Draft:African and European influences on Latin American music

• Comment: This reads like an essay with a lot of original research and is not written in an encyclopedic style. The entire article should be rewritten with reliable sources and inline citations supporting the text. cyberdog958^Talk 07:25, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Comment: A lot of the material here strikes me as original research. Additionally, much of the writing is repetitive and fails to convey further thoughts, usually just repeating "this influenced this" and often without a citation. Needs a substantial rewrite and a clear indication that scholarly research has emphasized this subject. Pbritti (talk) 04:44, 15 April 2024 (UTC)

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LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC AND ITS INFLUENCES

Latin American music originates from the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands. The music traditions of Latin America reflect the distinctive mixtures of Native American, African, and European influences that have shifted throughout the region over time. Music from this region has a variety of styles including genres such as Bossa Nova, Bachata, Cumbia, Merengue, Rumba, Salsa, Samba, and Tango.  

Most Latin music comes from the blend of cultures during the Spanish and Portuguese colonization of the Americas. Musicians of various races and cultures came into contact with instruments they’d never heard of before—the European guitar, African conga, Tambora drums, native gaita flutes, and maracas—and by combining their sounds, created a wide range of forms and styles. This later morphed into new exciting musical forms and genres.

African influences

Latin music is renowned for its captivating rhythms, heavily influenced by traditional African beats that evolved in the Caribbean. Although there are many variants, the most fundamental form is the clave, which with its distinctive pattern of accents and syncopations, acts as the rhythmic anchor that holds together Latin music. Derived from African musical traditions and adapted and embellished by generations of Latin American musicians, the clave embodies the essence of Latin rhythm and provides the framework upon which the vibrant and dynamic rhythms of Latin music are built.

In terms of instrumental influence, Latin American music is distinguished by its extensive use of percussion instruments, with each major tradition contributing instruments that have remained prevalent. Indigenous cultures introduced various percussion instruments, including slit drums, small single-headed drums, cup-shaped ceramic drums, double-headed drums like Bombos, and a wide array of rattles, scrapers, and stamping tubes.

The largest group of percussion instruments in Latin America is of African origin. Afro-Cuban religious music, for example, preserves Yoruba batá drums from Nigeria, along with several types and sizes of conga drums and larger tumbadoras. Drums in Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin American traditions are considered sacred and undergo a ritual "baptism" for sanctification. Different types of drums, such as conga and barrel-shaped drums, are found across various regions including Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil.

Numerous other percussion instruments with African roots are also prevalent. Various scrapers, such as the Cuban güiro, Colombian carrasca, and Brazilian reco-reco, have been adapted for regional use. These instruments, along with bells, stamping tubes, wood blocks, claves, and rattles, form integral parts of many ensembles. The marímbula, a large thumb piano similar to the African mbira or Sansa, is found in the Caribbean. Additionally, the marimba, originating from Africa, is prominent in specific local genres in southern Mexico, Guatemala, Central America, and the Pacific coastal region of Colombia, serving both solo and accompaniment roles.

European influences

The European influence on Latin American musical genres has profoundly impacted their development, encompassing Spanish and Portuguese languages, European and Arabic musical styles, and the introduction of European musical instruments. These elements have played pivotal roles in shaping the distinctive characteristics of each Latin American musical genre that has emerged since the colonial period. Initially introduced to promote European musical traditions, these influences have transformed, serving as catalysts for the fusion of diverse cultural elements within Latin American music.

Spanish and Portuguese languages have served as vehicles for the expression of Latin American musical genres, providing lyrical frameworks that reflect the cultural and linguistic heritage of the region. This linguistic influence is evident in genres such as the corrido in Mexico and the Bossa Nova in Brazil, where Spanish and Portuguese lyrics convey narratives that resonate with local audiences.

European musical instruments introduced during the colonial period have become integral components of Latin American musical ensembles, improving their timbre palette and diverse sound. Instruments such as the guitar, violin, accordion, and brass instruments have been seamlessly integrated into various Latin American genres, serving as vehicles for musical expression and innovation. For instance, the guitar, originally of European origin, has become synonymous with Latin American music, playing a central role in genres like the samba in Brazil, the son in Cuba, and Bossa Nova.

The convergence of European influences with pre-existing indigenous instruments and sounds has led to the emergence of a multitude of distinct Latin American musical genres, each reflecting the complex interplay of cultural dynamics and historical legacies. This fusion of musical traditions has not only facilitated the preservation of indigenous musical practices but also influenced the creation of new hybrid genres that resonate with audiences both within Latin America and beyond

The formal structure of Latin Music has been greatly influenced by European forms such as sonata, symphony , and opera form and structure. These forms provide essential frameworks for organizing melodies, harmonies, and compositions.

The blending of African and European influences

1. Tango

Tango, which originated in the working-class neighborhoods of Buenos Aires in the late 19th century, is a perfect example of this cultural blending. Though it is often associated with European immigrants, especially Italians and Spaniards, its rhythmic foundation can be traced to African music traditions. The candombe, a dance and rhythm style brought by African slaves to Uruguay and Argentina, contributed to the development of early tango rhythms, while the European immigrants brought instruments like the bandoneón, a type of accordion, and melodic styles from opera and folk songs.

2. Salsa

Salsa is another genre that reflects the fusion of African and European influences. Developed in New York City in the 1960s by Cuban and Puerto Rican musicians, salsa incorporates the African-derived clave rhythm with European instruments like the piano, trumpet, and trombone. The call-and-response patterns in salsa are African in origin, while the harmonic and melodic structures often come from European classical and popular music traditions.

Further reading

• Castro, R. (2000). Bossanova: The story of the Brazilian music that seduced the world. Chicago Review Press.
• Chase, Gilbert. A Guide to the Music of Latin America. Washington, D.C.: Pan American Union, 1962.
• Ginell, R. S. (2002). The Kings of Bossa Nova: João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and the creators of the new sound. Oxford University Press.
• Jobim, A. C. (1987). Antonio Carlos Jobim: An all-star tribute. Columbia Records.
• Manuel, P.; Bilby, K. M.; Largey, M. D. (2006). Caribbean currents: Caribbean music from rumba to reggae. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
• McGowan, C., & Pessanha, R. (1998). The Brazilian sound: Samba, bossa nova, and the popular music of Brazil. Temple University Press.
• Moore, R. (2016). Nationalizing Blackness: Afrocubanismo and Artistic Revolution in Havana, 1920-1940. University of Pittsburgh Press.
• Perrone, C. (2001). Masters of contemporary Brazilian song: MPB, 1965-1985. University of Texas Press.
• Roberts, J. S. (2010). The Latin Tinge: The Impact of Latin American Music on the United States. Oxford University Press.
• Schechter, John M. Music in Latin American Culture: Regional Traditions. Schirmer Books, 1999.
• Smith, T. (2014). A History of the Corrido. University of New Mexico Press.
• Sublette, Ned. Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo. Chicago Review Press, 2004.
• Stavans, I. (2005). The Tango: The Unbreakable Mirror of the Argentine Soul. University of New Mexico Press
• Sturman, J. (2008). The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Music and Culture. SAGE Publications.