Latin Music: Basic Definitions

Curious about Latin music but not sure where to start? Check out our quick guide to some of the most popular genres and styles!

What is Latin music?

Latin music is music that is produced in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal. It includes a wide variety of genres, including pop, rock, folk, jazz, and classical. Latin music is often characterized by its use of Spanish or Portuguese lyrics, and its incorporation of Afro-Latin rhythms.

The term “Latin music” can be used to refer to both the music of Latin America and the music of Latino communities in the United States. In the United States, Latino music has been influenced by a variety of genres, including rock and roll, country, hip hop, and R&B.

Some popular Latino musicians include Selena Quintanilla, Gloria Estefan, Shakira, Juanes, and Ricky Martin.

The history of Latin music

Latin music is a genre of music that originated in Latin America, including countries like Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Argentina. The style of music is characterized by a strong rhythm section and often features brass instruments. Latin music has become popular all over the world, and has even influenced other genres of music such as rock and roll.

Latin America

Other musical traditions from across the globe had an impact on the development of Latin music, including the African traditions brought over by slaves and the Iberian (Spanish and Portuguese) musical traditions of Europe. However, it was the blend of these various traditions—African, European, and Indigenous—that resulted in the unique sounds heard in Latin America today.

The first stirrings of what would become Latin music can be traced back to the early 1500s, when Spanish and Portuguese colonists arrived in Central and South America. These Europeans brought with them their own musical traditions, which quickly began to mingle with those of the Indigenous peoples and Africans living in the region. Over time, this new hybrid music began to take on a life of its own, developing into distinct genres that would come to define Latin America’s sound.

One of the earliest examples of this new type of music is villancico, a genre that emerged in Spain in the 15th century. Villancicos were popular songs that were often used to teach religious lessons. They quickly became popular in Latin America as well, where they were used to spread Catholic values throughout the region. However, villancicos also incorporated elements of African and Indigenous music, resulting in a sound that was distinctly different from anything that had been heard before.

Eventually, other genres began to emerge in Latin America as well, including fado (a Portuguese form of folk music), bomba (a type of Afro-Puerto Rican music), and cueca (a Chilean folk dance). By the 19th century, these genres had all begun to coalesce into what we now know asLatin music—a rich tapestry of sounds that reflects the various cultures that make up Latin America.

The United States

In the United States, Latin music is often categorized as “Spanish-language” music or “Hispanic music.” This is because the first wave of Latin American immigrants to the United States came from countries where Spanish was the dominant language. These include Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and other Spanish-speaking countries in Central and South America.

The term “Hispanic music” is used to describe all types of music that has its roots in Latin America and the Caribbean, regardless of language. This includes Cuban son and salsa, Colombian vallenato and cumbia, Argentine tango and Uruguayan candombe, as well as many other styles.

In recent years, the term “Latino music” has become more popular in the United States as a way to describe all types of Latin American music, regardless of language. This is because it is seen as a more inclusive term that encompasses all people of Latin American descent, regardless of national origin.

The different genres of Latin music

There are many different genres of Latin music, each with their own unique history, sound, and style. Tango, for example, originated in Argentina and Uruguay, while salsa has its roots in Cuba. Samba, meanwhile, is from Brazil. Other popular genres of Latin music include cumbia, merengue, and bolero.

Salsa

Salsa is a popular form of social dance that originated in the Cuban-American community in the 1960s. The movements of Salsa are a combination of African and European influences. It is generally danced to Latin American music played with 2-4 beats per measure.

The basic steps of salsa include a side-to-side weight transfer on counts 1-2-3, followed by a tap on count 4 (typically with the heel or toe). Salsa can be danced either “on 1” or “on 2”, meaning that dancers can start their footwork either on the first or second beat of the measure.

There are many different styles of salsa, but all share the same basic steps. Some of the most popular styles include Cuban salsa, L.A. style salsa, New York style salsa, and Puerto Rican style salsa.

