Finally, it was 18 years ago today that the US launched an invasion of Panama. The US military ousted Dictator Manuel Noriega and brought him back to Florida to face criminal charges. Noriega remains in jail here. For those who don't remember much about the invasion itself, a song by the Panamanian duo Los Rakas might be a good introduction. Madeleine Bair has the story, from station KALW in San Francisco.
Los Rakas includes Ricardo Guillam Bethancourt and Abdull Dominguez. Better known as Rico and Dun Dun, they were just toddlers back in 1989. But their memories of that time are vivid. In their song "Invasion of Panama '89," they use archival news clips and somber lyrics to recount the violence that engulfed their Panama City neighborhoods.
Like hundreds of Panamanians, Rico's grandfather died in the violence. Rico says he wrote the song so more people, especially Americans, would be aware of the pattern of U-S military intervention in other countries.
RICO: "The thing that was going on with Iraq, that kind of reminded me of it. So I'm like, here we go again you know."
But don't get the wrong idea. Rico and his cousin Dun Dun, now in their early 20s, have lived half their lives in the U.S. And they say they're grateful for all it has given them. Their debt to this country is apparent in their music. English and Spanish take turns over beats that merge Bay Area hip hop with the Caribbean rhythms of Panama.
Rico and Dun Dun first picked up their musical skills in workshops at Oakland high school. They expressed themselves by rapping in Spanish, and gained experience in studio production and live performance. Before long, they were performing together.
As a nod to their Panamanian heritage, they named themselves Los Rakas. It's Panama City slang for people from the ghetto. Earlier this year, they released their first album, "Panabay Twist." Dun Dun says the title and the music come from navigating two different cultures.
DUN DUN: "That's why we call it the Panabay Twist. Cause it's really the mixture of the Bay Area influence, and the Panamanian thing."
The song "Mi Barrio" is one example.
Over a reggeatón beat, and one of the album's many flute samples, Dun Dun and Rico rap about life in the inner-city, whether the ghetto of East Oakland or the slums of Panama.
No sooner was the CD pressed than Rico flew to Panama, for what he thought would be some modest publicity. What he found, to his surprise, was fame.
The video for Mi Barrio, shot on locations throughout the Bay Area, had made its way to Panamanian music television. When Rico landed in the country, the veejays of a popular music channel invited him on for an interview.
As Rico walked through the city he had left ten years ago, people stopped him on the street.
RICO: "They either have the song on their cell phone, or they be like, 'Hey, you the one who sings, This is for Mi Barrio.' Everybody, the taxi drivers, from everybody, you know what I'm saying."
Rico says "Mi Barrio" became a hit because Panamanians can identify with the language and the story. And the bilingual hip hop style sets the song apart from other music on the radio.
Los Rakas hopes their cross-cultural sound will resonate with U-S audiences, too. They work full-time on their music and a veteran hip hop producer is helping them create their second album. Dun Dun says if you grow up poor in Panama, your options are limited. But if your grow up poor here...
DUN DUN: "It's hard you know, for people in the hood, but if you fight, if you do the right thing, if you fight for your dreams, if you fight for your goals, you can make it."
They say their next album will be more of what they've created so far - a musical fusion that represents their old and new barrios.
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