Tag: reggae

Celebrate Notting Hill Carnival With Our Carnival Sounds Hub, the Ultimate Audio Destination for Caribbean Music and Culture

August 21, 2024

On August 25 and 26, an estimated 2 million attendees will flock to London for Notting Hill Carnival, a vibrant celebration of the U.K.’s Caribbean community. As one of Europe’s biggest street festivals, the annual event brings a spectacular display of costumes, colors, and sounds to the city. Revelers take to the streets for parades, food, and music, with sound systems and DJs spinning dub, reggae, soca, soulful house, and everything in between.

As part of our commitment to celebrating Caribbean culture and amplifying Black voices around the world, Spotify is proud to partner with Notting Hill Carnival for the fifth consecutive year. And this year, we’re marking the occasion with our newly launched Carnival Sounds hub on Spotify, bringing fans the opportunity to experience the music, stories, and culture they know and love in one place.

Want to discover reggae’s very best? Our Irie playlist has you covered. Craving the faster-paced, drum-heavy rhythms of soca? Look no further than Massive Soca Hits. There’s also the Carnival Sounds 2024 playlist, our popular Dancehall Official playlist, and many more.

Fans can also dive into the rich history of Notting Hill Carnival with a curated selection of podcast episodes, or explore shows like A Shot Of Soca, a London-based podcast, and The Yaadman Podcast from Jamaican creators Davaine and Tonniel. The amplification of Caribbean voices continues outside of Spotify, too, with fun conversations like this Unwritten Rules of Carnival guide, with artists Alicai Harley and Kairo Keyz and creators Indiyah Polack, Ugly Andz, and Faceinthenews.

“Notting Hill Carnival is more than just a celebration; it’s a powerful expression of Caribbean identity and a testament to the global impact of its culture,” said Safiya Lambie-Knight, Spotify’s Head of Music Partnerships, Northern Europe. “We’re excited to bring back Carnival Sounds to celebrate the rich heritage and music of Carnival and to support and elevate Caribbean artists, voices, and communities. It’s great to be able to help people to discover and engage with the culture ahead of Carnival weekend.”

Building on this year’s festivities, Spotify has also teamed up with Trippin World, a platform that empowers people to travel more consciously. Together, we’ll bring Caribbean culture to even more people around the world, celebrating its impact and importance through the eyes of Notting Hill Carnival.

Head to our Carnival Sounds hub to immerse yourself in all things Caribbean.

Casa Spotify: Puerto Rico Celebrates its Unique Sounds and Influential Legacy With Performances, Workshops, and More

June 12, 2023

Puerto Rico is famously known as La Cuna del Reggaetón (the Cradle of Reggaetón), and it’s still living up to its reputation as a Latin music giant today. In 2022 alone, listeners globally streamed nearly 13 billion hours of Latin music on Spotify, with five of the top 10 Latin music artists hailing from the influential island. And it’s this rich legacy of music and culture that has us excited to open up the doors of Casa Spotify: Puerto Rico. 

Located in the heart of San Juan, this music and creator residency will take place June 20-23 and will serve as a hub for the music industry. Artists, aspiring creatives, and industry professionals will have access to a range of educational sessions, workshops, masterclasses, panel discussions, industry networking opportunities, and showcases. We’ll also be curating a state-of-the-art interactive museum experience that dives into the history of reggaetón and how the influential island of Puerto Rico earned its nickname.

Showcasing Puerto Rico’s music scene

Casa Spotify will serve as the venue for numerous showcases featuring many of Puerto Rico’s best artists—emerging talents and legends alike. Open to the public, these performances will complement the week’s slate of panels, and they’re open to fans as well. Take a look at our showcase lineup:

  • El Nuevo Urbano: This showcase highlights some of Puerto Rico’s strongest emerging talent. Performers include Jovaan, vf7, and Hades66, with a special appearance by Arcángel. 
  • Mujeres en Música: RaiNao, Ana Macho, and Chesca will take the stage in celebration of women and LGBTQIA+ artists in music. 
  • Sonidos de la Isla: Following the discussion on the various sounds coming out of Puerto Rico, iLe and Luis Vazquez will headline this showcase with PJ Sin Suela.
  • Rompiendo Puerto Rico: Celebrating urban artists across the island, Brray, Omar Courtz, Dei V, and Hozwal will offer up some of PR’s hottest sounds.
  • Fan Experiences: Top Spotify fans of Chencho Corleone, Young Miko, and Arcángel will be guests of honor at our exclusive “Fans First” experiences throughout the week. 

To wrap up the week, there will also be a surprise performer at the closing party. (Hint: It’s one of Puerto Rico’s legendary and most influential artists.)

