Folklore refers to the indigenous music of specific regions, often associated with religious celebrations, and it's relatively untouched by modern sounds. Folklore also encompasses contemporary folk mu …

Flamenco music is a complex style, heavily involved with dancing, that came to us from Spain. The florid guitar work is instantly recognizable, as are the accompanying hand claps and foot stomps.

While most associate the music of Cuba solely with salsa, this island nation also has given us the cha-cha-chß, mambo, conga, nueva trova, Latin jazz, son, bolero, and several other influential styles.

Banda is a largely horn-driven sound performed by a band with generally more than a dozen members. Duranguense is a fast-paced electronic form of banda, which originated in Chicago (via Durango) and fe …

Bachata is another gift from the Dominican Republic, most noted for its romantic nature (it was born from the bolero) and use of an amplified acoustic guitar. It contains similar aspects of merengue, b …

The many styles of Latin traditional and dance music have merged with the North American styles and the result is an international phenomenon we call Latin pop.

Latin pop-rock, with its catchy melodies and heavy use of guitar and drums, draws its influence on much of the same music of its North American counterpart.

Individuals take the spotlight in this section as we look at Latin artists with a singular vision whose mode of expression is often based around voice and guitar.

The Caribbean styles of ska and reggae have come into the Latin vocabulary both from the source — the islands themselves — and from punk rock's approximation of these soulful island sounds.