by Larnies Bowen

Ok, so I’m going to let you all in on a little secret…For the past few months I’ve been working on producing a documentary, currently entitled CONTRA CORRIENTE, based on my research! Surprised, right? Well, I’ve been wrestling with the idea of producing a documentary long before I left for Panama. Last summer, I interned with a Colombian Television/Documentary producer (and Spanish Reggae enthusiast) who taught me the fundamentals of production (and gave me some valuable contacts for my research). He was confident that a documentary about Spanish Reggae would be very marketable. (Remember the success of Boy Wonder’s documentary about Reggaeton, Chosen Few, released in 2004?) The only problem is the funds allotted for my research don’t exactly cover producing a feature-length film…So, initially I was very hesitant to devote myself to this very difficult endeavor. However, I believe that a documentary film would be the best way to actually do something with my research. Not only is film a very powerful medium, but it’s widely accessible for many people. For me, it’s not enough that I have all of this knowledge about this fascinating musical form. I need to share my knowledge with others! So I’ve decided to give it a shot.

As part of my strategy to attract sponsors for my project, the US Embassy procured an interview with ELLAS, a weekly women’s magazine that is distributed with Panama’s leading newspaper La Prensa. Although I told only two people that I was going to be featured in the magazine, most of my Panamanian friends/acquaintances saw the article and congratulated me. I was even recognized by a salesperson who works at GUESS! I admit I rather enjoyed my 15 seconds of fame!

Below is my translation of the article. The interview was conducted entirely in Spanish. I was a little nervous about speaking in Spanish so early in the morning (8:00AM!), but I think the interview went well. You can find the original article online HERE.

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Posted By: larnies @ 5:18 pm
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by Larnies Bowen

“¿Vieron el desfile?” (”Did you see the parade?) asked Olga as she combed the white alisado cream through the roots of Vanessa’s deep ruby-red hair. “Sí, era puro reggae” (”Yeah, it was pure reggae.”) chimed la asistente in a way that let me know that this was not a good thing. To be honest, I hadn’t been paying much attention to the beauty salon chatter (I was busy re-reading The Devil Behind the Miror by Stephen Gregory) until the topic of conversation switched to reggae and the weekend’s desfile, a parade honoring the nation.

Vanessa, a friend of my aunt’s, was kind enough to let me spend a few days at her home in Paraiso (a small town outside of the city primarily inhabited by the descendents of West Indian Canal Zone workers) while I was looking for an apartment. The Friday night before the parades, Vanessa and I went to the Figali Convention center to hear bands play dianas, a traditional Panamanian music form that was very popular during the month of independence. To my surprise, one of the most popular songs played there at the convention center and throughout the entire month was “Pasalo otra vez,” a song by leading Spanish Reggae artist Jr. Ranks. In between sets, a DJ played all of the hottest Dancehall music from JA and PTY.

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Posted By: larnies @ 4:27 pm
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by Larnies Bowen

“Well the way how them have Colón, it’s the Cinderella of the whole country. That’s how they have Colón…The Cinderella of the whole country. The reason why that happened is because there was too much black in that area. Yes, that’s how they have Colón. The Cinderella of the whole country. So they never cared to do nothing for Colón. The government, they don’t care.”

–DJ Carlos Winthrop

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Posted By: larnies @ 3:27 pm
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by Larnies Bowen

Wondering what I’m listening to down here in PTY? Well today’s post is a collection of some of the most popular dancehall/Reggae-Soca songs that you’ll hear on the radio and in the discotecas. This entry’s entitled “Plena Playlist” because Panamanians often refer to Spanish Reggae as “plena.” The term literally means “hit song,” but perhaps due to Spanish Reggae’s overwhelming popularity, the genre has come to be popularly referred to Plena as well. Plena has a number of sub-genres such as Romantic Reggae, Roots & Culture (think Bob Marley), Dancehall (think Beenie Man), and Reggae-Soca.

