Two groups with Panamanian roots hit the west coast this November. Latinx Rock N’ Rollers and activists Making Movies and Grammy-nominated Hip-Hop duo Los Rakas take on the West Coast on their Panameri’kana Tour. “We instantly connected with Los Rakas and their way of exalting the underclass even through their name,” Enrique explains. Los Rakas name is drawn from the word “Rakataka”, which is a derogatory way of describing the Afro community in Panama. “I think we are all exploring identity. The deeper you look into it the messier it gets, and the more systemic racism has impacted how we see our world and ourselves.” Panameri’kana is a play on the concept of Panamerican - everyone on this continent share some common identities. “We are Panamanian and Panamerican,” Enrique says. “The reggaeton rhythm in Panamá is just as much American music as any americana music.” --- More About Making Movies: Latinx rock'n’rollers and activists, Making Movies, released their third album ameri’kana May 24th and its apparent why Rolling Stone says, “this band is breaking down walls in the United States.” Collaborating with legends Los Lobos Rubén Blades and the late Lou Reed has NPR Music placing 'ameri'kana' on its Best Music of 2019 Salsa icon Rubén Blades has joined forces with the band to release three singles on ameri’kana: No Te Calles, Cómo Perdonar (ft. Flor De Toloache) and Delilah a song co-written by Blades and Lou Reed. Grammy.com called Delilah an “epic musical collaboration brought together by the topic of immigration” and NPR Music placed “No Te Calles: on its Best Music of 2019 (so far). The band has toured extensively, appearing with the likes of Arcade Fire, Los Lobos, Hurray For the Riff Raff, Bomba Estereo, Galactic, Jesse & Joy, Flor De Toloache, Thievery Corporation and will be joining Rubén Blades for some tour dates fall 2019. More About Los Rakas: Los Rakas is comprised of cousins Raka Rich and Raka Dun, pioneering Panamanians by way of the Bay Area on the frontier of a new Latin urban sound. Known for their fresh mix of hip-hop, plena, reggae and dancehall music; the Grammy-nominated duo represents the cutting edge of Pan-American flows. Taking their name from the Panamanian word “Rakataka,” a negative slur used to describe someone from the ghetto, Los Rakas have set out to inspire fellow “Rakas” by empowering them to become successful despite their circumstances. In 2012, Los Rakas released their EP, Raka Love, touring nationally and internationally. Their debut album on Universal Music Latino, El Negrito Dun Dun y Ricardo, released in 2014. In 2016, Los Rakas released their self-titled, second album earning them a Grammy nomination for “Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album”. Their 2019 album Manes De Negocio is best described by Remezcla as a “socially conscious trap soiree”. As KQED states, Los Rakas are “positioning themselves as the heirs of pioneering Black Panamanian reggaetoneros such as El General and Renato.” Los Rakas are turning the current Latin hip-hop world on its head.