Hablando Reggaeton con La Gata

and let me know what's happening, what's popping. And by the way, let me send you with the stars. Let me send you with the stars and rate us five stars and share this podcast with your friends. You from going everybody that you know to stop it. But anyways, um, I definitely want to hear from you guys, and today I want to get right to it. Because chat Chasm we we have had several conversations in the past. I think that she is beautiful, she's smart. I love the

fact that she's outspoken. She's also after Latina. She is all about women empowerment. She supports and she supports more than a lot of people that have bigger platforms could She's created a movement, a wave. I mean she is everything A lot of you guys see like I didn't know her like that, but as soon as they told me I'm not your guest today is She's from Bana and she's a creator of a multimedia platform dedicated to the history and evolution of Regestas. Welcome to exactly a

Madam Marten, Thank you for having me. What an introduction. I feel that ten times about you. I love you having to be here. Thank you know, I'm super proud and honored to have you today on the show. I feel like, um we I don't know why it hasn't happened yet, but one of my dreams and I'm gonna put it out to the Universethaniel somehow, even if it's at the end of the year. I need to figure out, you know what, I should write it down so I

don't forget. But um we need to do something where the all the after latinos we really come together and do something annually, something where we continue to support because I really hate when when we start well I don't want to say when we started, but it's very few of us that use our platform and our voices not only to entertain, but also to also to talk about real things that happened in our community and all those things. And you're one of those people that are very outspoken.

Wins that I see me once that I see it. Okay, we have to uplift mass after Latinos or more Latino's overall. So what inspires you to be so outspoken and vocal when it comes to the music industry and also the AFRI Latino community. Thank you there, Um, What can I say? I created my platform in college. UM, I studied UM the the industry. I studied racism in the industry. I have the honor of interviewing some grades UM and the

data was depressing. Um. The data was was tough, you know, and it painted me a very clear picture of just how difficult it is to move in the Latin music industry. Right. Moving in music is not easy in general. I know you know this, so you're they here, Okay, if it's this hard, let me make a platform for myself to give myself a voice. And the way I moved just in general, but both in front of them behind the camera. You're simple Flores I'm very serious about that. I'm all

about giving people their flowers. I'm not a first and I won't be the last. And the only way that we will move forward is if we give each other our our credit are flores and a space to really be to be, you know, because none. So I'm grateful that you know, the platform took off and me, Um, if we don't see each other, who will you know? Most definitely what inspired you UM specifically to do because as you know, it's it's a it's a big part

of the community. But there's so many different genres, right and didn't give ba laa like everything you can think of? Why the genre specifically? Um? Yes, American? Now right, my they talk about, um the Jamaicans who immigranted to Panama to work in the Canal. I'm like, you made my grand father the Panamins who speak Patua and Spanish. I'm like me, what I love me? My mom ste s So it's like it's it's just parallel to the history of my family. UM. And of course I was raising Boston.

Shout out to Boston a bunch of bunny light holes. I was raised by bunny like Dominicans. UM, shout out to me, Bunny, I'm in d R right now, Um shout down. You already know dang r yes um. I was raised by Dominicans um and bodiq was and Natra. It just stuck to me. You know, my mom she would so um like that. Yes. So I became gata by the person who was always throwing the house party's um, you know, and it just pretty much came naturally, like

my love for you're nothing. To be honest. Now, now here's something that has been debated for a very long time, right, so jo and Puerto Rico local one of these Puerto Ricueo las in Puerto Rico, the same thing I've heard with Reggaeton. I don't know clarifying me, there's people that say Puerto Rico when you talk like a legend, like DJ Blast he says, you know, studying in Panama and Panama. So, I don't know, how do you feel about it? Since this is what you do? You know what both are right?

This is the thing. So I say that reggaetne right, r E g g A E t o Nama and that R E g U E t o and Puerto Rico. Everybody gets their flowers Alfinan. No, no matter how you spell it is the convention the Panama Right in the nineties, Nando Boom was in the studio with Bobby Digital were a sleepy wonder who were making the Dembo Pounder be that the be that's Corasonno right, right, So to say

that it's not Panamanian, it's like it's literally incorrect. A Panamanian was there in the studio as a part of the process. Right. Um. I think it gets sticky because in Latin that we like to stay close to like our nation, like our nationality. The idea of a dual nationality is like it's like foreign, right, I'm not Panamean, I'm paname In Jamaican people hear that, they acknowledge, but

they still don't get it. You know, there's like a subculture there and so I get it and that when people say, oh no, it's like yeah, but the Panamans are the Jamaicans in this instance. You know, Um, you gotta recognize the subculture otherwise you're literally erasing us in a contribution. Meanwhile, noos to be honest, like right, they really put in their work, nobody now they right? Um? I love you like right, but at the same time.

