2020

Ozuna: The Golden Child of The Digital Streaming Era

Written by Jennifer Motaval for VIBE

Reggaeton historian and founder of Reggaeton Con La Gata, Kathleen Eccleston, credits Ozuna’s success to not only his special pen game but his confidence to be unapologetically himself…..“Ozuna is important to today’s world of streaming and music because of visibility,” she says. Culturally, in Latin America, pet names like chiquitawhich means shorty, gordita translating to fatty, and negrito/a for an Afro-descendant are often used as a form of affection—it’s a cultural practice to address someone by their appearance.

Why The Debate On Rosalia’s Rise In Spanish-Language Latin Music Matters

Written by Mariela Santos for NYLON

According to TV host and artist Kathleen “La Gata” Eccleston, various artists have been looking to revive their careers by making reggaeton music, and collaborating with artists from the urban movement….credit isn’t given to Black reggaeton artists, and the pioneering Panamanian-Jamaican artists that developed reggae in Spanish, when it’s due. This is one manifestation of the colorism present throughout Latin American countries and Latinx communities in the United States, privileging whiteness.[/

Meet The Afro Latina Purveyors of Reggaeton

Written by Marjua Estevez for Teen VOGUE

There is a glaring issue within the genre of reggaeton: the exclusion of black women in music videos. This is the topic that Panamanian-American host Gata tackles in an 8-minute Youtube clip. “We have a problem, we want black music but we don’t want black women?” the 25-year-old asks at the beginning of the video. The clip, which is part of the show Reggaeton Con La Gata, is a testimonial account where the host speaks on the history of reggaeton, the exclusion of dark-skinned Afro-Latinas from the genre’s music videos, and her own experiences navigating Latino culture.

Panamanian TV Host Asks: Where Are the Black Latinas in Reggaeton? (VIDEO)

Written by Amanda Alcantara for Latino Rebels

“There is a glaring issue within the genre of reggaeton: the exclusion of black women in music videos. This is the topic that Panamanian-American host Gata tackles in an 8-minute Youtube clip. “We have a problem, we want black music but we don’t want black women?” the 25-year-old asks at the beginning of the video. The clip, which is part of the show Reggaeton Con La Gata, is a testimonial account where the host speaks on the history of reggaeton, the exclusion of dark-skinned Afro-Latinas from the genre’s music videos, and her own experiences navigating Latino culture.”

HOW ONE INSTRUCTOR IS HELPING STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT LATINXS ROLE IN REGGAETON AND HIP-HOP IN A NEW UNIVERSITY COURSE

Written by Barbara Gonzalez for Cassius

Bruno said her lecture materials will consist of analyzing song lyrics, music videos, and also videos from popular creators such as Mitú and Reggaetón Con La Gata, who she also asked to review her syllabus. Some popular musicians she’ll be highlighting include Ivy Queen, Cardi B, Amara La Negra, La Sista, Jennifer Lopez, Nina Sky and more. While Bruno admits she has struggled with getting other academics to realize the legitimacy in her work, she said she is standing on the foundation of other Black and Latinx scholars who have done this work on race, culture, and music before her. In her own research, she uses race, colonialism, anti-blackness, Latinx experiences in urban cities to create points about how they all play into the culture of each genre.

How Black Panamanians Have Made Gold Jewelry an Intrinsic Part of Their Culture

Written by Michael Butler for Remezcla

Similarly, television host Katelina Eccleston-Cooper can’t remember a time when gold wasn’t a constant in her life. From her birth, gold has formed a part of her identity.“I’ve gotten the gold chain, the gold baby wristlet with the beads, and my name – and all of my family members have it, too,” she says. “It was something that was part of of our upbringing.”

“They view it as unnecessary; we view it as cultural,” she says. “I understand it from all angles, but in the same way someone wants to buy $200 Gucci flip flops, I can buy a $200 gold tooth. I think Americans can be hypocritical in the sense of how people display money. It’s funny because the majority of people I know who use gold teeth in Panama are black and, they’re not poor, but they’re also not rich. That’s why I tie [gold] so much to Afro-Latinidad because I feel like it’s just as Black as the Afro.”