Latin American Music Styles

"Spanish music", "Latin rhythms", are standard labels used by DXers to describe the kind of music they hear from Latin American broadcasting stations. By replacing "Spanish" and "Latin" with, say, "American" and "Anglo", the vagueness of such terms come into the open. It is not an easy task to determine the home of a musical variety if you have to choose from more than 20 countries. Even a native Latin American senses the difficulty, except of course when he has to identify the kind of music which is unique to his home country. A Venezuelan showbiz manager catering for Latin Americans in the Boston area said that he could count on a full Mexican crowd if "Los Tigres del Norte" were to perform. Similarly, "Los Inquietos del Vallenato" would attract all Colombians in the area, and should a punta band ever go to Massachussetts, he would easily fill the concert hall with Hondurans. This explains why local Hispanic broadcasters in the US rarely cater for immigrant minorities. Where there is a majority of Mexicans, there is little reason to play Argentinian chacareras or Ecuadorian danzantes which the majority of their listeners would not like anyway. In Latin America, there is usually some local musical flavor to be noticed on most stations. Sometimes the inherent cultural and ethnic factors of a region or a group are felt as more important than political frameworks and boundaries. That is why broadcasters in Northern Peru, during the war against Ecuador a couple of years ago, did not curtail their usual programs of Ecuadorian pasillos. The war was president Fujimoris idea but this could not instantly erase common cultural heritage. A large chunk of present-day Peru had in fact been under Ecuadorian rule for more than one hundred years until the area was declared Peruvian soil in 1941. Similarly, people in Northern Argentina tend to like the same kind of music as many Bolivians. Too, they share a common ethnic and cultural heritage, a blend of Quechua and Hispanic traditions. And so, while Mexican rancheras are felt as part and parcel of the local mestizo culture in Central America, people of African descent, wherever they may be, feel that Cuban son and other polyrhythmic dance music is theirs. For these reasons, and many others, trying to distinguish between the musical styles of the region and learning their whereabouts will give an added bonus to Latin American DXing. The following samples are meant to serve as an appetizer for DXers wishing to taste the richly assorted and good-tasting Latin American musical "smrgsbord". (with samples in

MP3 format)

Common to many areas

balada "Quererte a ti" - Angela Carrasco "Yo no te pido la luna" Daniela Romo bolero "Mil besos" - Los Embajadores "Sombras" - Felipe Pirela

Latin Adult Contemporary. Angela Carrasco is from the Dominican Republic. Daniela Romo is Mexican

Popular in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and criollo areas of the Andean countries. Los Embajadores is an Ecuadorian trio. "Sombras" is originally a tango, this theme exists in many local versions, for instance in Ecuador by Benitez y Valencia. Read more about the bolero: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolero For bolero lyrics, see: http://www.morellajimenez.com.do/letrashtm Of Spanish heritage, the pasodoble is heard as in intro or as a change of mood in dance parties in countries which have one thing in common, they allow bullfights (in Southern South America bullfights are now allowed).

pasodoble "Espaa, mi bella Espaa" Mariachi Garibaldi tropical Colombian: "La palomita" - Los Titanes Peruvian (cumbia tropical andina): "La colegiala" - Rodolfo y su tipica Bolivian (cumbia boliviana): "El pavo y la pava" - Ricky Maravilla "La cerveza" - Climax (a "classic") Venezuelan (tropical tecnopop): "Ay amor" - Los Meldicos "Ella es" - Los Fantasmas del Caribe Mexican "Tendrs que llorar" Yaguara rock / rap "Mami yo te quiero" - Qu pasa aguinaldo Venezuelan: "El cocuy que alumbra" Un solo pueblo Puerto Rican orocoveo

In Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia also called tropical andina; in Venezuela, tropical tecnopop. A great web source for Latin music of all kinds is Descarga, at: http://www.descarga.com This Colombian version of "La Colegiala" is from the mid-80's. The original version was composed in Per and first launched in 1975. Arguably created by Argentinian Ricky Maravilla, a representative of the "Movida tropical" movement, this theme is also wellknown in Chile. See also under cumbia

Locally produced in certain metropolitan areas. "Qu pasa" is a Venezuelan group. The theme was later recorded by Panamanian rap specialist El General.

