Meet The 92-Year-Old Grandfather Of Reggaeton

by Isaac HimmelmanAt 92, Daddy Melquiades is earning a reputation as the grandfather of reggaeton.His latest single is making waves in the industry and he’s recently performed with Daddy Yankee, a global reggaeton superstar.Before stardom, Melquiades worked as a bus driver in Madrid for 37 years. He says he hadn’t even heard of reggaeton until a few months ago when he was asked to star in a satirical video about the genre. While Melquiades says he prefers flamenco music, he is able to write his reggaeton tracks in only 30 seconds.Reggaeton, which blends hip-hop with Latin American and Caribbean music, has long been popular in the Spanish-speaking world. And its global audience is still growing due to hits, like “Despacito” by Louis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, which has topped the charts in 45 countries.Perhaps Daddy Melquiades can find similar global success.
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