Long after reggaetón went from regional to international, any attempt to divorce the genre from its dancehall reggae origins remains altogether futile if downright impossible. Indeed, the savviest Latin artists operating today know this all too well, regularly paying homage or otherwise returning to the original Jamaican source for inspiration. Those who tapped in for Ryan Castro’s 2024 album, EL CANTANTE DEL GHETTO, know the Colombian star ranks among this class of reverent talents, demonstrating as much on tracks like “FENDI” and “MODELITO.” His follow-up SENDÉ, however, is front-loaded with a respectful reggae familiarity as the soundsystem start-up of the throwback-informed title track leads into the hybridized “REBECCA.” While other reggatoneros in this space favor ’90s fare for their interpolative tributes, something he does on the referential “BOMBASTIK<3,” he shows a love for subsequent dancehall evolutions through original expressions like “GL” and “LOBA.” The latter of those features both Jombriel and Konshens, two artists who’ve made their respective marks in the genre and who lend Castro more credibility. Not wedded to one specific sound, his broader affection towards Caribbean music crops up on the interlude “pa q vuelva,” while a penchant for Afrobeats also emerges via tracks like “dejate ver” and the thematically melancholic “Ojalá.” Arguably like-minded in showing love to island-bred styles, Manuel Turizo lends his approach to the dance-floor-primed “MENOS EL CORA.” Castro’s mindfulness regarding collaborators leads to moments both unexpected and instantly gratifying, tapping Curaçaoan rapper Dongo for the dembow fusion “SANKA” and regrouping with his “QUEMA” collaborators Peso Pluma and SOG for the thumping “UN TRIO.” Still, it’s pretty incredible when no less than Shaggy himself shows up for the penultimate “EXCLUSIVA.”