Christmas carols, villancicos, with a particularly vigorous music tradition in Puerto Rico and Venezuela. In these two countries, aguinaldo is, apart from a monetary gift at Christmas, also a musical gift. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aguinaldo#Puerto_Rican_aguinaldo Various MIDI-themes and explanations at: http://www.musicadepuertorico.com/english/aguinaldos.htm Various versions of a Puertorican aguinaldo on the cuatro. More on aguinaldos, including lyrics and videos, at: http://www.prfrogui.com/home/multimida/parranda2.asx The website http://www.sensemaya.net/LaParranda.pdf contains a thesis on Puerto Rico's Christmas serenading tradition. Modernized way of playing Afro-Cuban music featuring reinforced

salsa

Caribbean: "Yo no soy mentiroso" Monguito Colombian: "Una aventura" - Grupo Niche "La negra no quiere" Grupo Niche Colombian: (salsa romantica): "Verdades" - Hnsel Camacho Venezuelan: "Detalles" - Oscar d'Lon

brass and percussion sections.

The Grupo Niche selections are examples of the "Cali Sound". "La negra no quiere" is from 1982 or so. Celia Cruz (1925-2003) was called "la Reina de la Salsa", but the nickname she preferred was "la Guarachera de Cuba". Read about salsa: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salsa_(dance) Oscar de Len is one of the foremost Venezuelan soneros. See article "Soneros: A Dying Breed": http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Article14 Vocabulary heard in salsa tunes: http://www.salsa-incuba.com/eng/glossary.html corrido is also known as ranchera. The second example is a ranchera used in serenatas for birthday greetings alongside with the well-known theme "Las maanitas".

Mexico and Central America

corrido (ranchera) "El novillo despuntado" Las Jilguerillas Mexican ranchera "La negra" - Mariachi Vargas balada ranchera: "Es demasiado tarde" - Ana Gabriel bolero anchero: "Cataclismo" - Javier Soli tejano

"El Gero Polkas" - Flaco Jimnez "El disgusto" - Eddie Gonzlez norteo: "El disgusto" - Ramn Ayala grupera: "Te presumo" - Banda El Recodo

tejano is also known as tex-mex. The late Selena is perhaps the most well known of all tejano artists. Also known as bandas, groups of 10-20 musicians, playing bassbased traditional music, including waltzes, cumbias, marches

son huasteco son huapango son jarocho

Traditional styles in Mexico, often played by mariachi orchestras, jarocho indicates Vera Cruz as the origin. Performance of huapango huasteco: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr-o7umv5TQ&feature=related Many examples of huapango tamulipeco, huapango huasteco and huapango veracruzano in YouTube. Featuring the marimba, the national instrument of Guatemala. In Costa Rica, as well as in Guatemala and Chiapas, Mxico, the marimba is cherished instrument.

son guatemalteco "Cuando llora el indio" played on the marimba

punto guanacasteco

Costa Rican audio samples

"El Torito" - Ricardo Fonseca (Costa Rica)

: http://www.guiascostarica.com/musica/musica.htm See punto guanacasteco performance at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXp4UKWWe-o

tonada Nicaraguan: "Clodomiro el ajo" Carlos Meja Godoy y Los de Palacagina Caribbean Basin and Close Areas danzn "Rey de Reyes" - Orquesta Siglo XX son

Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

Old-time formal Cuban dance music. Played on the Sunday evening birthday greetings show on Radio Rebelde (5025 kHz and many MW frequencies).

