Spanish music encompasses many distinct styles. These range from traditional to contemporary and include flamenco, salsa and latin pop.
Flamenco is a Gypsy art-form which may involve singing (cante), dancing (baile), and/or guitar playing (guitarra). The form has its origins in Andalusian traditional folk music.
Merengue
Merengue is an iconic dance music from the Dominican Republic that first came to the US during massive immigration waves from that country into New York City during the 1960s and 70s, when merengue soon gained widespread appeal across both markets. Since its introduction here it has gone on to influence both markets’ music industries – both here in America as well as back home.
Merengue rhythm is fast-paced and allows for various leg movements. Its traditional (some might say fundamental) signature rhythm figure is quintillo; many purists argue that true merengue songs cannot exist without it.
Today, merengue remains a mainstay in Latin dance clubs worldwide and has developed an international following. Famous merengue artists include Cherito, Miriam Cruz and Las Chicas del Can, Josie Esteban y La Patrulla 15, Cuco Valoy, Eduardo Brito Fernando Villalona and the Freddie Kenton Orquesta to name just a few. Additionally, merengue songs often express feelings of longing or unrequited passion that are told through songs that weave a story around each melody line or line within its tunes – something merengue’s signature sound.
Bachata
Bachata first emerged during the 1970s and 80s. It combines elements of bolero with more rhythmic sounds from son and the troubadour singing tradition popular across Latin America. At its inception, it was considered low-class music associated with rural underdevelopment and crime; furthermore its lyrics often contained provocative sexual references which caused ridicule from Dominican upper-class society.
Early bachata lyrics revealed its rural and working class origins among players using Dominican street slang. Romantic and heartbreaking in nature, themes of love and heartbreak could often be found. Under Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship bachateros were banned from recording their music and only permitted to perform at low-society events like brothels.
Urban bachata, which incorporates hip-hop, rap and R&B influences into its composition, rose in popularity throughout the 2000s due to the work of artists like Romeo Santos “Romeo” and Daniel Santacruz who recognized its positive effects in global dance communities as well as among Dominicans worldwide.
Corrido
Corrido is a musical genre with roots in Spanish romances that draws heavily upon them for inspiration. It is widely popular throughout Mexico and southwestern United States – particularly border regions – often dealing with topics such as heroes vs. villains, violence, love & loss and everyday hardships.
Genre became widely popular during the 1800s and remains an integral component of Mexican culture today. Influences include mariachi (a commercial style played with guitars, violins and trumpets); norteno (composed of accordions, bajo sexto (a type of twelve-string guitar), bass and sometimes saxophones); banda (accompanied by flutes, clarinets, valve trombones, tuba and drums);
Modern artists are adding fresh influences to traditional genres like trapcorrido. Artists such as Natanel Cano, Esteban Gabriel and Junior H have seen tremendous stat growth on Deezer with tracks that blend these genres.
Hip-Hop
Hip-Hop music is characterized by an upbeat beat and vocal tracks consisting of rapping. Originating in New York’s Bronx during the 1970s, this genre has since expanded beyond musical genre into an entire culture that encompasses DJing, rapping/MCing/MCing (or MCing), breakdancing/breakdance culture as well as graffiti art as its main four pillars.
As American urban communities faced challenges of segregation in the 1970s, African American and Latino youth found their voice by creating their own culture: hip hop. Inspired by various sources, African Americans and Latino youth created something truly global in its appeal: an imaginative form of music called remix. Hip hop also helped influence fashion industry trends such as baggy pants and loose clothing as well as shaping fashion trends; its influence can even be found among musicians such as LL Cool J, Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.