Music of Latin

America
Viva Mxico!

In This Unit, We Will

Explore the geography of areas with Latin American music

Explore the instruments used in Latin American music

Listen to music from different Latin American cultures,

populations, and religious groups

Sing songs from Mexico and other Latino regions

What Will I Be
Doing?
You will be doing three different things
#1: Creating connections between content areas
Geography, History, Art, Technology, and Music

#2: Listening to new music that you may never have

heard before

#3: Learning melodies, harmonies, and rhythms from

different cultures

Geography
Latin America includes

South America and those parts of the

Americas colonized by the Spanish and the
Portuguese

Mexico

Central America

The Caribbean

Brazil

Argentina

Chile

Languages Spoken

Spanish is the principal language

Portuguese

Native American
languages

European
languages

Over 420 languages!

Religions

Characteristics of
Latin American Music
European influences

Indigenous People
Of Bolivia

African influences

Characteristics of
Latin American Music

HARMONY: Took folk melodies and popular music and

adopted European harmonies, like guitar strumming

Parallel Thirds: Singers and instrumentalists added a

second melody two scale steps away

Distinct Dance Rhythms: Music they can dance to!

Left Tango
Right
Rumba

Harmony

Took folk melodies and popular music and

adopted European harmonies, like guitar
strumming

Lots of ORNIMATION (extra little decorative

notes)

Instrumentalists alternate between chords and

rhythmic phrases (example: strum, strum, pick,
pick, pick, strum, strum)

Spoke of their culture in their songs (folk)

Sisquistr

Solo harp, six-course Spanish guitar, lead singer and

chorus

TRANSLATION: All the little flowers with the captivating faces,

We dedicate this beautiful verse to you
From these poor singers.
I have a nice wish to tell you the truth
Because when I see you, you turn your head away
If you do it because I am ugly, complain to my

mother!

No woman is ugly when she dresses and she

dances and the
dance platform sways this way in
our land!

Parallel Thirds

Singers and instrumentalists add a second

melody two scale steps away

Escualo

Solo violin,
cello strumming
the parallel third,
light percussion

Distinct Dance
Rhythms

Music they can dance to!

African drumming had a BIG influence on Latin

American culture

Dances were used in everyday life in Africa and

mixed well with their celebratory use in South
American culture

Tango Dancing Competion

Adele "Someone Like You" Rumba Dance Competition

Other Types of Music

Samba Originated from the Brazilian Carnival,
translates to mean dance circle.
Carmen Miranda Famous Brazilian actress

Bossa Nova Derived from the Samba, more

harmonic
and less percussive

Latin American
Instruments

INDIGENOUS INSTRUMENTS: Wooden flutes, drums,

and rattles

EUROPEAN INSTRUMENTS: Chordophone (guitar),

harp, trumpet, clarinet, accordion, and saxophone

AFRICAN INSTRUMENTS: Idiophone (bells), many

types of drums (conga, bongos, claves, timbales),
and the marimba

Indigenous
Instruments

Wooden flutes, drums, and rattles

South American Tribal Flute

South American Street Performers

European Instruments

Chordophone (guitar), harp, trumpet, clarinet,

accordion, and saxophone

African Instruments

The Marimba

Super Mario Bros Theme

Hedwig's Theme

A Short Presentation

Anthony Ybarra

Presentation at the University of California Santa

Barbara
African American Rhythms in Latin American Music

(26.34 minutes)