Words by Wayne Marshall—

When reggae en español first got going in Panama in the early 80s, it was all about making cassettes for local bus drivers to lure customers to their diablos rojos, and rocking outdoor parties with roving soundsystems known as discos moviles. With the beginnings of professional recording and vinyl pressing/distribution in the mid-80s— and the emergence of Spanish reggae pioneer Renato—reggae artists singing in Spanish began making inroads into national radio and, eventually, to music videos on local television. Initially, and still today, national reggae hits tended toward romantic themes (Renato’s late 80s smash, “La Chica de los Ojos Cafe,” was the breakthrough in this regard), but occasionally a more gangsta dancehall jam worked its way past censors and other gatekeepers.