"Son de la loma" - Tro Matamoros "Cmo se baila el son" - La India de Oriente "Chan Chan" - Compay Segundo (Francisco Repilado)

The son originated in Cuba, and is now widely heard all over Latin America. The "Tro Matamoros" sample is a classic; there are dozens of salsa arrangements of this tune.

guajira "Guajira Guantanamera Compay Segundo y Cuarteco Patria rumba "El callejn de los rumberos" - Yoruba Andabo charanga "Sabrosona" - Orquesta Aragon pachanga "La pachanga se baila as" Joe Quijano"

Cuban Country music. The single most popular example is "Guajira Guantanamera". Many guajiras were "rediscovered" by Buena Vista Social Club. Afro-Cuban percussion and vocal style. See Dcima and Rumba: "Iberian formalism in the heart of Afro Cuban Song" at http://www.scribd.com/doc/16630239/Decima-and-Rumba-10000word-essay

Cuban style with violins and flute. This sample is a "classic".

Created at the outset of the 1950's in Cuba, coinciding with the political overturn of Cuba, the pachanga in the USA was confusingly named charanga. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachanga In this song "La pachanga se baila as", Joe Quijano explains that the pachanga is the dance, and charanga is the band. Fusion of many Cuban styles with American R&B and soul, arguably first Latin rhythm created in New York. Cuban. The title translates to "The station jumble" (referring to the overcrowding of the broadcasting dial). Vocabulary heard in salsa tunes: http://www.salsa-incuba.com/eng/glossary.html

bugal, boogaloo "Micaela" - Pete Rodriguez guaguanc "El bochinche de las emisoras" - Orquesta Novel

mambo "Mambo No. 8" - Prez Prado y su orquesta

Cuban big-band style. cha cha ch "Tres lindas cubanas" Orquesta Aragn bomba y plena "El negrito bembn" Cortijo y su Combo merengue "O lo matas t o lo mato yo" - Jossie Estban y La Patrulla 15 "Compadre Pedro Juan" Ramn Garca, his saxophone and his Conjunto Tpico Cibao "La bilirrubina" - Juan Luis Guerra y los 4-40 "A Pedir Su mano" - Juan Luis Guerra y los 4-40 bachata "Gotas de pena" - Alex Bueno cumbia Colombian: "La pollera color" - Pedro Salcedo y su orquesta "Santo Domingo" - Los Cumbiamberos de Pacheco Mexican (cumbia nortea): "Que bello" - La Sonora Tropicana Mexican (cumbia sonidera) Peruvian (cumbia peruana): "La pastorcita" - Los Walkers Peruvian (tecnocumbia peruana): "Solo un Palel" - Agua Bella Bolivian (cumbia surea): "La despedida" - Los Puntos del Amor Argentinian (cumbia villera): see River Plate Area

A Cuban "classic".

A Puerto Rican musical style. http://www.puertoritmo.com/ explains in detail rhythms sprung from Puertorican soil like the "bomba" and the "plena".

From the Dominican Republic. "Compadre Pedro Juan" is often referred to as the second national anthem of the Dominican Republic, a beautiful rendering of a "classic". Tambora y Gira is a page devoted to music gennes of the Dominican Republic: http://www.mindspring.com/%7Eadiascar/musica/index-e.htm

Sensual midtempo acoustic/electric style from the Dominican Republic.

Originating in Colombia and Panam, this dance is kind of lingua franca to Spanish speaking people in the Western hemisphere. cumbia is popular in Colombia and Panama, with regional variants in Peru, Bolivia, Central America and Mexico. The Mexican and Central American cumbia is faster than its Colombian counterpart. In a special Millennium Poll conducted by Colombias RCN Radio y TV, "La pollera color" was selected as the 5th most popular Colombian tune of the 20th Century. "Dancing through Colombia" was aired on BBC World Service in May 1993. See about cumbia sonidera at: http://cumbiavancouver.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-is-cumbiasonidera-and.html The Peruvian group Los Walkers is from Hunuco.

