Flamenco is an alluring musical genre with a long, rich history. It comprises three key components – cante (singing), toque (guitar playing) and baile (dance).
Bachata music has quickly gained international renown. Combining elements from other mainstream and Latin musical styles, its romantic themes make Bachata an immensely beloved genre among listeners.
Flamenco
Flamenco is an orchestral form that incorporates song, dance and guitar playing into its performance. Flamenco became part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2010 as it is widely popular throughout southern Spain and Andalusia – particularly Andalusia – and typically employs an intricate twelve-beat cycle with palmas (clapping hands) being played to provide counterrhythms or percussive voices within its compas.
This genre features various palos that have evolved throughout time, such as seguiriyas which feature dramatic, deep and intense vocalization with multiple regional variations; soleares which are emotive songs of penitence; other examples being Saeta Cuartelera from Puente Genil, Bulerias, Arditos and Serranas.
Flamenco artists in the 1960s and ’70s used protest lyrics to denounce fascist regime, such as Jose Menese, Enrique Morente, Lole y Manuel; more recently Rosalia has reinvented her genre by using urban rhythms.
Danzonete
The Danzon is an Afro-Cuban musical genre created by Miguel Failde in Matanzas, Cuba in 1879. It is distinguished by its slow dance tempo and combination of cinquillo and tresillo rhythmic patterns; as well as charanga instrumentation.
Latin jazz music has had an enormous influence on other Latin American genres such as salsa and mambo. A key characteristic of this genre is the call-and-response interplay between a lead singer and backup singers (known as coros) who perform together a call and response interlude called coro.
Original Danzon was played by an orquesta tipica composed of brass instruments like cornet, valve trombone, and ophicleide along with flutes, violins, bass instruments and Cuban percussion. Jose Urfe later added montunos that made Danzon more similar to son. Aniceto Diaz later included vocal parts known as danzonete into his song Rompiendo la Rutina which helped popularize Danzon even further and established it as its own genre distinct from son.
Corridos
Corridos are musical narratives with poetic elements set to music, which originated as romance poetry. Corridos can typically be distinguished from romance poetry by including an opening salutation, prologue, storyline and moral as well as farewell from singer – something particularly popular during Mexico Revolution and Southwestern frontier days; its influence even extended to Tejano/New Mexico music which later had an influence over Western styles of music.
Songs were performed wherever people congregated, such as plazas and markets; they also became increasingly popular among trovadores – wandering singers who performed for tips from town to town.
Historically, narcocorridos have focused on heroic narratives; however, recent narcocorridos have explored drug traffickers and criminals. While its traditional characteristics have undergone some change over time, many contemporary commercial compositions still exhibit them; Natanael Cano is one such musician whose 2019 album Corridos Tumbados contributed significantly to this subgenre’s growing popularity.
Reggaeton
Reggaeton provides an ideal way to develop listening and comprehension skills while exploring global influences such as Bad Bunny and J Balvin are leading its revival while simultaneously addressing social issues.
Reggaeton’s signature beat, known as dem bow, originated in Jamaican dancehall artists. Shabba Ranks is widely credited with popularizing it during his early 90s performances at Jamaican dancehall venues. Later introduced into Panama by US-controlled Canal Zone construction workers of West Indian origin; artists like Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderon, and Ivy Queen began exploring rhythms and lyrics associated with reggaeton music.
As reggaeton evolved, its lyrics shifted toward more commercial themes that included sexual objectification and relationships – sparking controversy from many groups due to sexual objectification. Yet the genre continued to gain popularity; Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee achieved worldwide fame with their hit Despacito song in 2017.