Latin

Latin music encompasses a wide range of musical styles originating from various regions and countries within Latin America. It serves as an umbrella term for diverse genres, with one common understanding being Latin pop. Latin pop includes dance-oriented or pop-infused music sung in Spanish or Tejano.

Tejano music represents a subset of Latin music and showcases a variety of styles, ranging from romantic ballads to narrative-driven nortenos. This music is typically performed by large ensembles using acoustic instruments and horns. During the ’80s and ’90s, Tejano also incorporated smooth production techniques influenced by American pop-rock and soft rock.

Latin America is renowned for its vibrant dance music, such as salsa and samba. These genres feature intricate layers of percussion, dynamic horn sections, and an infectious sense of style. In addition, bossa nova, a related style to salsa, emerged as a cool and laid-back fusion of dance music and jazz.

While Tejano and mariachi music may have folk and pop influences, the defining characteristic of most Latin music lies in its strong rhythmic elements. Rhythm plays a prominent role across genres, contributing to the energetic and captivating nature of Latin music as a whole.