The music industry has always been perceived to reflect cultural and social leanings. However, while some artists and creatives have been exalted to new heights, many have had a fair share of erasure, especially within Reggaeton. 

When a lawsuit claiming the alleged infringement of 1989’s “Fish Market” by Jamaican producers Cleveland “Clevie” Browne and the late Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson was announced, many were far from surprised. The lawsuit primarily targets acts such as J Balvin, Bad Bunny, Danny Ocean, Daddy Yankee, and Zion y Lennox.

Unfortunately, for many music creatives, this isn’t the first or last time that this will happen. That’s why Katelina “La Gata” Eccleston’s work is pivotal to the genre. Through her tireless efforts, she is working to exalt those whose stories have been left to the wayside. That’s why her partnership with Audiomack for Perreo 101 is so meaningful.

Perreo 101 serves as the reggaeton history lesson everyone needs but won’t be taught through “conventional” channels

Like many reggaeton-heads, La Gata is genuinely passionate about the genre. She’s the type of person who lives and breathes its nuances. But that’s to be expected for a historian who seeks to promote the visibility of all aspects of reggeaton.

She tells Latinidad Collective, “Perreo 101 is a labor of love, and I believe that’s its power; over time, it became a peak reflection of the international community that pours into it.”

Gata’s goal is to enlighten listeners about the genre’s rich history. The podcast has reached a diverse audience, including students at prestigious universities and professionals at various companies. 

They were also at the Tribeca Film Festival with Cuban artists Yotuel and Beatriz Luengo.

“Perreo 101 at Tribeca was an impactful day. Sonic Union and I filled up the theater with those curious on the complex nature of Cubaton and the political impact of music as seen in Yotuel and Beatriz Luengo’s song ‘Patria Y Vida’ which we were highlighting,” she added.

Gata continued, “For 90 minutes, Yotuel, Beatriz, and myself got into the very real reality of the fact that Maykel Osorbo, one of the artists of the song, is in prison for singing truth to freedom, further speaking to the power of the song’s title ‘Patria Y Vida’ in defiance of the idea ‘Patria o Muerte.’”

The Panamanian-Jamaican artist notes that it was a night full of emotions. 

“We laughed, we cried, we imagined/dreamed in real time [of] a free Cuba. [As well as] a shift in culture that would embrace freedom of expression as a Black man for Yotuel, as a woman/ally for Beatriz as his wife, and while I’m not Cuban — I am a Queer Black Latina and policing of my existence is something I often think about,” she affirmed.

Gata is using her platform as an answer to those who question the significance of Reggaeton as a cultural beacon

This year, Gata celebrates her seventh year of impact. 

“Reggaeton Con La Gata has shifted culture forever, period. In 2017, after a viral tweet, it was offered a broadcasting opportunity with Bronxnet. It went onto produce several videos that drove conversations on Black women in Reggaeton, race in Reggaeton, and Panamanian-Jamaican roots in Reggaeton independently,” she explains.

Perreo 101 was launched in 2018, followed by a tour in 2021. Gata has also collaborated with Futuro Studios’ podcast on “LOUD.” She also worked on the Netflix Reggaeton comedy “Neon.” Given her wilful career steps, Perreo 101’s evolution was a given.

This time around, fans will also receive video content and an album. The historian was clear about why she wanted to do this. 

“The streets asked for it! [They’ve] been begging for more content for years, and [I’ve] been scared of not being able to protect my intellectual property. So I’ve been patiently waiting for this revamp so I can speak freely, knowing that my carefully curated work, which will no doubt inspire other content to come, can always be sourced,” she explains.

She adds, “The Perreo 101 instrumental album is a concept I came up with in December 2022. After the racist pianist [James Rhodes] questioned Reggaeton, to which I responded in the L.A. Times, I thought to myself, ‘He’s so ignorant on the complexity of Reggaeton.’” 

“And thus, the idea for an album that exemplified the range of this genre all in one place was born. It was produced independently of the podcast by Pamela Velez, Big Chriss Y Draco, Randy Class, Jaby Vibes, and myself, with the ethnomusicology of the genre in mind,” the executive producer notes.