Don Omar’s Back to Reggaetón Celebrates the Genre’s History

As reggaetón continues to dominate the music charts, the style’s legends, together with Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderón, Ivy Queen, and Don Omar stay extra related than ever for his or her roles in shaping a motion that originated in Puerto Rico and ultimately went international. But Don Omar’s comeback has been a long-awaited one. The leyenda recognized for his early 2000s hits like “Dale Don,” “Sácala,” and “Salió el Sol,” has formally returned to the scene together with his “Back to Reggateon” US Tour, produced by CMN. The tour not solely marks his extremely anticipated return to the stage but in addition fantastically celebrates his two-decade-long profession and its impactful contributions to the style.

On Saturday, March 9, Don Omar took to the Barclays Center stage to carry out a sold-out present that left the viewers crammed with pleasure and nostalgia. Most importantly, it proved that 20 years later, his music nonetheless hits. The Puerto Rican reggaetónero has been slowly making his manner again in the recreation since 2021, dropping singles that led to his 2023 LP “Forever King.” His new music has been a formidable mix of his signature early 2000s reggaetón with the fashionable sounds which have been taking on the style. But his present tour, which kicked off in Reading, PA, on March 7, speaks to the manner the group has continued to honor and rejoice the OGs who pioneered the motion.

It’s really easy to neglect the originators behind a pattern or a motion and concentrate on the huge stars of at present, like Bad Bunny, Karol G, Young Miko, or J Balvin. But at present’s reggaetón and Latin entice followers know to pay their respects — that a lot was clear at Barclays, which was crammed with followers who uttered all the lyrics to the majority of Don Omar’s two-hour set record (particularly when he rapped his biggest hits, like “Pobre Diabla” and “Mayor Que Yo 3”).

The present additionally made it clear that each reggaetón’s OGs and its present stars are crediting others and their contributions to the style’s recognition. Don Omar did a couple of tributes all through the night time, together with performing “Gata Gangster” and “Desafío,” throughout which he shouted-out Daddy Yankee as a legend.

“[Daddy Yankee] dedicated 35 years of his life to reggaetón. I don’t have anyone to argue with anymore,” he stated jokingly, alluding to their earlier feud.

During his efficiency of “Entre Tú y Yo,” Don Omar shouted-out Luny Tunes and different Dominicans’ contributions to reggaetón, which frequently get neglected.

While the present and the tour rejoice Don Omar’s two-decade-long profession, in some ways it additionally pays homage to the style, its beginnings, and the evolution of what it is turn out to be at present. Seeing Don Omar’s rise — an Afro-Boricua artist from Puerto Rico who kicked off his profession when reggaetón was banned by the Puerto Rican authorities — additionally speaks to how far the style has come.

“Thank you for making my dream come true. I was a high school dropout, a church pastor, and in the best moment of my life, you allowed me to be Don Omar,” he stated whereas closing the present. “I have made so many mistakes in my life, and at my age, it is clear to me that having made mistakes is what has me where I am today because, from each one of them, I learned. I learned that on this planet, no one has the key to heaven. The only key to heaven is your direct relationship with what is in heaven.”

Johanna Ferreira is the content material director for POPSUGAR Juntos. With greater than 10 years of expertise, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central a part of Latine tradition. Previously, she spent shut to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she or he has freelanced for quite a few retailers together with Refinery29, Oprah journal, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has additionally moderated and spoken on quite a few panels on Latine id. .