Carlos Isaías Morales Williams, known as Sech, is a Latin Grammy-winning reggaeton artist from Panama. Best known Stateside for collaborations with big names like Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, and Maluma, Sech just released his third solo album, 42, in April.
This interview is part of The World Made Local, a global collaboration between the seven international editions of Condé Nast Traveler in which 100 people in 100 countries tell us why their home turf should be your next destination.
Talk to us about Panama.
Panama is a really beautiful place and has everything—in one part of the country, you have beaches; in another you have mountains; there are many different climates. And the people love to party. Panamanians are always in a good mood, and that’s one of the reasons I love my country.
How do you fit into the narrative of Panama now?
A lot of what is happening in music right now in my genre [reggaeton] began in Panama. So I want to keep promoting it because I think the industry here can continue to grow.
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If a friend was visiting and had just 24 hours there what would you tell them to do?
Go to Río Abajo, my hood in Panama City, for lunch. To me, that’s where the best food in Panama is. The best restaurant is called Fanso, and the food is a mix of Panamanian and Jamaican food. Anything you order there will be amazing. They have soup that’s like magic. The rice and beans, the coconut rice; it’s all fire. I love everything they make. For dinner, do more local plates at El Casco Viejo. Afterward, Santana is a fun bar. To relax, head two hours out of the city to the El Valle de Antón mountains.
Who should we be listening to?
You need to know about El General and Nando Boom. The first reggae in Spanish is from Panama, so you have to know those two artists.
What excites you about Panama now?
I like that sneaker culture is growing. I’m so into it, I have my own sneaker store called El Bloke. But I’m seeing it happening on the street. There’s a huge group on Whatsapp of people traveling to the U.S. to buy sneakers. There’s an event like Sneaker Con here in Panama. I’ve gone twice. As a country, we’re also doing a lot in sports. We have what feels like a thousand new football players, and that’s amazing. I want that to keep growing, so that there are Panamanian players on Real Madrid, Barcelona. That’s one of my dreams.
What is your all-time favorite spot that you return to again and again?
Bocas del Toro is an amazing place, though it’s quite famous. You can also go to the San Blas Islands. The water is so clear, the ocean looks like a swimming pool. I also like Veraguas, where there are rivers, natural pools, and waterfalls. It’s beautiful.
Follow Sech on Instagram @sechmusic
