G – 11 Jadyn M.

De Leon
10 - Newton

MUSIC OF LATIN AMERICA

The music of Latin America is the product of three major influences – Indigenous, Spanish-Portuguese,
and African. Sometimes called Latin music, it includes the countries that have had a colonial history from Spain
and Portugal, divided into the following areas:

a. Andean region (a mountain system of western South America along the Pacific coast from Venezuela
to Tierra del Fuego) – Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela
b. Central America – Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama
c. Caribbean – Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, and Puerto Rico
d. Brazil

At the same time, because of the inter-racial cross breeding and migration, the above named countries
were also somewhat commonly populated by five major ancestral groups as follows:

a. India n descendants of the original Native Americans who were the inhabitants of the region before the
arrival of Christopher Columbus
b. African descendants from Western and Central Africa
c. European descendants mainly from Spain and Portugal but also including the French, Dutch, Italian, and
British
d. Asian descendants from China, Japan, India, and Indonesia/Java
e. Mixed descendants from the above-named groups

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INFLUENCES ON LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC

1. Indigenous Latin-American Music
Before the arrival of the Spanish, Portuguese, and other European colonizers, the natives were found to be
using local drum and percussion instruments such as the guiro, maracas, and turtle shells, and wind
instruments such as zampona (pan pipes) and quena (notched-end flutes) remain popular and are traditionally
made out of the same aquatic canes, although PVC pipe is sometimes used due to its resistance to heat,
cold, and humidity. Generally, quenas only are played during the dry season. Materials came from hollow tree
trunks, animal skins, fruit shells, dry seeds, cane and clay, hardwood trees, jaguar claws, animal and human
bones, and specially-treated inflated eyes of tigers. The indigenous music of Latin America was largely
functional in nature, being used for religious worship and ceremonies. The use of instruments as well as
singing and dancing served to implore the gods for good harvest, victory in battles, guard against sickness
and natural disasters, and of course provide recreation.

2. Native American/Indian Music

The ethnic and cultural groups of the principal Native Americans share many similar yet distinctive music
elements pertaining to melody, harmony, rhythm, form, and dynamics. Short musical motives from descending
melodic lines were a common feature, where tempo, rhythm, and tone colors vary with the specific occasion
or ritual. Many dance forms were repetitious, while songs had a wide range of volume levels. Some of the
Native American music includes courtship songs, dancing songs, and popular American or Canadian tunes
like Amazing Grace, Dixie, Jambalaya, and Sugar Time. Many songs celebrate themes like harvest, planting
season or other important times of year.

3. Afro-Latin American Music

The African influence on Latin American music is most pronounced in its rich and varied rhythmic patterns
produced by the drums and various percussion instruments. Complex layering of rhythmic patterns was a
favorite device, where fast paced tempos add to the rhythmic density. Vocal music was often deep chested
 while instrumental music greatly relied on resonant drums and sympathetic buzzers to produce rich sounds
and occasional loud volume levels to reflect their intensity.

4. Euro-Latin American Music

The different regions of Latin America adopted various characteristics from their European colonizers.
Melodies of the Renaissance period were used in Southern Chile and the Colombian Pacific coasts, while
step-wise melodies were preferred in the heavily Hispanic and Moorish-influenced areas of Venezuela and
Colombia. Alternating dual meters, such as and, known as “sesquialtera” found in Chile and adopted in Cuba
and Puerto Rico, were immortalized in the song I Wanna Be in America from Leonard Bernstein’s Broadway
hit West Side Story. Other European influences were manifested in the texture of Euro-Latin American music,
from unaccompanied vocal solos to those accompanied by stringed instruments.

5. Mixed American Music

The diversity of races and cultures from the Native Americans, Afro-Latin Americans, and Euro-Latin
Americans account for the rich combinations of musical elements including the melodic patterns, harmonic
combinations, rhythmic complexities, wide range of colors and dynamics, and various structural formats. This
musical fusion of Latin America combining native instruments with European counterparts and musical
theories was further enriched by the instruments brought by the African slaves. The result of the massive
infusion of African culture also brought about the introduction of other music and dance forms such as the
Afro- Cuban rumba, Jamaican reggae, Colombian cumbia, and the Brazilian samba.

6. Popular Latin American Music

Latin America has produced a number of musical genres and forms that had been influenced by European
folk music, African traditional music, and native sources. Much of its popular music has in turn found its way
to the many venues and locales of America, Europe, and eventually the rest of the world. Its danceable
rhythms, passionate melodies, and exotic harmonies continue to enthrall music and dance enthusiasts
worldwide even as the forms themselves undergo constant modifications that are more relevant to the times.
Some of these Latin American popular music forms are tango, bossa nova, samba, son, and salsa.

a. Samba - The samba is a dance form of African origins around 1838 which evolved into an African-
Brazilian invention in the working class and slum districts of Rio de Janeiro. Its lively rhythm,
consisting of a 2/4 meter but containing three steps each that create a feeling of a 3/4 meter instead,
was meant to be executed for singing, dancing, and parading in the carnival. Samba has a number
of variations, so that there is no clear-cut definition of a single samba form. Its most adventurous kind
is known as the batucada, referring at once to a large percussion ensemble of up to a hundred
players, a jam session, or an intensely polyrhythmic style of drumming.