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Posted By: larnies @ 1:25 pm
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by Larnies Bowen

Talk about being thrust into the “real world.” Only a few months after graduating, I pushed aside my fears, swallowed my anxieties and successfully relocated to a foreign country where I’ve secured my first very-own apartment, made new friends, expanded my network of contacts, and delved head-first into a new field of study. In the process, I have learned a great deal about my strengths and weaknesses. One particularly important epiphany was that somewhere along the line I started equating asking for help with relying on people. Since previous experiences have shown me that people aren’t reliable, this asking for help thing is something I’ve been struggling with. However, my circumstances and the nature of my research have forced me to accept the reality that I simply cannot do everything by myself. So while stepping way out of my comfort zone and overcoming many of fears has been extremely empowering, I also feel as if I have been humbled as well.

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Posted By: larnies @ 3:24 pm
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by Larnies Bowen

Unbeknownst to me, I arrived justo a tiempo for the beginning of the busy season here in Panama City. The holidays were quickly approaching and January marked the beginning of summer so (affordable) housing was/is scarce in this Latin American hotspot. All the newspapers and websites have been listing apartments at upwards of $600 (yes that is USD). And I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t stomach forking over $600+ per month in rent in Latin America. So…I took to walking.

At the suggestion of some family friends who work in real estate, I walked around choice neighborhoods and spoke with the management, concierges, and residents of various apartment buildings in the hopes of locating a reasonably priced apartment. After much walking (and some tears), I found a decent one-bedroom apartment within my budget. It’s not in the prettiest neighborhood, but it’s centrally located—a quick quarter bus ride or $1 taxi ride to the University of Panama and everywhere else I need to be. One major drawback: it was completely unfurnished. (Apparently, in Panama when you rent an apartment you rent just that—an apartment. Most apartments don’t come with stoves or washing machines, or anything.) In fact, apartments don’t even come with lights! You have to go to an office called Edemet and put down a deposit first.

Further complicating the “settling in process” was all of the red tape concerning registering an apartment, opening up a bank account, obtaining a visa, and getting electricity in my apartment—all of which took about a month. Meaning, after it took about three weeks to locate an apartment, it took another three to four weeks until I could actually move in the apartment. I believe my realtor summed it up best when she explained “This is not the states. Everything here is un tramite…a long process.”

Click here to email Larnies with your questions or comments

The views and information presented are the Fulbright grantee’s own and do not represent the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State.

Posted By: larnies @ 1:57 pm
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by Larnies Bowen

Against my fears (and the warnings of my host country contacts), a day after I touched down on Panamanian soil, I found myself stuffed onto a seat of one the glorified school buses (known as diablos rojos) that make up the public transportation system here in Panama City. Clutching the back of the seat in front of me (so much for seat belts…), I took in my surroundings.

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Posted By: larnies @ 10:48 am
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by Larnies Bowen

Welcome to what will be the cyber home of my Fulbright-mtvU project, “An Exploration of Afro-Panamanian Identity, Culture, and Collective Experience through Spanish Reggae Music.” Over the course of my ten-month stay in Panama, I will employ a multifaceted approach involving archival research, music analysis, and ethnographic fieldwork to research the history, people, and culture that embody the Spanish Reggae movement in Panama.

In addition to your typical research in libraries, I will be out in the community attending concerts, parties, and other social functions in the hopes of building relationships with reggaeseros (Spanish Reggae musicians) and other Afro-Panamanians. I will present and interpret their words and music in the hopes of providing an entryway into their world for people outside of their community and culture. I look forward to forging relationships with people who are seemingly very different from myself and (as my Rasta “breddren” would say) overstanding these differences so that interviewees feel comfortable sharing details about themselves and their lives.

I will wrap up the academic year by producing an audiovisual history of Spanish Reggae music for use in Panamanian schools and community organizations. Featuring audio clips, short videos, songs, and photos obtained from my fieldwork, the DVD will provide a platform for Afro-Panamanians to explain the development and significance of Spanish Reggae music for their culture, community, and nation in their own words and riddims.

Here on this blog you can expect to find regularly updated posts containing analysis and commentary on Spanish Reggae music conveyed through various media. I also plan to weave the broader issues/themes relating to my project into a personal narrative of my experiences as a young Jamaican-American woman living and studying in Panama.

Finally, I would like this blog to facilitate meaningful and open dialogue between you, dear reader and myself. I am very much interested in receiving your questions, opinions, requests and other feedback. Thank you for your interest in my research!

Click here to email Larnies with your questions or comments

The views and information presented are the Fulbright grantee’s own and do not represent the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State.

Posted By: larnies @ 3:30 pm
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