Colombian reggaeton singer J Balvin has been bringing some Latino heat to Pacha last night. His six-week residency at the Ibiza Town super club has got off to an explosive start.
Originating in Latin America, reggaeton has slowly spread to Europe with the help of Balvin's influence. His popularity is evident on the drive up to Pacha as the pavement on Tuesdays has been full of keen concertgoers queuing to get in.
The international star attracted a strong enough crowd to rival even some of the most popular Pacha parties. As expected, the evening is heavily populated with Spanish partygoers, but I was able to pick out the odd English face when I visited.
For the opening a few weeks ago, resident DJ Sky warmed the bustling crowd up nicely with that distinct reggaeton pop sound. When the time came, the lights went down, and everyone rushed forward towards the stage to catch a first glimpse of the star.
A sea of phones flooded the air ready to record the moment Balvin appeared on stage. He opened with a string of his own songs. The first was Reggaeton which quite literally blasted through the speaker nearly forcing me backwards.
It was a popular opening choice as fans went wild. People were desperate to get closer to the stage.
Born entertainer Balvin shoed how to work a crowd, as he hit us with tune after tune. The atmosphere was booming as he sang Machicka next, a song together with Jeon and Anitta.
Every so often he paused and allowed the crowd to sing the lyrics to him. To my naïve surprise, every person in the crowd knew every word to every song. After all, the multi-award-winning artist is an icon of the reggaeton genre. I should have known better.
He followed next with Con Altura, another song of his own with Spanish singer and songwriter ROSALÍA.
The trumpet riff of X slowed things down a little, but the energy was still there. You could feel the momentum Balvin had mustered as it left the crowd wanting more.
As the set was in full flow, the sexier lyrics of Ahora got the ladies twisting their hips to the beat.
Whilst the evening was a sharp contrast to my usual choice, it was refreshing to experience a little bit of Spanish culture whilst in Ibiza. J Balvin is a showman and it was obvious why people turned out in their masses to see the megastar.
With three more dates to go, catch this sizzling Latino party on Tuesdays until 23 July. See below for exact details, confirmed line-ups and tickets.