b. Son - The son is a fusion of the popular music or canciones (songs) of Spain and the African rumba
rhythms of Bantu origin. Originating in Cuba, it is usually played with the tres (guitar), contrabass,
bongos, maracas, and claves (two wooden sticks that are hit together). Although the son is seldom
heard today, its most important legacy is its influence on present-day Latin American music,
particularly as the forerunner of the salsa.

c. Salsa - The salsa is a social dance with marked influences from Cuba and Puerto Rico that started
in New York in the mid 1970’s. Its style contains elements from the swing dance and hustle as well
as the complex Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean dance forms of pachanga and guaguanco. The
execution of the salsa involves shifting the weight by stepping sideways, causing the hips to move
while the upper body remains level. The arms and shoulders are also incorporated with the upper
body position. In each, a moderate tempo is used while the upper and lower bodies act in seeming
disjoint as described above.
 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF LATIN AMERICA
The varied cultures developed in Latin America gave rise to different types of wind and percussion
instruments. As with the African continent, their rich history dating back thousands of years ago with the Aztec,
Maya, and other prehistoric cultural groups in Latin America understandably generates their own brands of
creativity in making music. In Central America, the ancient civilizations of the Aztec and Maya peoples used
various instruments mainly for religious functions and usually by professional musicians. As some instruments
were considered holy and it was further believed that music was supposed to glorify the gods, mistakes in playing
these instruments were considered offensive and insulting to them. Some of their instruments include the
following:

 Tlapitzalli - The tlapitzalli is a flute variety from the Aztec culture made of clay with decorations of abstract
designs or images of their deities.
 Teponaztli - The teponaztli is a Mexican slit drum hollowed out and carved from a piece of hardwood. It is then
decorated with designs in relief or carved to represent human figures or animals to be used for both religious
and recreational purposes.
 Conch - The conch is a wind instrument made from a seashell usually of a large sea snail. It is prepared by
cutting a hole in its spine near the apex, then blown into as if it were a trumpet.
 Rasp - The rasp is a hand percussion instrument whose sound is produced by scraping a group of notched
sticks with another stick, creating a series of rattling effects.
 Huehueti - The huehueti is a Mexican upright tubular drum used by the Aztecs and other ancient civilizations.
It is made of wood opened at the bottom and standing on three legs cut from the base, with its stretched skin
beaten by the hand or a wooden mallet.
 Whistles - Whistles are instruments made of natural elements such as bone from animals. The eagle-bone
whistle is the most common whose function is to help symbolize the piece’s purpose.

INCAN INSTRUMENTS - Among the Incas of South America, two instrumental varieties were most common:
a. Ocarina - The ocarina was an ancient vessel flute made of clay or ceramic with four to 12 finger holes
and a mouthpiece that projected from the body.
b. Panpipes (Zamponas) - The zamponas were ancient instruments tuned to different scalar varieties,
played by blowing across the tube top. Typical models were either in pairs or as several bamboo tubes
of different lengths tied together to produce graduated pitches of sound.

ANDEAN INSTRUMENTS - The Andean highlands made use of several varieties of flutes and string instruments
that include the following:
a. Pitus - The pitus are side-blown cane flutes that are played all year round.
b. Wooden Tarkas - The tarkas are vertical duct flutes with a mouthpiece similar to that of a recorder,
used during the rainy season.
c. Quenas - The quenas are vertical cane flutes with an end-notched made from fragile bamboo. They
are used during the dry season.
d. Charango - The charango is a ten-stringed Andean guitar from Bolivia. It is the size of a ukulele and
a smaller version of the mandolin, imitating the early guitar and lute brought by the Spaniards. It
produces bright sounds and is often used in serenades in Southern
Peru.

MARIACHI - The Mariachi is an extremely popular band in Mexico whose original ensemble consisted of violins,
guitars, harp, and an enormous guitarron (acoustic bass guitar). Trumpets were later added, replacing the harp.
Mariachi music is extremely passionate and romantic with their blended harmonies and characterized by catchy
rhythms. Its musicians are distinctly adorned with wide-brimmed hats and silver buttons.
 VOCAL AND DANCE FORMS OF LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC
Latin American instruments are extremely useful in adding life, color, and variety to their many vocal and
dance forms which have captured the world’s attention and affectionate adoption. In the Philippines, many of
these characteristics have been taken in, particularly in the Brazilian bossa nova, cha cha, rumba, and the
Argentine tango. Other dance forms became locally popular especially in the 1960’s and 1970’s until the arrival
of disco and rock music. However, the original Latin dance forms have been experiencing constant revivals of
their popularity especially in “ballroom dancing” as the trendier modern styles also fade almost as quickly as they
come.

1. Cumbia - Originating in Panama and Colombia, the cumbia became a popular African courtship dance with
European and African instrumentation and characteristics. It contained varying rhythmic meters among the
major locations – 2/4 meter in Colombia; 2/4, 4/4, and 6/8 meters in Panama, and 2/2 meter in Mexico.
Instruments used are the drums of African origin, such as the tabora (bass drum), claves, which are hard,
thick sticks that sets the beat, guitar, accordion, clarinet, modern flute, and caja, a type of snare drum.

