Reggae and Ska en Español

Argentina’s Los Pericos is one of the oldest and most accomplished reggae en Español bands, and the ska-driven Maldita Vecindad challenged for supremacy in the early ‘90s Mexican rock explosion. Juanes, Shakira and Maná - some of Latin rock’s biggest acts - all dabbled in reggae and ska, and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs played some of the ‘90s most intense tropically charged rock. Newer acts such as Puerto Rico’s Cultura Profética, Miami’s Locos Por Juana and Mexico’s Inspector have all kept the South American reggae and ska spirit alive going into the next millennium.

New York’s King Changó made a big ska splash in the mid-‘90s, while Maná’s excellent emulation of the Police drove their sound to the top of the Latin pop-rock charts. Desórden Público was an overlooked but hugely talented Venezuelan ska outfit, while former Mano Negra leader Manu Chao had many solo hits with a reggae, rather than punk rhythm (as evidenced on the track “Clandestino.”)

Two of Mexico’s stronger ska-influenced bands, Víctimas del Dr. Cerebro and Inspector, are represented here, as is Fidel Nadal, the former leader of Argentine rasta-punk legends Todos Tus Muertos. One of the early ‘90s great Latin alternative bands, Tijuana No! also appears here as well as Panama’s Rabanes.

Reggae and ska is a natural fit for Spanish-speaking cultures, particularly those in the tropics, who sway to the same sea-breezes found in Jamaica. Still, some of the best reggae in Spanish was made by artists from Spain and Argentina. Ska, reggae’s up-tempo cousin, was a major vehicle for the early rock-en-Español movement. And, given the alternative nature of Latin alternative, many of that genre’s stars recorded reggae-tinged songs, some of them among their best.