Experts as educators

Along with the showcases and fan experiences, our workshops, panel discussions, and masterclasses during Casa Spotify will be led by experts from every corner of the industry. Each day of the residency will feature different educational sessions and will cover a wide range of topics. Here’s a sneak peek: 

  • Written By Live: Chris Jedi & Gaby Music: Two of the most prolific producers in Latin music—Chris Jedi and Gaby Music—will be leading the Written By Live panel, where they will give the live audience a deep dive into the hit songs they helped create. Attendees will have the chance to hear early demos of those hits and also find out what it takes to enjoy success as a songwriter.
  • Mujeres en Música: This panel will celebrate the impact women in music have had on the industry as a whole. Rising artist paopao and featured performer Chesca will be sharing their journeys on how they’ve built their careers and brands as women in the industry while reflecting on the importance of allyship among creators. 
  • Sonidos de la Isla: Spotlighting the various sounds that are emerging from Puerto Rico, this panel will feature doctor-turned-rapper PJ Sin Suela and artists Luis Vazquez and iLe as the featured speakers. Attendees will learn how these artists found success by crafting a unique sound and will get their insights on the global resurgence of tropical music.

But that’s not all we have planned. We’ll also be tapping our own talent to lead masterclasses on ways managers and artists can take full advantage of Spotify for Artists, the fundamentals of writing and publishing music, and the best practices when crafting pitches for PR and media outreach. These classes are designed to give Puerto Rico’s new wave of rising artists the tools necessary to reach the next level in their musical careers.  

As a leading force in how Latin music is streamed worldwide, we’re committed to elevating Puerto Rican artists to the global stage. And with Casa Spotify: Puerto Rico, we aim to connect with Puerto Rican artists, managers, and labels; develop long-term relationships; and make sure artists have our support and resources at their disposal. 

Check out the latest Puerto Rican sounds taking the world by storm on our Casa Spotify: Puerto Rico hub.

After 7 Years of Breaking Boundaries, Spotify’s Baila Reggaeton Playlist Hits 10 Million Followers

May 14, 2020

Reggaeton first surfaced in Panama in the 1970s and quickly took on a vibrant life of its own. As the genre found footholds in Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the United States, it also welcomed new talents and sounds. In the years to follow, the reggae-dancehall fusion solidified as a prevailing cultural movement with its own language, symbols, and artistic identity. In 2013, Spotify recognized this rapidly growing movement and created the Baila Reggaeton playlist. Now, seven years later, the playlist has skyrocketed—much like the genre itself—and has now reached 10 million followers.

From Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” in the mid-2000s to 2017’s “Mi Gente” by J Balvin, the genre—and the playlist that captured it all—has seen explosive growth and influence throughout the years. Two reggaeton artists (Daddy Yankee and J Balvin) have even become the number-one-streamed artist on Spotify globally following the release of their hits on the playlist.  

But these milestones are only the tip of the reggaeton iceberg. The Baila Reggaeton playlist has ridden the genre’s groove and helped break the new wave of reggaeton artists like Sech, Rauw Alejandro, and Lunay. The top 10 songs streamed on the playlist from January 1, 2014, to now encompass many of the artists who make up the sounds of the genre.    

  1. “Sola (Remix)” — Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Farruko, Wisin, Zion & Lennox
  2. “Te Boté – Remix” ­— Bad Bunny, Casper Magico, Darell, Nicky Jam, Nio Garcia, Ozuna
  3. “Me Rehúso” — Danny Ocean
  4. “Escápate Conmigo” ­— Ozuna, Wisin
  5. “La player (Bandolera)” ­— Zion & Lennox
  6. “Otra vez” — J Balvin, Zion & Lennox
  7. “Sin Pijama” — Becky G, Natti Natasha
  8. “Criminal” ­— Natti Natasha, Ozuna
  9. “Vaina Loca” ­— Manuel Turizo, Ozuna
  10. “Ahora Dice” ­— Arcangel, Chris Jeday, J Balvin, Ozuna

The increasing popularity of reggaeton is reflected not only on this playlist, but also heavily across social media platforms, where reggaeton artists thrive and have become cultural influencers, tastemakers, and role models for the new generation of Latin music fans. See what some of your favorites have to say.

What does it feel like to be part of a genre that has now revolutionized the music industry?

Becky G: I feel empowered to be a part of a genre that is revolutionizing the music industry. I have always believed in the power of music and how it can bring others together, so I love seeing how the universal language of music is starting to pick up a little slang from us too. 

J Balvin: It feels amazing. I have spent my entire career trying to push the “Latino Gang” culture forward, so it feels special to see the genre become a truly worldwide movement.

Ivy Queen: I feel great pride to see how a genre that started off in Borinquen’s streets and garages has shaken the world.

Daddy Yankee: I always had the vision that reggaeton would be heard in the entire world. It was already a lifestyle but it took some time to realize that people would grow within this new culture—it was a movement. I was absolutely clear about it, and even if they called me crazy I always envisioned what we are now living through.