Vocal forms of American music

1;salsa music known for its percussion instruments and ‘soneros’ translated to vocals or salsa
singers. Other key instruments to the genre include the piano, guitar, trumpet, trombone, saxophone,
congas and much more. Today, salsa is constantly evolving and continues to be both a popular style of
music and form of dance. The iconic salsa sounds can be recognized and defined for its repeating
patterns (often one-two-three, one-two, one-two-three, one-two).

2;cumbia music known for its folk style and recognized today for its mixture of African and
Indigenous rhythm and instruments including the ‘gaita,’ similar to a flute, the ‘guacharacas,’ a
percussion instrument, and other European influences. This genre became famous in the 1960s around
the world and new forms, rhythms and blends are constantly being adapted.

3. Reggaeton music Known as the younger music genre of Latin America, reggaeton is another
style of Latin American music coming from Puerto Rico during the mid-1990s. With a blend of Latin and
reggae rhythms, reggaeton history has evolved tremendously and to-date is rated one of the most
popular music genres in Latin America. Famous reggaeton artists, Daddy Yankee, known as the ‘King of
Reggaeton’ and DJ Playero, first used the term reggaeton to describe the new style of music emerging
from Puerto Rico which featured a mix of hip-hop and reggae rhythms, completed with Spanish rapping
and singing.

4. Bachata music bachata is another popular Latin American music genre which first made
headlines in the 20th-century. With Spanish influences and African and Indigenous musical elements,
the genre bachata is a diverse representation of the Dominican Republic population. here are five
instruments needed to perform the soothing bachata style including a ‘requinto’ or a lead guitar,
‘segunda’ a rhythm guitar, bass guitar, bongos and ‘güira,’ another percussion instrument. With a dance
focus too, batcha has transformed to be one of the most popular Latin American music styles heard
internationally.

5;merengue music Recognized as both a music and dance style throughout the Dominican
Republic, this type of music is rooted in Africa history and based on repeating a five-beat
pattern called ‘quintillo.’ Also, the instruments need to make up the merengue sounds include a
diatonic accordion, a two-sided drum also known as a ‘tambora’ and a metal scraper known as
a ‘güira.’
6. Bossa nova music Formed in the 1960s by the late famous Latin American musician
and ‘Father of Boss Nova,’ João Gilberto in Brazil, Bossa nova is a popular music style influenced
by a mixture of the vibrant samba and cool jazz flavours. With very few instruments required,
guitar, ‘berimbau,’ similar to a musical bow, drum, piano and a vocalist, bossa nova is known for
its sophisticated and harmonic sounds.

7. Rumba music Rumba music is another popular Latin American style of music usually
accompanied with two to three conga drums and sticks. This medium-to-fast paced Afro-Cuban
style of music is also an extremely popular ballroom style of dance you’re guaranteed to hear
and see throughout your travels in South America and around the world.

8. Son music

Son music (or son Cubano) is another popular genre of Latin American music formed in eastern
Cuba in the 19th-century. With a mix of Spanish and African flavours, this genre of music and
dance is an important component of daily life and history in Cuba and has helped shape and
influence the Latin American music scene.

9. Tango music
Tango music is another popular genre of Latin American music originating from Argentina and
Uruguay. A traditional tango sextet consists of a piano, double bass, two violins and two
bandoneons and can be recognized for its two-four and two-two count or beat.

10. Latin pop music

Latin pop music is a subcategory of pop music which became popular in the 1980s and 1990s.
Known for its fusion of modern and catchy pop style and Latin music and flare, this new style of
music is commonly associated with Spanish-language, rock, and dance music.

Famous Latin American musicians for pop music include Shakira, Ricky Martin, known as the
‘King of Latin Pop,’ Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias, Gloria Estefan and more.
history of American music
At the time of Christopher Columbus’s first encounter of the
“New World” in 1492, numerous indigenous cultures were
spread from the northern Mexican mountains to the
southern tip of South America and on the Caribbean islands.
These cultures ranged from isolated and technologically
primitive peoples to highly organized societies with
advanced technological knowledge. Little is known about the
musical activities or systems of these precolonial
civilizations, but available sources do afford glimpses into
the roles of music in the most-advanced cultures. These
sources include surviving musical instruments, dictionaries
of Indian languages compiled by early European
missionaries, chronicles written by Europeans of the 16th
century, and, for Mesoamerica, a substantial number of pre-
Columbian Mexican codices. (A codex is a manuscript in
book form.) Some scholars have studied the musical cultures
of isolated indigenous communities of the 20th century as a
means to understanding the past; although such an
approach may be somewhat useful, it is not wise to assume
that traditions are continuous and uninfluenced over
centuries.The type of ancient Mesoamerican music that is
best-documented is the ritual music of the courts (primarily
Aztec and Mayan). Music performance (often allied with
dance) is depicted as a large-ensemble activity, in which
numerous participants variously play instruments, sing, or
dance. The 8th-century murals of the Bonampak temple, for
example, show a procession with trumpets, drums, and
rattles.
Vocal and dance forms of latin American
Salsa-Originating from Cuba, this dance has a time signature of 4/4. It is based on
a repeated rhythm, called clave rhythm, and follows a repeated pattern of chords.
The piano is prominent, playing syncopated broken chords. Congas and cow bells
can be heard and it often features question and answer style melodies.

Rumba-another Cuban dance, but it can also be found in other Caribbean islands.
It is slower, with a time signature of 4/4. Like many of the other dances, the
syncopated rhythms are of African origin.

Cha-cha-Of Cuban origin, this dance style takes its name from the rhythm of the
guiro - the scraper - and the shuffling of the dancers’ feet. The time signature can
be 2/4 or 4/4.

Merengue -Originating from the Dominican Republic with a time signature of

2/4 but featuring syncopated groups of five drum hits.Caracas Merengue
performed by Victor Hugo

Samba-An energetic dance associated with the carnivals of Brazil with a time
signature of 2/4. A large drum called a surdo plays the pulse on the beat, with
layers of repeated syncopated patterns played on smaller drums, shakers and
agogo bells.Samba drumming performed by musicians in Rio, Brazil

Bossa Nova-A genre of samba and jazz with a time signature of 2/4. In Bossa
Nova, there is more emphasis placed on melody than rhythmic percussion.Agua
de Beber performed by Astrud Gilberto

Tango-A very dramatic and passionate dance from Argentina. It has a time
signature of 4/4, features a syncopated ostinato and contains repeated accented
notes. Legato phrases are contrasted with short stacatto notes and
glissandi.Maipo performed by Trio Hugo Diaz