No doubt music gets your neurons firing and synapses thumping, so it should come as no surprise that music can also aid you in learning Spanish. Here we explore five popular Spanish musical genres.
Mambo is an upbeat style of Cuban dance music made popular by musicians like Damaso Perez Prado in the 1940s and ’50s.
Merengue
Although lesser-known than salsa or reggaeton, merengue represents an integral aspect of Latin culture. A joyful rhythmic music that can be danced to by everyone in the family. Complemented by traditional Latin musical instruments.
Merengue is an upbeat dance genre which originated in the Dominican Republic and has quickly gained widespread popularity throughout Latin America and numerous major U.S. cities with large Puerto Rican and Dominican populations. Similar to salsa in its fast rhythm and spicy sound, but less formal.
In the 1970s, merengue underwent an important transformation. Merengue orquesta, with influences drawn from disco and rock music, gained popularity. Johnny Ventura and Wilfrido Vargas popularized an accordion technique called “tipico,” characterized by more clearly melodic melodies and precise beats. New groups such as Fulanito made headlines by experimenting with merengue tipico combined with rap vocals to broaden its appeal to new audiences.
Bachata
Bachata is one of the most beloved Spanish music genres. Distinguished by its cheerful, danceable character and use of traditional Spanish guitars, drums, and castanets as well as lyrics that often depict romantic or sexual imagery, it has gained great renown across Latin America as well as globally.
Bachata music originated in rural areas of Dominican Republic. Laborers preferred it and often associated it with criminal activity during Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship.
In the 1980s, artists such as Blas Duran and Luis Vargas began to alter the style to make it more appealing to middle-class listeners, adding electric guitars and altering its tempo in line with merengue beats. Their lyrics also became more romantic while including themes of love and heartbreak in their lyrics.
In the 1990s, bachata found widespread recognition through the success of artists such as Anthony Santos and Juan Luis Guerra. These musicians combined bachata with other rhythms to appeal to a broader audience while also introducing instruments such as tamboras and electric guitars – thus popularising modern bachata into various urban and fusion styles that combine its core principles with Salsa, Zouk-lamada dancing or Ballroom dancing techniques.
Corrido
Corrido is an age-old form of narrative metrical tale and poetry set to music, associated with various types of ranchera music such as mariachi, banda, norteno and duranguense. Each song typically follows this format: salutation, prologue, story/moral message/farewell.
These songs often cover social topics such as battle victories (and losses), heroic or controversial figures, or other aspects that reflect ongoing social processes at that time. Nowadays, some stories from this subgenre focus specifically on drug trafficking – an issue often called Narcocorridos.
Artists who perform this genre are known as corridistas; notable performers include Pancho Villa, Emilio Zapata and Jacinto Trevino. Recently, this genre has seen crossover with Trap music through artists like Bad Bunny who has collaborated with corridistas such as Natanel Cano to perform.
Flamenco
Flamenco music embodies rhythm and emotion; this genre originally emerged in Andalusia but is also popular throughout Spain’s Extremadura and Murcia regions. Flamenco was inscribed onto UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
Flamenco music is highly emotional and rhythmic, typically performed on guitar and tambouril (a box drum). Flamenco songs, known as palos, feature distinct rhythmic patterns, modes, chord progressions and melodies that may or may not include singing; others involve dancing instead. Some styles such as cante jondo (profound song) are known for addressing topics like death, anguish and despair with deep emotion.
Manuel de Falla y Matheu and Jose Luis Guerra are two well-known artists from this genre of music, yet there are many others who have established a name for themselves in this realm of sound. The beat of this style will make you want to get up and dance!