So that's how I go about it. Both are right, It's just it has to be explained that way otherwise, and that's not fair. Okay, I I agree. I mean I didn't know its history per se the way that you are describing it. Important about having these conversations because now it also makes me feel like I want to go over there and do my own research to find out. You know what it is. Um here you go something

else that I also have heard in something else. I want you to break down to me because there has always been like a white washing, you know, white washing when it comes to music. Um, now, what's happening when it comes to you feel that this is currently happening. It's something that happened. I think that we are pastgeton. I don't think what's being made right now could even be considered. I think it's considered. I call it. It's

like popet like even to the max. Because you know when the Colombians Colombia UM literally not my words the words of Maloma, the words of Jay Balvin is literally they took off the timbales, They took off every African instrument from the music to make it something that's a little bit more pop. Um. And you know, people can do what they want. But my mom, so it's a tendencia. And that's why a lot of the music we hear now, I don't hear the Lanka anymore. That's too like quote

and quote ghatto. Some people even have the cohors old school Yeah, which opinion? Um, So with that sun, Um, Yes, there's been a whitewashing. It was deliberate. It was intentional, um, both by way of the artists and also by way of the industry. Um. And sadly, if in these rooms there aren't enough people to tell you're like, hey, hey, you make that, and we also make you know, No, nobody's in the room stopping this from happening. So I mean, why why do you think that there? Why do you

think that they're not stopping it? Do you think it's convenience? Because I'm gonna be honest, um, being being in the music industry since I was you know, a really you know young girl, it's harder. Obviously. I feel that if this would have been a whole bunch of like sech and a whole bunch of like, I don't know, a whole bunch of morenos being the ones to sing their own music, their own cultural stuff or whatever. It wouldn't be as accepted as obviously when it's cookie cutter and

they clean up the quote unquote image. Because a lot of the times, if you go to the studio, in the studio there's a whole bunch of either Jamaicans, Morenos, Latinos, Dominican banan, there's a whole bunch of us, but when they come up on stage, none of them look like us. So I do believe that it's part of convenience, um, because it's you know, it's the market, it's society, standards of beauty, it's all those things. Do you feel that that's ever going to change? Do you ever do you

feel that there's gonna be a wave? Which sucks to even kind of a wave. They shouldn't be a wave, But do you think there will ever be progressed in that aspect that will be a whole bunch of us singing our own music without it having to be you know, kind of washed a little bit. I'm trying so hard to not be like, yes, everything you're saying, because you know, like you've been on the block, you know this, Um.

Do I think they'll be a wave. This is the thing, and and this is what makes it difficult, right, Um, and what I was trying to like finish up with at the I get it, but I'm in the studio now, so now out of my yant and I'm like, this costs money. Um, you know I do you want to play the game or not? So this is the thing.

I feel like in order for that to happen and to be successful, they would really have to be when I'm young, right, we would really need to have a conversation, have to get together and be intentional and like make it happen, reclaim the culture and let other people do what they want to do. Um. And sadly, because I

get come in. I understand that you know you want to make the songs that you know are going to hit the radios, that you know certain markets are gonna turn the quick book, right, and when it comes time down to make the music that you want to make, No, I animal, no, I like urso No, I you know it's difficult, right, So I feel like, in order afraid to happen right now, there's a wave which I agree with you that it shouldn't be a wave. It should

be the dominant. Um. There's a wave of like there are people who are tired of this sagatum circle and I'm living for it. Um. They're making like pereo, like actual pereo um oi in thea um mochosa Requila. We really need to like listen to like lo paavo. But it's a lot of give and take. It's complicated, it

isn't it's the point? Yeah, do you feel that the same thing happens UM when it comes to because I know that I think, okay, so were the relevant as important whether you're after Latin or just as a Latina industry, how much harder is it or how do you feel that as women we have evolved in regat because in the days there were very few dona Is obviously you know one that would still get and with female is