porro

"Carmen de Bolvar" Matilde Daz con Lucho Bermdez y su orquesta "Borrachera" - Lucho Bermdez

Mainstream dance music in Colombia, also known as tropical and sometimes raspa. The two selections belong to the "oldies"genre and will be heard mainly for Christmas. The Colombian gaita sounds rather like a clarinet, which Lucho Bermdez used to play himself. Colombian "Country & Western". Sabanero refers to the area west of the Magdalena river, i.e. not originating from Valledupar, which is the cradle of the vallenato. La Ye, meaning the letter Y, is a place name; the town where the main road splits in two can be found not far from the provincial capital, Montera. "Guayabo" in Colombian Spanish means "hangover", so the title of Lisandro Mezas hit, popular from Colombia all the way down to Peru, is "The Hangover of La Ye". For history of the vallenato, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallenato

vallenato "Tierra mala" - Los Chiches Vallenatos "El Santo Cachn" - Los Embajadores Vallenatos vallenato sabanero: "El guayabo de La Ye" Lisandro Meza

tamborito "El tambor de la alegra" reggae, reggatn "Nena sexy" - Marcos Malory soca

Traditional from Panam Originally from Jamaica and Panam, now popular throughout the Caribbean Islands. Marcos Malory is from Puerto Rico.. Evolved from Trinidadian calypso, now popular in many parts of the Caribbean. For a sample watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SALgXnL61gY&feature=related

zouk

"Zouk-La-Se Sel Medikaman Nou Ni" Kassav'

Popular in Frenchspeaking areas of the Antilles. The title of the song translates to "Zouk is the only medicine we have".

hip hop / dance "Candela" - Proyecto Uno punta

Heard in Venezuela, Panama, Caribbean basin and Peruvian jungle area

Fiesta - Banda Blanca Punta cumbia - Grupo Kazzabe

Popular along the Caribbean coastline of Central America, especially Honduras

Andean Regions of Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia

pasillo "Adis mi vida" - Los Imbayas "Latidos" - Hermanos Castro y Bolvar Ortiz danzante, pasacalle "El chullita quiteo" Bentez y Valencia "El chullita quiteo" - Don Medardo y sus Players

The Ecuadorian pasillo is very popular in northern Peru. "Latidos" is an extremely typical example of this style. Visit David Gleason's page for glimpses of what broadcasting was like in the 1950's in Ecuador and Colombia. Ecuadorian. Held as kind of a second national anthem of Ecuador. "El chula quiteo" exists in countless vocal and instrumental versions. The Bentez y Valencia sample is a duo, and the Don Medardo clip is an uptempo rendition of the same tune. Read about and listen to more Ecuadorian music: http://musicademipatria.blogspot.com/ and http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Msica_del_Ecuador

albazo, tonada

Ecuadorian. Here is a recording from Radio Runacunpac Yachana, in Ecuador, on 2967.7 kHz, dated Jan 17 1993. There is an identification announcement in Quichua followed by a music cut, at the end of which the signal faded down. Then comes a music promo containing short samples, 10 to 25 seconds long of each of the styles mentioned: "La msica es la expresin de sentimiento y valenta: el danzante... el aire tpico... el pasacalle... la tonada... el pasillo... el sanjuanito... el capishca... el yarav... el cachullapi... el albazo... Estos son los ritmos que vibran en el fondo de cada ser humano. Usted sintoniza Radio El Saber del Hombre".

sanjuanito, sanjuanero "Sanjuanito de otros tiempos" - Los Corazas "Longuita ma" - Hermanos Castro y Bolvar Ortiz huayno "Sueo de mi esperanza" Los Reales de Cajamarca "Amor pendiente" - Los Reales de Cajamarca sample by Los Pacharacos (in Quechua) "Flor de Huancayo" - Grupo Norte Potos sample by El Jilguero del Huascarn

The two samples are Ecuadorian; this style is also found in northern Peru.

This is a music style typical of the Peruvian sierra.

