El Chosen Few: El Documental – Various Artists

Amid the reggaeton gold rush of 2005, Chosen Few: El Documental stood out from the pack of cash-in compilations flooding the American market. It stood out because it wasn't typical. Unlike, say, VI Music's Reggaeton Hitmakers (another popular CD/DVD package that sold well), it didn't round up a bunch of previously released material. Everything on Chosen Few is exclusive. And unlike Mas Flow, Vol. 2, a similarly popular Luny Tunes-produced compilation that rounded up a host of reggaeton's biggest stars, it's diverse, partnering a variety of producers with a variety of artists, some of them well known (Don Omar chiefly), some of them relatively unknown. Indeed, Chosen Few was unique for its time, and it had a lot to offer: a 25-track CD of music that includes a gigantic hit single, Omar's "Reggaeton Latino," and a two-hour DVD documentary that includes some fascinating footage exclusive to this release, including performances and interviews -- past and present -- with most of the style's leading practitioners, including Omar, Tego Calderón, Daddy Yankee, Zion & Lennox, Vico-C, Eddie Dee, Nicky Jam, and dozens of others. It all adds up to a reggaeton buffet: an all-you-can-ingest sampler of everything wonderful the style has to offer, from the music itself to the artists to the culture to sunny Puerto Rico, which is ground zero for reggaeton. So if you're a fan of this music, there's a lot here to devour, with the DVD footage probably the top draw because it puts faces, names, and images with the music. On the other hand, if you're new to reggaeton and aren't sure if it's for you or not, Chosen Few is recommended as an ideal starting point. Again, the DVD footage is valuable, as it sheds a lot of light on the music and its culture, doing a lot to showcase why reggaeton came out of nowhere to become the biggest thing to hit Latin music since Ricky Martin shook his bon-bon at the turn of the millennium. Granted, the CD half of this package isn't as consistently excellent as the aforementioned collections, which are both filled to the brim with first-rate reggaeton, but it does include "Reggaeton Latino," a huge hit and an anthem, and it's diverse enough to showcase the many different musical approaches out there, unlike those other two collections, which mostly showcase the poppier side of the music. A tremendous value for your money and a one-stop crash course in reggaeton, Chosen Few became a cultural phenomenon in mid-2005 for good reason. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide