vistel Columbie, to the Cuban state media.  He added, “People can listen to what they want privately. But, that freedom doesn’t include the right to reproduce and disseminate that music.”

Vistel claimed that the prohibition of reggaeton came about due to the genre’s supposed “vulgarity” that includes sexually explicit lyrics and insulting women.

Approximately one year ago, Vistel and Minister of Culture Abel Prieto blasted the hit reggaeton song “Chupi Chupi” and pushed for the disqualification of the song from Cuba’s Lucas awards for music.  (The song’s title, according to Global Voices, is a “playful and unapologetically vulgar ‘ode’ to oral sex”.)

Aside from the ban and criticizing of Cuban reggaeton, which is also known as “Cubatón”, the government has reportedly tried to push more traditional Cuban dance rhythms like danzon towards youth.  Yet their efforts may be all for naught due to the way in which Cubatón music is generally distributed on the island:

Daily Headlines: July 13, 2009

* U.S.: Did you know that “reggaeton” is one of the approximately 100 new words added to the latest edition of the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary?

* Brazil: Police in Recife have arrested the wife ex-boxing champion Arturo Gatti and could charge her in the murder of her husband.

* Peru: At least 246 children have died in the southern part of the country as a result of the harsh winter cold.

* El Salvador: Despite remittances being an important part of El Salvador’s economy, money transfers to that country plummeted by 10.3% in the first half of the year.

Image- AP
Online Sources- MSNBC, LAHT, CNN, Reuters

Reggaetoneros rap for Jesus

The musical genre of reggaeton has been criticized for being misogynistic, overly vulgar, and sexually explicit. For example, one popular reggaeton dance move called perreo sometimes mimics doggy-style sex.

With such a bad rap it may seem impossible to believe that some artists have taken their sound in a different, more spiritual direction. (Note that I didn’t say “better”!) Much like Christian metal emerged from the stereotypically hedonistic heavy metal scene of the 1980s, some reggaetoneros have dedicated their music to a higher power:

"I had everything, but it was really nothing," says reggaetón star Héctor "El Father," explaining his conversion to Christ.

"Not even fame or money could fill this void I had in my heart.
Now I feel a joy I can’t even explain"...

Although he said he would retire from music, last September he released a Christian album titled "El Juicio Final" (Judgment Day).

There has been some criticism of this religious reggaeton sub-genre, however. Calle 13 poked fun at the trend in a song from their latest album with lyrics like "I know my music is profane, but when I stop selling I’ll make Christian music." There are also unique cases like that of reggaeton superstar Daddy Yankee who’s best-known for booty-shaking hits like “Gasolina” though his pastor brother released a Christian rap album last year.

Image- New York Daily News
Online Sources- New York Daily News, Urban Dictionary, Blogamole, Reuters, Wikipedia

Cuban “reggaetonero” missing, maybe dead

One of Cuba’s top reggaeton artists has gone missing and is presumed dead after trying to migrate by sea. U.S. Coast Guard officials rescued fourteen people on the raft they shared with Elvis Manuel before it sank yet the singer is nowhere to be found.

Two Cubans have been detained by immigration authorities for heading the “ill-fated migrant smuggling mission” Manuel was on. According to one source, a pair of survivors blamed a Miami-based record label for trying to deceive Manuel:

(Alejandro "DJ Jerry" Rodriguez Lopez) said he and his friends were intrigued by fame and fortune.

"We were told we would be millionaires in two months," Rodriguez said. "They said we would be signed for about $25,000 each on arrival. I thought I would send my father $20,000 so he could build a palace in Cuba. That kind of money lasts forever here."

Elvis Manuel's mother, who also survived the voyage, said her son and his friends were "brainwashed" by tales of success across the Florida Straits. Nodarse, who managed her son's career, decided to make the journey with him.

"They filled his head with lies and promises," she said.

Executives at Millennium Records Entertainment Corp. have denied the accusations against them.

Sources- MSNBC, UPI, miamiherald.com, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, HeraldTribune.com

Image- South Florida Sun-Sentinel

De Musica Ligera: Obama and reggaeton

Quick, name the campaign theme song of any U.S. presidential candidate since 1996?

Couldn’t think of one? Despite your forgetfulness, some presidential hopefuls still believe in the importance of campaign themes. (See: Clinton, Hillary).

A group of Barack Obama supporters called Amigos de Obama decided to create a song for their preferred choice for president with a reggaeton beat. (According to Wikipedia, reggaeton is “a form of dance music (that) blends Jamaican music influences of reggae and dancehall with those of Latin America...as well as that of hip hop”).

With help from fellow contributor Maegan la Mala, let’s all sing along with this small excerpt of the “Obama Reggaeton”:

They say we don’t count…
That we are invisible because we don’t vote…
But here we are and all this is gonna change …
We did the rallies and now we gonna vote.
Listen to me people, it’s time for something different.
What we need is a new president…
How do you say it… What’s his name?
OBAMA! OBAMA!

Got any ideas for possible campaign themes in español? Here’s a few that may work out:

• Soda Stereo - Te Hacen Falta Vitaminas: Despite his charisma it would help if Obama had some more experience.
• Enrique Bunbury - El Extranjero: For Tom Tancredo’s strong anti-immigrant platform (and perhaps as a metaphor for his campaign which is getting little support according to the polls).
• Milton Nascimento - Durango Kid: Though it’s in Portuguese, this song makes sense after seeing this pic of Bill Richardson riding a horse.
• Juana Molina – Quien: Duncan Hunter and Mike Gravel. Who? Exactly.
• La Buena Vida - Otra Vez Tu: Just in case Al Gore decides to run again.
• Antibalas – Hypocrite: In honor of any candidate who flip-flops early and often. (Or if you are so inclined to do so, as an anti-Bush anthem).

Have any further suggestions for theme songs?

Sources- Wonkette, Vivirlatino, Wikipedia, YouSendIt

Image- Wonkette