The two Los Reales samples are from northern Peru. The audio quality for these is as received from Radio Gotas de Oro (now Radio Uno), in Chiclayo. Not very ideal, but still better than on some of the Peruvians that play the music. The stations on 4420, 4460, and 4485 kHz would be typical examples. Grupo Norte Potos is a Bolivian charango group. The selection is the "anthem" of the town of Huancayo, Peru. Ernesto Snchez Fajardo a.k.a. "El Jilguero del Huascarn" has recorded several tunes which are heard regularty on the air for certain festivities, for instance Mother's Day. Scores of Peruvian music: http://www.musicaperuana.com (The Peruvian Musical Corner)

huayo "Tu partida" - Grupo Norte Potos

From Bolivia.

huaylas "Huaylas de mi tierra" - La Norteita "Po Po" - Los Shapis

Peruvian festive dance. La Nortenita is a singer from Trujillo, Per. Los Shapis are the forerunners of Peruvian chicha (see this word) and this tune has been adopted as an identification cue by the Bolivian broadcaster Radio Po XII, Siglo XX.

yaravi

Popular in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Originally heard for mourning also known as triste in northern Per and muliza in the central area. Ecuatorian yarav... "Puales" - Do Bentez y Valencia at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m0_OmLyFSAA Bolivian yarav... "El Cisne" - Los Jaras at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXaLOepBVS4A Los Jaras has recorded almost all varities of Bolivian folklore. "Rtmos sudamericanos" lists in alphabetical order almost all varieties of music to be heard in the Andean countries: http://www.pacoweb.net/index2.html

chicha "El serranito" - Los Shapis "Maldigo la hora" Princesita Mery singing with Pintura Roja group tecno-cumbia "Solo un papel" - Agua Bella

Modern urban Peruvian blend of huayno and cumbia. Read about chicha: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicha_(m%C3%BAsica)

lambada "Llorando se fue" - Los K'jarkas "Lambada" - Kaoma

This is the original version, a Bolivian saya, rearranged in the early 80s by the Peruvian group Cuarteto Continental and later presented internationally as "lambada" by the Brazilian group Kaoma, in an international lawsuit. Gonzalo and Ulises Hermoza a.k.a. Los Kjarkas, claimed and gained the authorship of the tune. Eveline Rocha claims that Llorando se fue is actually a caporales, not a saya. Visit her site for more on Bolivian folklore: http://www.bolivia.at See also: http://boliviandances.blogspot.com

Andean Valleys & Regions East of the Cordillera

guabina, torbellino "Agchate el sombrerito" Los Tolimenses pasillo "Mis flores negras" Espinoza y Bedoya bambuco "Brisas del Torbes" - Ofelia Ramn

An old Colombian music style, seldom heard nowadays.

Colombian brand of pasillo, rarely heard in these days. See also pasillo under Andean Regions of Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia.

Colombia and Western Venezuela. The sample is the signature tune for Ecos del Torbes (4980 kHz) in San Cristbal, which was the Venezuelan flagship on the 60 meter band until the end of the 1990's. joropo From the plains (llanos) of Venezuela and Eastern Colombia, the

"Kirpa" - Los Copleros del Arauca

joropo and the pasaje are referred to as msica llanera.

The standard instrumental line-up arpa, cuatro y maracas. Search these words on Google images for pictures. This was also the name of a longstanding music show on Venezuelan Radio Tchira, 4830 kHz in the 90's. pasaje "Sinfona del palmar" - Juan Vicente Torrealba carrilera, guasca "La Cuchilla" - Hermanas Calle Venezuela and Colombia. (There is an unrelated style called pasaje in Colombian vallenato). From Colombia, a local type of corrido (see under Mexico), also known as guasca. In the sample, a woman is desperately looking for her lover. She runs from one saloon to another to see if she can find him. If she does, she will see to it that he'll get a razor-blade scar on both cheeks. That will help him remember who he belongs to, the lyrics say... (The initial part of this story is readily to be heard on the sample.) Watch live improvisation of Recuerdos, a tune made popular by Los Jairas, in a La Paz market at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMNRSmbzz6I

taquirari

bailecito sample by Grupo Norte Potos Pacific Coastline of Peru marinera - resbalosa

Bolivian, here featuring the charango instrument.