ev right, Ivy queens and Anthiana, you know it. It was kind of hard because to my understanding, we all admired her as women because she was one of the few. She also when there with a more masculine energy in order to be respected, in order to be UM. Now, obviously she came out more feminine and I feel that it almost affected her a little bit because people wanted

to see that that tough, that toughness in her. But then at the same time, now we see that are much more sexualized, are much more sexi or ec and handed out cambiallo. But when you listen to cat g or Becky g or Natasha, or you listen to the women that are now predominating, how do you feel that

don't have evolved and changed for women? I think you said it perfectly in the Queen so La Patriot route gown um who you know, she was a little bit on the I'd say on, yeah, on the masculine side, Tambia and going the heater was handed on, you know,

thinking about women's autonomy and sexual agency in Mexico. Oh my god, we definitely I feel that so many times we talked about and we've been leaving him out, but when I missed them both right, you know, I'm that much older, but he was like the first person I can think of that was singing reg but we here

now as reget do you play that music? So I definitely am like, yeah, if that you're right, you know I did, but um Panama or no, definitely, So the first of all handedo Urbano Panama Um and he was in a quarta. It was actually him and not the book, No excuse me. It was Renato and handed On and

Reggae Sam. They were the four first group um of Hando and that they translated music from Patua to Spanish, made Soka, made dance so mid regae, and then and handed On went a little bit more commercial, made what we call now Regaton produced by Michael Ellis UM and he rest in peace. Um and Dada. She was the

one who could hang with the guys. Um, but even queen and answering the previous with the women, I would definitely say that the earlier women and I mean evy queen at a glory glow Um had to like tap into their you know, their hood sign to like make the men forget that they are women. Um. And I'm very happy now that they're more women. But elas like negras,

like you know, I'm tired of feeling crazy. It's actually what influenced me to give it a shot, honestly, being inspired by you, being inspired by Salia, being inspired by I'm like, I'm tired of the industry, feeling like there could only be one great Negra like and it's like and yet, um, I'm tired of seeing us added into

token playlists plist Yeah no, no, no playlist. You know What's like just like just like they'll they'll do the it's Black History month, you know, after so in that month it will be like the most light that you're gonna get after that is like, you know, I was surprised, not the way I'm indeed super talented, but I was surprised when I saw such come out. I was like, whoa do we have a black person? And it wasn't a black cooking cutter. It was just he's talented. This

is what it is. I look like this, it's like a I whatever. Um, do I feel that he gets as much flowers as he could in comparison to other talents? No? Do I feel that. I almost feel like they opened the door for him. And it's like, y'all need to be grateful, right that we allowed him, Like he's the one that's going to represent all of y'all. That's it.

We got one. And if you look at the billboards and you look at the charts, you can actually count out with one hand equ without how many negroes or more. After this in the end, are really on this list. It's like I don't want to say that they took our music or culture book. I know that I understand how perhaps we have influenced. We are music, our culture, our sound or food, our style, our hairstyle or everything are features all of us have affected the whole world,

you know what I'm saying, not just musically. So I get that part, Okay, someone who names speed we are It's okay, Like I get it, and that we don't want to ruffle no feathers. But it's it's okay to say that they stole because I did, you know, like but even like it hurts turning on the TV and it's like, look at everything about me except me, Like that hurts, you know, like, h it's true. And then

that's what they'll do. Okay. Commercially is more accepted. They sing it, they become rich, they become the image now with this music, with the sound is and you completely get discredit, You completely get erased from the map, even though that you created this. So I definitely agree. Um if it is hard to see it, and I'll ask you this too, you've been um in the Rolling Stone magazine. We need to see at eight times you have done it all. Tell us about the work you're doing right

now and how can we support you? Know what you're doing. It's been a journey. Um. I started off in Lamega in Boston, um, talking about race and colors, and there I realized like, if I'm gonna reach a bigger audience, I need to take more to the internet. Um the hella mega uh um. And then I started doing more interviews behind the scenes, like behind concerts, which I from was very difficult because I remember I interviewed you in in um Boston, yeah, um with that beautiful blue Manda,

You're so pretty. Yeah. So I started like that, you know, doing behind the scenes. But that's not easy because perfect example, you were exhausted, do not get you wanted to go home? I get it, um, you know, and artists just gave us they're all on stage and then it's nothing easy. Um. And then you know like, um, so we won't be there on Twitter virang and I expanded my base from there and Poco Contrado um, and I was tapped on the shoulder. Um. It was like a two way street.

