AFRICA IN YOUR EARBUDS #78: Los Rakas
Los Rakas are the selectors behind our latest Africa In Your Earbuds mixtape full of reggaeton, afrobeats, dancehall and more.
“Rakataka" is a Panamanian derogatory term for someone from the ghetto.
<p>It's from that Central American country that cousins <strong>Raka Rich</strong> and <strong>Raka Dun</strong>, better known together as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LosRakas/" target="_blank"><strong>Los Rakas</strong></a>, hail from.</p><p>Growing up in Panama, the two eventually reconnected in Oakland, California where they formed their musical project in the mid-2000s, taking the Los Rakas moniker as a way to uplift the overlooked communities back home.</p><p>Los Rakas look to represent the voice of <em>el pueblo</em>, as well as their Afro-Latino and Californian heritage, rapping in both Spanish and English over a sonic bed that fuses hip-hop with reggaeton, bachata, dancehall and several other styles.</p><p><div class="preroll-video"></div><ora-player></ora-player></p><p>They're <a href="http://www.okayafrica.com/interview/los-rakas/" target="_blank">black, proud and Panamanian & holding down the Afro-Latino sound</a>.</p><p><iframe frameborder="0" height="400" src="https://www.mixcloud.com/widget/iframe/?feed=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mixcloud.com%2Fokayafrica%2Fafrica-in-your-earbuds-78-los-rakas%2F" width="100%"></iframe></p><p>Within the duo's goals is also a desire to educate people about black Latino culture and promote solidarity across the continent.</p><p>“We get treated the same as if we were African-American," the group told <em>Okayafrica</em> in an interview. “We're the same thing here. But we feel the same, the only difference is that we are educating people and letting them know that there are black people who speak Spanish and come from different places."</p><p>“I remember when we started not a lot of people knew that we spoke Spanish, just because of our color. Many people don't know about the existence of Afro-Latinos."</p><p>Los Rakas take the wheel in this latest installment of <strong>Africa In Your Earbuds</strong>. Their selections “were inspired by the music we listen to everyday that has deep roots from African culture," the duo tells us.</p><p><div class="dfp_atf-slot" data-not-loaded="true"></div><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></p><p>Stream <strong>AIYE #78: Los Rakas</strong>, mixed by <strong>Young Fiyah</strong>, above and check out the track list below.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"><a href="http://www.okayafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/los-rakas-okayafrica-1.jpg"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xMDQwMTk1OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDIwMTg2MH0.L9a1jRPD6emhQdXG86O-LoFe_9LpG5lg_EBvgk2cws8/img.jpg?width=980" id="97736" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0235cd970e29ac3002980c367038e6e6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></a></p><p><strong>Track List </strong></p><p>wizkid ft drake & skepta - ojuelegba - nigeria</p><p>korede bello - do like that - Nigeria</p><p>tekno ft flavour & phyno Nigeria</p><p>timaya ft Machel Montano - Shake Your bum bum - Trinidad</p><p>yemi alade - johnny- Nigeria</p><p>teddyson john - allez- St. Lucia</p><p>olatunji - oh yay Trinidad</p><p>don omar ft lucenzo - danza kuduro puerto rico</p><p>aldo ranks - latino - panama</p><p>2 face idibia - African queen - Nigeria</p><p>kafu banton ft almirando - morena - panama</p><p>el kid - ciencia cierta - panama</p><p>ismael rivera - las caras linda - puerto rico</p><p>grupo niche - gotas de lluvia - colombia</p><p>joe arroyo - rebelión - colombia</p><p>el general - muevelo - panama</p><p>tego calderon - loiza - puerto rico</p><p>ayo jay - your number - nigeria</p><p>los rakas - africana - panama</p><p>los rakas - me enamor - panama</p><p>masterkraft ft flavor & sarkodie - finally - ghana</p><p>celia cruz - la negra tiene tumbal - cuba</p><p>davido - aye - Nigeria</p><p>kiss daniel ft davido & tiwa savage Nigeria</p>
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