Merengue

Merengue is a genre of Dominican music. It is a lively, fast-paced music, with a 2/4 time signature and an overall playful feel. The instruments typically used in merengue are drums, piano, and horns. Merengue is often considered to be one of the more easy-going and fun genres of Latin music.

Bachata

Bachata is a genre of Latin music that originated in the Dominican Republic in the early 1960s. It is traditionally sung in Spanish, but many modern bands sing in both Spanish and English. Bachata is usually played on acoustic guitars, with a strong rhythm section that includes bass, drums, and percussion. The lead guitar often has a distinctive sound, with intricate ornamentation and sensitivity to the singer’s melody. The lyrics of bachata songs often deal with themes of love, heartbreak, and loneliness.

The different subgenres of Latin music

Latin music is a broad term that covers a wide range of music styles originating in Latin America, Spain, Portugal, and the Caribbean. The different subgenres of Latin music include Cuban music, Brazilian music, Mexican music, and Puerto Rican music.

Cuban

Cuban is the oldest and most Afro-centric of the Latin music styles. It originates from the Cuban son, which is a mix of Spanish and African influences. The Cuban son eventually led to the creation of salsa, which is a popular Latin music style today. Cuban music is characterized by its use of percussion instruments, such as congas and bongos, and by its fast-paced rhythms.

Puerto Rican

Puerto Rican music includes a wide variety of genres including dance music, folk music, hip hop, pop, rock and salsa. Music from Puerto Rico has been influential to the world. Some of the most famous Puerto Rican musicians include Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez.

Puerto Rican folk music is very diverse. There are many different types of folk music on the island including bomba, plena and danza. Bomba is a type of Afro-Puerto Rican music that is danced while drumming on barrels. Plena is a type of Puerto Rican folk music that is sung in a call and response style. Danza is a type of European-influenced ballroom dance music that was popular in the 19th century.

Puerto Rican pop music, also known as música urbana (urban music), is a type of pop music that has its roots in Cuban and Dominican pop. Puerto Rican pop includes various subgenres such as reggaeton, Latin trap and dembow. Popular Puerto Rican pop musicians include Daddy Yankee, Ozuna and Bad Bunny.

Puerto Rican rockmusic has its roots in the United States and the United Kingdom. Early Puerto Rican rock bands such as Maldita Vecindad and Fiel a la Vega fused rock with Latin American genres such as cumbia and salsa. Puerto Rican punk rock band Puya was one of the first Latin American bands to achieve mainstream success in the 1990s.

Dominican

Dominican music is a vibrant mix of European, African, and indigenous influences. Bachata, merengue, and bachata are all popular genres of Dominican music. Bachata is a guitar-based style that originated in the countryside and is now popular throughout the Dominican Republic. Merengue is a type of Afro-Dominican music that originated in the northern region of the country. It is characterized by its fast tempo and percussive instrumentation. Bachata is a slower, more romantic style of music that is also popular throughout the Dominican Republic.

The different instruments used in Latin music

When it comes to Latin music, there are a wide variety of instruments that are used. These include guitars, drums, pianos, and even horns. Each instrument brings its own unique sound to the music. In this section, we will take a look at the different instruments that are used in Latin music.

The guitar

Although there are different types of guitars used in Latin music, the most common is the Spanish or acoustic guitar. This instrument is used in a variety of genres including flamenco, ranchera and bolero. The electric guitar is also popular in Latin rock and fusion styles.

The piano

The piano is a Latin music staple, used in everything from ballads to Bachata. It has a wide range of capabilities, from providing simple chords to complex bass lines or melodies. In Latin music, the piano often takes on a percussive role, keeping time with the rhythm section while also adding its own flavor to the mix.

The drums

In Latin music, the drums play an important role in keeping the rhythm. There are a variety of drums that can be used, but the most common are the conga, bongos, timbales, and drum set.

The conga is a long, narrow drum that is played with the hands. It is usually about two feet tall and is made of wood or fiberglass. The bongos are a pair of small drums that are played with the hands. They are usually made of wood or metal. Timbales are a pair of small drums that are played with sticks. They are usually made of metal. The drum set is a collection of drums and cymbals that are played with sticks.