One of the kingpins of ‘80’s/’90’s dancehall, Wayne Wonder has never performed in Panama, a country where Jamaican music from that era is wildly popular. The singer makes his debut in the Central American nation on June 15.

Wonder is scheduled to perform at Figali Convention Center in Panama City, the Panama capital. He told Observer Online that the gig is a long time coming.

“We got offers before but it wasn’t right, but now it’s right. I’m so excited,” he said.

Panama is one of the main centres for reggaeton, a Latin beat inspired by the drum-and-bass sound of dancehall music, particularly from the 1980s. Wonder started his career in that decade, hitting with covers of Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car and Anything For You, originally done by Gloria Estefan.

A number of old school Jamaican acts have performed in Panama in recent years including Daddy Lizard and Bunny General. Wayne Wonder, whose biggest hit is No Letting Go from 2002, is not surprised at how well-received artistes and music from the 1980s are in Latin America.

“Yuh know di reason fi dat, why dem love di real, authentic dancehall? Dat’s what reggaeton is created from, so it’s only natural,” said Wonder, who had a golden run throughout the 1990s with producers Donovan Germain and Dave Kelly.

Panama has produced some of the most successful reggaeton acts, such as El General and Joey Montano. The genre borrows heavily from the music of dancehall heavyweights like Shabba Ranks and British veteran Pato Banton.

Wayne Wonder is scheduled to tour Japan and Europe, starting in July.

Howard Campbell