There is an incredible diversity of Spanish music genres, from popular dance songs to traditional folk music.
Bolero is a slow ballad that expresses strong emotional themes like love and longing, featuring lush orchestration and sublime guitar playing – characteristics which have cemented its place as one of the world’s favorite genres of music.
Musica Llanera (Llaneros’ Folk Music) reflects the rhythmic patterns created when riding horses across vast plains.
Salsa
Salsa is one of the most beloved Latin American dance forms. It combines elements from Cuban mambo and son with American jazz and swing to form its four-beat measures and hip movements in response to music.
New York salsa’s roots lie in mambo, an up-tempo urban folk style from eastern Cuba that evolved out of son. After centuries of slavery brought African rhythms and traditions into the Caribbean region, which eventually led to salsa being born as music form.
Salsa music served as an early influence on hip hop. Although salsa did not create hip hop itself, its lively beats and percussive breaks gave this emerging genre its unique sound.
Merengue
Merengue emerged in Dominican Republic during the mid-late 19th century due to a combination of European musical styles and African rhythms brought to it through slavery. This combination resulted in a genre which resonated strongly with local populations.
There are three primary forms of merengue. The classic style, and most frequently heard, is merengue tipico; an ensemble composed of an accordion, two-headed drum known as a tambora and scraped metal instrument called the guira is at its heart.
Juan Luis Guerra and former rock musician Luis Diaz have taken merengue to new heights, further internationalizing it. To learn more, join merengue maestro Carlos Santana for a MasterClass!
Corridos
Corridos are narrative songs that tell tales of local or national interest, such as those concerning heroes or bandits, barroom shootouts or natural disasters. Lyrically they typically utilize stanza-based lyrics – with one setting up the scene while others add more details of the tale being told.
Corridos provide vital insight into the experiences and politics of those who immigrated north from Mexico after its constitution was signed in 1917, providing clues as to how they navigated American wealth dynamics and race relations. Many contemporary corridos are performed using renquitos – similar to classical guitars but with nylon strings and smaller bodies – giving an additional layer of information about migration patterns and dynamics.
Musica Llaneera
Musica Llanera rose to prominence during the mid-20th century, when its melody and message blended with salsa music. Today it remains a major popular genre in Venezuela, serving as an expression of indigenous culture and an emblematic musical banner representing national identity.
This music hails from Colombia and Venezuela’s eastern fluvial plains which border the Orinoco River. Themes found within its lyrics often reference centuries of cattle herding history; its characteristic singing style features masculine voices in recio form – something typical of this genre of music.
Venezuelans away from home often refer to going “the Joropo.” This musical celebration and party tradition serves as a way for them to connect to their homeland while keeping its culture alive.
Pop
At the forefront of modern Spanish music is Soda Stereo’s unique combination of new wave influences with refined power pop, while bands like Los Prisioneros and Caifanes mix resolute punk with passionate synthpop. Tropical pop also comprises R&B, hip hop and ska elements within salsa’s tropical rhythmic framework.
Son cubano originated in eastern Cuba during the late 19th century and quickly established itself as one of the foundational styles in Latin music. Characterized by call-and-response vocal patterns and clave rhythm, this form can be heard accompanied by various instruments including the tres guitar and maracas.
Corridos are narrative ballads highlighting historical, heroic, and everyday struggles of life in general. Today’s corridos include narcocorridos which focus on drug trafficking as well as outlaw life.
Reggaeton
Reggaeton music has quickly become one of the most beloved club genres across Spain and Latin America. This gritty yet honest genre provides learners an excellent opportunity to practice informal Spanish – it contains plenty of slang words and colloquialisms!
Reggaetoneras such as Ivy Queen and Bad Bunny refuse to bow down to the male-dominated genre and are leading a charge to reclaim this music. Listening to her podcast LOUD will reveal that she used to dress like a tomboy when first entering the scene.
Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee helped revitalize reggaeton as mainstream entertainment; however, machismo still acts as an obstacle for female artists working within this genre.