The Best Latin Music from the 60s

The best Latin music from the 60s was a decade of incredible music. From the smooth sounds of the mambo to the fiery rhythms of the salsa, the 60s were a golden age for Latin music.

Mambo

Mambo is a style of Afro-Cuban dance music that originated in Cuba in the early 1940s. The word “mambo” means “conversation with the gods” in Yoruba, a language spoken in West Africa. Mambo was popularized in the United States by Cuban bandleader Perez Prado and American bandleader Xavier Cugat.

Mambo is characterized by a fast tempo, syncopated rhythms, and graceful movements. The best mambo dancers are able to execute moves with precision and fluidity. Mambo is often danced competitively, but it can also be enjoyed as a social dance.

Mambo has its roots in Cuban son, a style of music that dates back to the 19th century. Cuban son was itself a mix of Spanish and African influences. Mambo emerged from this tradition in the early 1940s, when bandleaders began experimenting with new rhythms and instruments. By the 1950s, mambo had become hugely popular in Cuba and was starting to gain popularity in the United States as well.

Perez Prado was one of the first Cuban bandleaders to achieve widespread fame in the United States. His 1949 hit song “Mambo No. 5” helped to introduce mambo to American audiences. Xavier Cugat was another popular bandleader who helped to spread the popularity of mambo in the United States. He is credited with helping to make mambo fashionable among Hollywood celebrities and socialites in the 1950s.

Today, mambo remains popular across Latin America and the United States. It continues to evolve as new generations of dancers bring their own stylish twists to the steps.

Cha Cha Cha

The Cha Cha Cha is a Cuban dance that became popular in the 1950s. It is danced to Cuban music, which is a blend of Spanish and African influences. The basic steps of the Cha Cha Cha are similar to those of the Mambo and the Rumba, but the Cha Cha Cha has a distinctive rhythm that sets it apart from other Latin dances.

The best Latin music from the 60s often included the Cha Cha Cha, as it was a hugely popular dance at the time. Some of the most famous songs that featured the Cha Cha Cha include “El Cumbanchero” by Perez Prado, “La Bamba” by Ritchie Valens, and “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas” by Nat King Cole. These songs are still popular today, and they continue to inspire dancers of all ages to cha cha cha their way across the dance floor.

Bolero

Bolero is a genre of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance. It originated in Spain in the late 18th century and is still popular in those countries where Spanish is spoken. The music consists mostly of guitar and piano, with a harp sometimes used as well. The rhythm is primarily based on 4/4 time played on claves, withSyncopated bass lines. Vocals are often present, but are not necessary to enjoy the music.

Samba

Samba is a lively, rhythmical dance originating in Brazil. It is characterized by a distinctive beat, played on drums and percussion instruments, and by intricate footwork. The samba is danced solo or in pairs; however, it is most commonly seen performed by large groups of people in outdoor spaces such as parks and streets.

The samba has its roots in the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomblé, which was brought to Brazil by African slaves during the colonial era. The dance was originally known as the lundu, and it was danced to music played on African drums. As the lundu became more popular among Brazilians of all social classes, it began to incorporate elements of European dances such as the waltz and the polka. In the late 19th century, the lundu evolved into the samba we know today.

The samba became widely known outside Brazil in the 1930s, when it was featured in American films set in Rio de Janeiro. In particular, the song “Cuando Calienta el Sol” (known in English as “The Heat Is On”) from the film Bathing Beauty (1944) became a huge hit around the world. The popularity of the samba continued to grow in the following decades, thanks in part to its depiction in Brazilian carnival celebrations, which were often attended by Hollywood celebrities and other international visitors.

Today, the samba is an iconic symbol of Brazil and its culture. It is danced not only at carnival but also at weddings, parties, and other festive occasions. The samba is also a popular form of exercise; many gyms offer classes taught by professional dancers.

Bossa Nova

Bossa nova is a genre of Brazilian music, which was developed and popularized in the 1950s and 1960s. The term bossa nova derives from Brazilian Portuguese, literally meaning “new trend” or “new wave” (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈbɔsɐ ˈnɔvɐ]). A lyrical fusion of samba and jazz, bossa nova acquired a large following in Brazil, parallels elsewhere in Latin America, Europe, and the United States by the mid-1960s.

Bossa nova’s lyrical themes often deal with love and yearning (saudade). Its originated from a small group of upper class Brazilians living near Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro during the late 1950s. Like many musical styles originating from Rio de Janeiro (e.g., samba and pagode), bossa nova has been commonly associated with the beach lifestyle of that city’s affluent districts; but while bossa nova shares saddness, longing or nostalgia (Portuguese: saudade) with other Rio styles such as samba, it typically expresses a lighter mood.

One of the originalbossa novasongs, “Chega de Saudade” (“No More Saudade”; 1958) by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes Telles was recorded by several artists including João Gilberto—widely regarded as one of bossanova’s seminal recordings—andGilberto’s wife Astrud Gilberto on her debut album Bossa Nova Jazz Samba (1964). The song’s success resulted in its widespread use as sonic wallpaper in thousands of film productions over the following decades, most notably including The History of Mr. Polly(1967),A Man and a Woman(1966),Blow-Up(1966),The Thomas Crown Affair(1968),Manhattan(1979),Reds(1981)400 Blows(1959),Annie Hall(1977),Stardust Memories(1980). Also popularized by Getz & Gilberto’s 1963 hit single “The Girl from Ipanema”, bossanova soon spread internationally via pop songs such as Eydie Gormé’s 1964 English-language versionof “Besame Mucho”, Shirley Bassey’s 1965 release “Yesterday I Heard the Rain”, Nancy Wilson’s 1966 recording “(Take Me to) Aruanda”, Frank Sinatra’s 1967 hit single “The Girl from Ipanema”, Peggy Lee’s 1968 versionof “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know”and Dionne Warwick & Franco DeVita’s 1977 renderingof Warwick & Burt Bacharach composition entitled”After You”. Bossanova also gave rise to hybrid genres such as Brazilian pop music (or MPB) and MPB-influenced rock music throughout Latin America during the 1960s. American guitar virtuoso Wes Montgomery played an important role during this period as he incorporated bossanova aesthetics into his work on numerous Verve Records releases such as A Day in the Life (1967)and Down Here on the Ground”(1968).

Latin Jazz

Born out of the Afro-Cuban rumba, Latin jazz is a blend of Cuban and African rhythms with jazz harmonies and improvisation. Latin jazz first gained popularity in the US in the 1940s and 50s with artists such as Machito, Dizzy Gillespie, and Tito Puente. In the 60s, Latin Jazz continued to grow in popularity with artists such as Cal Tjader, Mongo Santamaria, and Willie Bobo.