Patricia Ortega
Fall 2003
The most played and listened to music right now almost everywhere in the world is Latin music. It is especially characterized by its rhythm and its exotic instruments. (Revels-Bey) Nowadays, this kind of music is grabbing people’s attention especially in the marketing area because we can see that people are starting to use it in commercials, TV shows, movies, etc. Most people are ignorant of the origins of Latin Music. They just enjoy it but they never wonder how this pleasant music got its mixed sounds and styles together.
Latin music has its root in the Moorish culture. This culture emerged when Christopher Columbus came to conquer the new world and he brought with him Moorish slaves into Latin America. The Moorish culture spread its rhythm and sounds among other countries. Its rhythm distinguished its music between other cultures. Moorish descendants used drums and songs in a way to communicate each other. After years, this music spread through all the islands of the Carribean making it their unique musical culture. Each Latin American country adopted some sounds from the Moorish to made their own style. (Revels-Bey)
Latin music is a mix of different sounds, beats, and rhythms obtained from Spain and Latin America. The styles of Latin music are: el mambo, la rumba, la zarzuela, flamenco, el tango ,el merengue, la cumbia and salsa El mambo and the rumba are kind of similar in sounds but experts can distinguish them by their beats. They say that the mambo’s musical has unexpected beats and that the rumba starts with a group of improvised verses. La zarzuela and the flamenco are both folkloric music from Spain, but they differ in two points. La zarzuela is from Spanish opera and the flamenco has an influence of arabic and gypsy melodies. El tango is the music from Argentina and it’s characterized by its slow and soft rhythm. El merengue has a fast beat and a tropical rhythm and it started in the Dominican republic. The cumbia has a moderate to rapid melodious verses and choruses. Musicians play it with accordions and drums. Finally, la salsa became popular in Miami and New York and it’s characterized by the use of trumpets and other brass instruments. (Monkeyshines)
One of the Latin music styles that most people around the world learn and like to dance to because of its contagious rhythm is Salsa. (Morales). The Salsa became popular around the 80's in New York and Latin America because of its romantic and erotic lyrics and also by the help of salseros performers such as Eddie Santiago, Gilberto Santa Rosa. and Celia Cruz. (Morales) Lately, the salsa has been danced by many people from different countries, especially Asians and Europeans and it’s also the most popular Latin music style over the world. People who like this kind of music are called “salseros”. They enjoy this music because it’s energetic, contagious and it gives them the pleasure to dance with a partner or by themselves. That’s why they are starting to learn its movements.
In conclusion, Latin music has evolved over the years with the sounds, beats and so many influences in cultures making it a melodic music to listen and to dance in Latin America. Today, people also use Latin music over the world for enjoyment and entertainment in different kinds of events. “Now, in the 2000's, it can be said that music is reaching the youth of the Americans and other countries across the world, but only because of its diversification in styles, from the traditional son cubano and mambo of the ‘30's to the New York Salsa of the ‘70's and ‘80's. We now have “‘Salsa Rap’, ‘Techno Merengue’ and ‘Merengue Rap’ ”. (Morales)
Works cited
Monkeyshines on music. “Latin American Music.” Monkeyshines Publications (2001)
20 Oct 2003 < http://web3.infotrac.galegroup.com >
Morales, Martin. “The History of what is called ‘Salsa Music.’ ” Caribbean Nights (2000)
17 Nov. 2003
Revels-Bey, Napoleon. “History of Latin Music.” Napoleon Revels-Bey / music and Nassau Performing Arts INC (2001)
12 Oct 2003
< http://www.revels-bey.com/history_of_latin_music.htm >