Daddy Yankee

1. DaddyYankee

2. ¿Quién es DaddyYankee? • Daddy Yankee is one of the top reggaetónartists in theworld. • Ontherightis a list of some of DaddyYankee´smost popular songs. Listen and askyourselfthefollowing • Whattypes of instrumentsyouhear? • Reggaetón is a blend of severalgenres of music, whatgenres do youthink are incorporated? • WhatEnglish-speakingartistsoundsmostlikeDaddyYankee? DaddyYankee´smost popular songs • Ella me levantó • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXpAYeeiyF8&feature=fvwrel • La despedida • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdt8d1zkeXY • Que tengo que hacer • Gasolina • Rompe

3. ¿Qué es reggaetón? • Tofirstunderstand reggaetón, itmighthelptoknowwhat reggae is. Listen tothefollowingsongby Bob Marley, one of themostfamous reggae artists of all time. • Jammin • Three Little Birds • Reggaetonis fairly new genre of music sweeping the world. It consists of a blend of hip hop, rap, reggae and tropical tones. • Although the genre is thought to have originated in Panama, its most famous artists have all been from Puerto Rico, and it is often thought primarily as being Puerto Rican music. • Althoughthemusicwasoriginallyonlyplayedbyyoungurban latinos in small clubs and dancehalls, themusic has recentlygainedinternationalpopularity. • 2004 was the year that reggaeton finally burst out of its confined space with the help of Daddy Yankee's CD, Barrio Fino. • Puerto Rico's large roster of reggaeton artists include, along with those mentioned above, Voltio, Glory, Wisin & Yandel, Don Omar, Ivy Queen,Calle 13 and Hector El Bambino (now Hector the Father). This Puerto Rican invasion has captured the hearts of urban hispanic youth the world over.

4. ¿Quién es DaddyYankee? • Raymond Ayala (Daddy Yankee) was raised in Villa Kennedy, a public housing project in the capital of San Juan, Puerto Rico. At a very young age Raymond wanted to be a baseball player and everyone agreed that he was well on his way to the major leagues. However, one summer night the 17-year-old was involved in an accident that permanently damaged his leg. Ever since that event over a decade ago Daddy Yankee has dedicated his life to his true passion, creating music.  • Daddy Yankee grew up in a musical family. His father was a bongosero (i.e., a salsa percussionist), his mother's family included numerous musicians, and he himself sang from an early age, with a knack for improvisation. As Daddy Yankee grew older, he took an interest in Spanish-language hip-hop, He got into reggaeton just as it was taking shape in the early '90s, when San Juan DJs would spin hip-hop alongside dancehall reggae while vocalists would freestyle over the beats. • Daddy Yankee did more than anyone to establish reggaeton as a marketable music style during the early 21st century. Yankee's success was so phenomenal in the wake of his 2004 mainstream breakthrough, Barrio Fino -- and in particular the international hit single "Gasolina" -- that he transcended cultural boundaries and genre trappings. 

5. In Puerto Rico, Yankee is slang for "someone tall, who is big in what he does.” The rough English translation for Daddy Yankee therefore is "Big Daddy.” • Daddy Yankee´s first commercially released CD, “BarioFino” sold over 1 million copies in the U.S. It was one of the first ever reggaeton CDs to sell that much. The success of Barrio Fino was partly on account of "Gasolina," a party-oriented single whose appeal was so phenomenal that the song itself became synonymous with reggaeton in the minds of many, especially English-speakers who were not acquainted with the music style. The appeal of "Gasolina" was such that it's been compared to "Macarena," another Latin party song that broke through cultural boundaries to become a dance club staple internationally. • Ayala married MireddysGonzález when he was seventeen years old. The couple have three children: Yamilette, Jeremy and Jesairis. Throughout his career Ayala has kept most of his personal life private, rarely speaking about it in interviews.  However, he has stated that his marriage is strong because he and his wife are "friends above anything“ and that he has a very close relationship with his children in which he tries to offer advice against drugs and negative influences.