John Lynch

April 23rd, 2020

World Music
Latin America Reflection

The music of Latin America is very prominent worldwide and has become a centerpiece

in the United States throughout the past hundred years or so. Latin American music can not

necessarily be traced to a specific country, and spans many different countries in North and

South America. Each style of music has a very distinct quality due to the fact that there are so

many different cultures that span the “Latin American” theme of music. There is so much

assimilation and exposure from many different groups and traditions that leads to what the music

can be overall defined as. The majority of Latin American music is very fast paces, and is most

of the time paired with dance. Dance and the music of Latin America are most times

complimentary of each other and really can enhance each other.

There are so many styles of Latin American music that are each very different and have

some similarities. There are several different styles that are each very paramount to that region’s

culture. For example, the mariachi music of Mexico is very unique to Mexico and has very deep

roots in their traditions. The Brazilian Samba is another very important style that aligns with

their culture and how they enjoy music. The tango of Argentina is also very a traditional style of

music and the tango dance has become famous worldwide. These three styles of music can

define each of these cultures and how they enjoy music, however each of these are very different

from one another. The tango of Argentina is a more formal dance, whereas the Mariachi music of

Mexico is less formal and relies less on dance. The tango is strictly played with the use of dance

in a formal setting, and Mariachi music can be played almost anywhere, such as a Mexican

restaurant.

Another popular style of Latin American music is the Bossa Nova. The Bossa Nova is a

more upbeat Brazilian style of music that has been made popular in the United States due to its
 John Lynch
April 23rd, 2020
World Music
Latin America Reflection

soft rock sound and new wave style that it is played. The Bossa Nova style has been incorporated

by many contemporaneous artists and has become very popular worldwide. One of the more

famous Bossa Nova artists is Sergio Mendes. He was able to make his style of music which is

the Bossa Nova more popular for people in the United States, and his style sounds a lot like

American pop music. His music is very popular and many people know him for his Bossa Nova

style that become popular through a large amount of songs that became popular in the United

States.