There are examples of the marinera limea (from Lima) and marinera nortea (from Trujillo and Chiclayo), the huaylash, and many other styles at the home page of the musical groups Expresion Latina y Raices Peruanas.at: http://home3.swipnet.se/%7Ew36169/rpel1.htm

vals criollo "Despus que te perd" Los Embajadores Bolivia, Northern Chile, NW Argentina bailecito sample by Grupo Norte Potos vidala

See: http://www.listamusicacriolla.com/bailes/vals.htm

Bolivian music

From Argentina. vidala, zamba, and chacarera are called msica de tierra adentro.

zamba "Luna tucumana" - Los Chalchaleros chacarera "Chacarera del rancho" Los Hermanos Abajo cueca

The zamba is at the core of Argentinian folklore.

Argentinian. See also La Pagina del Folklore Argentino.

Heard in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile.See:

"Arrieros somos" - Los Huasos Quincheros

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Argentina Los Huasos Quincheros is a Chilean group.

Paraguay & Argentine "Litoral" (Chaco, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Formosa, Misiones and Santa F)

guarania A Paraguayan style. polka paraguaya "Pjaro campana" - Trio Los Paraguayos galopera "La galopera" - Los Tres Soles del Paraguay chamam sample by Ral Barbosa

You may enjoy visiting the web site http://www.musicaparaguaya.org.py where there are many samples of Paraguayan music

Another style from Paraguay.

From the province of Corrientes, Argentina. Also known as msica correntina.

River Plate Area

candombe "Yo Tambien" - Grupo del Cuareim

Candombe is a typical Afro-Uruguayan style from the "Rio de la Plata" (River Plate), and a living tradition. It also co-existed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but in the XIX century and due to war and other factors the Afro-Argentinian community disappeared. The basic sound is the drum beating, without any other instrument, using three bass drums: bombo, the rhythmic repique, piano with a tenor sound, and chico for a high-pitched sound. This sample adds melody, choir and other instruments. Candombe is now one of the basic sounds for Uruguayan contemporary music, along with the murga. Visit the candombe web site at: http://www.candombe.com/english.html.

cumbia villera "Pasito tun tun" - Los chicos de la Va milonga "La pualada" - Osvaldo Fresedo y su Orquesta Tpica tango

Contemporary blend of urban cancin de protesta, punk and rock, from suburbs of Buenos Aires.

Argentina and Uruguay.

"El entrerriano" - Orquesta Nicols D'Alessandro

Argentina and Uruguay. "El entrerriano" was arguably the first tango.

Lyrics, artists, history of the tango here: http://www.todotango.com/Spanish/Home.aspx

Brazil

sertaneja

Sertaneja music in Brazil is what the vallenato is to Colombia and

sample from the Nordeste sample supposedly from the Minas Gerais area

the ranchera is to Mexico, a Brazilian kind of Country & Western.

samba "O sculo do samba" Mangueira Samba School "Vai Passar" - Chico Buarque de Holanda forr

The music of the Brazilian Carnaval, also known as pagode. Mangueira is an escola de samba from Rio de Janeiro: http://www.mangueira.com.br/ Database on Brazilian music: http://www.allbrazilianmusic.com

"Alapucha" - Os Farropos sample by Elba Ramalho

Especially popular in the Nordeste (north eastern Brazil).

baio ax

sample baio

Luiz Gonzaga is known as "O Rei do baio", the King of Baio . Popular music of Salvador da Bahia. See the Ax music site at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ax_music

"Tic Tic Tac" - Banda Eva