2. Tango - The word tango may have been of African origin meaning “African dance” or from the Spanish word
taner meaning “to play” (an instrument). It is a foremost Argentinian and Uruguayan urban popular song and
dance that is related to the Cuban contradanza, habanera, and Cuban tango, and remains a 20th century
nationalistic Argentinian piece of music that is most expressive. Its main development was in the slum areas
of Buenos Aires, and eventually became fashionable in Parisian society in the early part of the 20th century,
as well as in England and other parts of Western Europe. During the 1890’s, the working class of Buenos
Aires, Argentina came across a new kind of rhythm known as the tango, whose choreographic steps followed
the dance trend of the Viennese Waltz and the polka involving close contact between the male and female
dancers. Tango later became more intellectual in the 1940’s when more poetic lyrics were inserted and
allowed little freedom. Later in the 1960’s, more improvisation and movement were incorporated into the form,
allowing the singers and dancers more room for creative expressions.

3. Cha Cha - The cha cha is a ballroom dance the originated in Cuba in 1953, derived from the mambo and its
characteristic rhythm of 2 crochets – 3 quavers – quaver rest, with a syncopation on the fourth beat. The cha
cha may be danced with Cuban music, Latin Pop, or Latin Rock. The Cuban cha cha, considered more
sensual that may contain polyrhythmic patterns, has a normal count of ‘two-three-chachacha’ and ‘four and
one, two, three’.

4. Rumba - The rumba popular recreational dance of Afro-Cuban origin, performed in a complex duple meter
pattern and tresillo, which is a dotted quaver – dotted quaver – dotted semiquaver rhythm. It is normally used
as a ballroom dance where a solo dancer or couple would be in an embrace though slightly apart, with the
rocking of the hips to a fast-fast-slow sequence and often containing cross rhythms. There is a repetitive
melody with an ostinato pattern played by the maracas, claves, and other Cuban percussion instruments. It
contains jazz elements that became a model for the cha cha, mambo, and other Latin American dances. It
was also used for concert music, as it appeared in the Second Piano Concerto of the French composer Darius
Milhaud.

5. Bossa nova - Bossa nova originated in 1958-59 as a movement effecting a radical change in\ the classic
Cuban samba. The word bossa comes from the Brazilian capital of Rio de Janeiro, which means either “trend”
or “something charming,” integrating melody, harmony, and rhythm into a swaying feel, where the vocal style
is often nasal. The nylon-stringed classical guitar is the most important instrument of this style. Bossa nova
contains themes centering on love, women, longing, nature, and youthfulness. Bossa nova emerged in the
1950’s when a slower, gentler version of the samba became popular with the upper and middle class sectors
of society. It was music for easy and relaxed listening, conducive to romantic dates and quiet moments at the
lounges. A foremost figure of bossa nova is Antonio Carlos Jobim, who became famous with his song
Desafinado (1957). He collaborated with Vincius de Moraes in the play Orfeu da Conceicao (1956), musical
recording of Cancao do Amor Demais (1958), and the song Garota de Ipanema or Girl from Ipanema (1962)
that turned bossa nova’s popularity into a worldwide phenomenon. In the Philippine pop music scene, Sitti
Navarro is a singer who has become known as the “Philippines’ Queen of Bossa Nova.” Some of her bossa
nova songs include Para sa Akin, Hey Look at the Sun, Lost in Space, and Kung Di Rin Lang Ikaw.
6. Reggae - Reggae is an urban popular music and dance style that originated in Jamaica in the mid 1960’s. It
contained English text coupled with Creole expressions that were not so familiar to the non-Jamaican. It was
a synthesis of Western American (Afro-American) popular music and the traditional Afro-Jamaican music,
containing a western-style melodic-harmonic base with African sounds and characteristics, American pop and
rock music mannerisms, and a preference for a loud volume in the bass. The best-known proponent of reggae
music is Bob Marley, a Jamaican singer-songwriter, musician, and guitarist. He achieved international fame
and acclaim for songs such as: One Love, Three Little Birds; No Woman, No Cry; Redemption Song; and Stir
It Up.

7. Foxtrot - The foxtrot is a 20th century social dance that originated after 1910 in the USA. It was executed as
a one step, two step and syncopated rhythmic pattern. The tempo varied from 30 to 40 bars per minute and
had a simple duple meter with regular 4-bar phrases. There was no fixed step pattern, instead borrowing from
other dance forms and having a simple forward/backward sequence. The foxtrot gave rise to other dances
such as the black bottom, Charleston, and shimmy.

8. Paso Doble - The paso doble (meaning “double step”) is a theatrical Spanish dance used by the Spaniards
in bullfights, where the music was played as the matador enters (paseo) and during passes just before the kill
(faena). The dance is arrogant and dignified with a duple meter, march-like character, where the dancer takes
strong steps forward with the heels accompanied by artistic hand movements, foot stomping, sharp and quick
movements, with the head and chest held high.