Reggaeton Star is the Uncredited Talent Behind The "Harlem Shake" Meme
Puerto Rican Hector "El Father" is the voice that shouts "con los terroristas."
Feb. 20, 2013— -- Earlier, we told you about the "Harlem Shake," an [entertaining/annoying/incomprehensible -- take your pick] dancing video meme that's been increasingly tough to avoid online. (Remember "Gangnam Style," guys?)
Now, if you've watched any of the videos so far or are familiar with Baauer's "Harlem Shake" -- the song from which the meme takes its name -- you'd likely agree that the most memorable portion of the song features a lone voice calling out "con los terroristas" (Spanish for "with the terrorists"). Whence the shouting?
Baauer, né Harry Rodrigues, recently told the Daily Beast (which, as of this posting, explains "con los terroristas" as being "Columbian Spanish for 'with the terrorists.'" Columbian. Spanish.) that he had the idea of "taking a Dutch house squeaky-high synth and putting it over a hip-hop track,' then adding a bunch of "weird shit" to it, including that voice. "The dude in the beginning I got somewhere off the Internet," he says, "I don't even know where, and the lion roar just makes no sense."
It turns out that "the dude in the beginning" is Hector Delgado, perhaps better known as "Hector El Father," a former reggaeton star who had been a member of Hector y Tito (with Tito El Bambino) in Puerto Rico in the 90's before going solo.
During his Reddit AMA earier this week, Baauer was specifically asked about the "con los terroristas" sample (which several listeners assumed is a female voice) and responded only that he'd "found it on the innerweb." Several Reddit users then correctly identified the sample as Héctor "El Father's", with a link to the original track.
As for Hector "El Father," it turns our he quit reggaeton and "bling" in 2008 to devote himself to God and has since become a preacher that goes by Hector Delgado. No word from Hector if he's even aware of the proliferation of the "Harlem Shake" meme featuring his voice.
So, Baauer. Now that the dark, mysterious, sample-churning abyss that is the Internet has provided you with the name of the person whose voice and music you've borrowed, why not give him some credit?
