Latin music - Definition and Overview

Latin American music, or the music of Latin America, is sometimes called Latin music. It includes the music of many countries and comes in many varieties, from the down-home conjunto music of Northern Mexico to the sophisticated habanera of Cuba, from the symphonies of Heitor Villa-Lobos to the simple and moving Andean flute.

Music has played an important part in Latin America's turbulent recent history, for example the nueva cancion movement.

Although Spain isn't a part of Latin America, Spanish music and Latin American music strongly cross-fertilized each other, but Latin music also absorbed influences from English and American music, and particularly, African music.

For an analysis of Latin music by country see:

• Music of Argentina
• Music of Bolivia
• Music of Brazil
• Music of Chile
• Music of Colombia
• Music of Costa Rica
• Music of Cuba
• Music of the Dominican Republic
• Music of Ecuador
• Music of El Salvador
• Music of Haiti
• Music of Martinique and Guadeloupe
• Music of Mexico
• Music of Nicaragua
• Music of Panama
• Music of Peru
• Music of Puerto Rico
• Music of Quebec
• Music of Uruguay
• Music of Venezuela
• Latin music in the United States