My point. Um, Yes, I was doing this work, but also I feel like the industry was ready to have these conversations in writing, but I didn't know whose shoulder to tap, And it's it's a gamble, right, talking about these topics. It's difficult because the publicists are right there. I get that feather. So I was tapped on the shoulder to write an op ed for Club because that the summer when George Floyd died and everybody was really

showing their colors and it was really bad. Um, nobody didn't really know how to talk about nobody like no white Latino artists know how to knew how to talk about race, and um, it was evident the industry looked really bad. Well as bad as things are right because okay, okay, you're sl me right, um either um henty like done ones like you're not. That's not my point. My point is not to put anybody down. My point is to make people feel bad, Like what's the point of that?

Like either point? What did I saw? Right? My point is, let's recognize the issues that that exists, right as a continuation of many conversations that you've had a Mata and people who have come before me, and let's get to the point. Let's go to a solution like Bama Black Clad, They're OK, and like, let's talk about these things exactly how they are. So I've had the honor of talking on race and music and Rolling Stone and l a times, um talking about I get the own versus classical music,

which was an honor. Um. You know, my platform is a bridge between academia and entertainment because I said, you know, people really should have the tools to learn about their own history. I was tired as a panamania like talking about the vices of people looking at me like you're so cute. We don't know what you're talking about, Like what in Like that's crazy. Um. So at the it's been a very difficult journey. Um, I made sure to to give people our flowers and really have people understand that.

But I'm not because oh so, I'm not trying to throw the industry array so that nobody's getting money. Let's get money and let's do things right. Hip. Probably it's based off off of the Civil Rights movement. There's a legacy of centering blackness that should be evident in Latin

music and it's not. That is the point. Um. I always feel like Latino and that aspect we're always a little bit more like behind in comparison to like, you know, even when you look at the African American community, and then I think that that's why I also when I was vocal about colorism and racism in my community as an Alfri Latina, everybody was like, oh my god, what you know? But that's because the Latino we're not necessarily as outspoken. We haven't really been as you know, vocal

about our issues. We kind of conformal with knowing what our place is and being like this is how they treat us. We get it and we just do with it, and this is how we go about it. And that's not the way obviously to progress, whether it is in music, whether it's in politics, whether it is in whatever industry. Um, you have to be vocal about equality when it comes to that, right. But UM, on a more positive light,

what the art is? Are there any artists out there right now that you're like, be out in the lookout? I um, most of us who are a trio of Colombian our Afro Colombian Argentine sisters who are put in the music out there. They just released a song called Destino and now they're working on an afrobeats and we're excited to see what comes from them. Melaner, we just gotta say each old. Really, Melana, who's been you know here for a little bit lay party with Nicana. She's

so pretty. Finale who makes like very upbeat music at the den morn I have a threat on Twitter. I have many threads on Twitter, but free to slide up in my d m s because I always want to be able to support a k you know that they have a way that they're doing good. If there's any way that I can at least post your music and support some way somehow, I would love to be able to do that because it starts with us. It's like, yes, we hear about it, we know about it, um, but

then what are you doing? Because a lot of times it's you know, will go support somebody that doesn't even know who we are UM and doesn't add necessarily any value to our community, But those that really do need us we don't. So if there's anything that I can do, count me in uh and later on in the future being able to create something annually then we come together and really do something. I'm definitely gonna have you in mind that where can they follow you? Where can they

support you? Where can they hear more of your work? Thank you? I really quick just want to give a shout out to UM Afro Latino Festival because you know, I feel like they've a large part of my my following, my support of why I even got the visibility that I needed UM is because they have an amazing event that they pull every year, them being UM where they like really make sure that we have a safe space.

So UM, but also thank you so much. UM is available everywhere, but one on one is getting a face withthem. We're excited for you guys to see that UM available on all digital platforms and as well as for those who are looking for a more academic type standardization of all the information that I throw out there, check out academy w dot what you heard it here? Umga, I'm

so grateful to have you as usual. Like I said, it's always an honor talking to you and UH start up in my d M. Show me how I can support, show me what I gotta do, and I can see I'm a big believer. Unite forces. We can only but become stronger and become better. Thank you everyone once again for joining me. And remember to follow exactly a Mada

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