"The best thing I have seen is when the new artists recognize me every time I see them," said El General, whose real name is Edgardo Franco. "They say 'Thank you. You were here before we were around and now we're here, and we can make some money.'

"That is very important for me because I have 16 years tied up in this movement." It's even more important, he says, because he is retiring from the music business to concentrate on other forms of entertainment.

In 1988, when El General, now 36, burst on the scene with his hit single "Tu Pum Pum," the radio industry had a tough time coming up with a universal description for the new fusion. Tags ranged from reggae cumbia and Latin rap cumbia to tropical dance hall.

In recent years, the favored term has become reggaeton.