What Are the Origins of Latin American Dance Music?
Latin American dance music originated in Cuba, where the rhythmic drums of Africa met the Spanish guitar. Many dance music styles have evolved from the original Latin American dance music, each a product of a blend of African, Spanish and various Latin American countries.
Because of the slave trade, African and Spanish music blended and evolved in Cuba into the Latin American dance music we still enjoy today. However, over time, dances of other cultures have made their way into the dances of other Latin American countries.
Since we know that both African music and Spanish guitar music are part of the origins of Latin American dance music, it is important to understand how each of these music styles influenced Latin American dance music.
African Music and Rhythms
The people of Africa use drums in their worship. In ancient times, certain rhythms were created to call upon certain gods. There were over 200 different rhythms created for worship. After landing in the New World, the slaves were often forced to become Christian, so they would continue to use drums in worship, calling their gods Christian names so as to avoid being punished. Today, there are secret societies in Cuba that are keeping the ancients rhythms alive.
Spanish Guitar Music
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Spanish music was defined by the Spanish guitar. By the end of the 19th century, the flamenco style of playing and dancing was born. Flamenco is a dance where rhythms are tapped out with the shoes and castanets in the hands while the guitar offers accompaniment. A man or a woman may dance the flamenco, and often the rhythms are improvised.
It is easy to see how the hundreds of African rhythms and the fiery element of the flamenco can merge to create sensuous Latin American dance music and it is easy to trace the origins of Latin American dance music back to these influences. Other elements of Spanish and European music also made its way into Latin American dance music, as did some American musical styles, like jazz and even big band music.
Types of Latin American Dance Music
Now that you know what the origins of Latin American dance music art, it is also helpful to look at several popular types of dance music in Latin America. Following is information about the samba, rumba, cha cha, merengue, and the tango.
- The samba was a blend of an African dance and a Brazilian dance. Samba music can actually be a ballad or exciting music for Carnival. The rhythms of the samba were meant for singing, dancing, and parading.
- In the rumba, the rhythm is more important than the melody and was originally made with spoons, pots, bottles, or whatever. This dance is very sensual, because on the first beat of every bar, the only thing that moves is the hips. It is also romantic because of the slow tempo, or speed, of the music.
- The cha cha gets its name from the lively Cuban dance called the guaracha. It has been described as a mambo with a guiro rhythm. A guiro is an instrument made from a gourd which is rubbed with a serrated stick. The music for the cha cha is energetic and has a steady beat.
- The merengue is a dance done in a two-step beat and is very popular in the Dominican Republic. It is a blend of an African dance and the French minuet. It is a fun dance where the shoulders and feet do most of the moving. In the beginning, there was no blatant hip movement because that was not part of the African dance. The form of the minuet got infused with different and livelier rhythms.
- The tango is one of the most popular and sensuous Latin American dances. In Europe, the polka and the waltz were the first dances where the man and woman had close contact. When the tango was introduced, it took dancing to a whole new, erotic level. There are many styles of the tango, but in all of them, the couple dances very closely together and must move in sync.
Take a listen to some of these great music styles and see if you can hear the origins of Latin American dance music for yourself.