Spain is home to various cultures, each leaving their mark on its music. From traditional folk tunes to contemporary Latin American styles, there is something here for everyone.
The Jota is a traditional Spanish folk dance and musical style from Aragon, often performed by couples and featuring hopping steps performed in 3/4 time.
Merengue
Although merengue has many potential origins, its prevalence can most readily be found in the Dominican Republic. This Afro-Caribbean music and dance form is thought to have originated through an amalgam of African and French minuets; its popularity was further strengthened when many Dominicans immigrated to New York with this style bringing four times as much sales of merengue than salsa did at first in America.
Merengue originated as folk music of the lower classes, often featuring offensive lyrics. High society initially frowned upon this form of entertainment but lower classes loved it nonetheless.
Conjunto tipico, or the typical performing group for merengue, typically features three instruments: diatonic accordion, tambora held on lap and guira, an original home-made instrument made out of perforated sheet metal perforated by nail and rolled into cylindrical form – played steadily on beat or sometimes with more complex movements at certain points to add variety and intensity to performance.
Bachata
Bachata is a musical style combining elements of Latin music with R&B and pop influences. Originating in rural Dominican Republic during the first half of 20th century, bachata has since become a standard part of Latin music charts and dance music dance charts worldwide.
Early bachata lyrics focused on heartbreak and despair, similar to American blues music; but eventually its lyrics evolved to embrace romantic references. In the 1980s, artists gradually altered their style by adding electric guitars and adopting merengue-esque rhythms.
Bachata instrumentation typically features lead (also referred to as “requinto”) and rhythm guitar, bass guitar, bongos, and guira. Bachata draws its inspiration from many musical genres – such as Reggaeton and Hip Hop – yet still retains a distinct sound and rhythm.
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is one of the most beloved musical genres across Latin America and Spain, yet can also be found in Los Angeles, New York City and Boston where Hispanic populations are concentrated. Originating in Puerto Rico, reggaeton’s roots lie with hip hop’s verse-chorus-bridge structure as well as lyrics that often address social issues.
Drugs, violence, poverty, sex and friendship have become major topics of governmental censorship campaigns on Puerto Rico; such as raids in its caserios by police forces and conservative watchdog Morality In Media.
Ivy Queen and Daddy Yankee remain popular artists despite these obstacles, while Colombian artist J. Balvin’s billion-view ode to bickering love, while trap en espaol producers like Mexico City’s Deltatron and Buenos Aires collective Hiedrah have fused perreo beats with house, hip hop, kuduro and industrial elements to produce something truly timeless.
Corrido
Corridos are popular Mexican narrative ballads that recount stories. These ballads often center around historical events or the lives of heroes and villains from throughout Mexican history; their popularity has expanded beyond its home region of Southwestern border.
Corridos are small-group, folk musical styles such as conjunto and norteno that tell stories of heroism, injustice, poverty, criminal activity or other socially relevant topics through dance-rhythm waltzes or polkas.
Some students may mistake corrido music for traditional ballads; however, there are significant distinctions. A corrido is typically an uptempo narrative song which tells a narrative while traditional ballads tend to contain an abstract or philosophical theme. Furthermore, corridos have much quicker pace than ballads which tend to be slower and more reflective.
Mariachi
Mariachi music originated as an accompaniment for dancing on haciendas by field hands to commemorate special occasions and accompany dancing. Early mariachi ensembles consisted of violins, harps and guitars; violins provided melody while vihuela provided high-pitched counterpoint; the guitaristron provided low bass sounds to round off this string ensemble ensemble; performers often donned traditional Mexican cowboy attire known as “traje de charro.”
Today’s mariachi groups can feature up to 20 musicians playing various instruments. These groups can be hired for birthday parties, weddings and serenades; most groups possess an impressive repertoire that often gets requested. Mariachi lyrics typically cover topics like machismo, love, betrayal and death as well as political figures and revolutionary heroes.