Scribd
Upload
6 views2 pages

Afro-Latin American Music Overview

The history of Afro-Latin American music can be traced back to the period of European colonization and the slave trade between 1550-1880. During this time, African slaves brought their traditional rhythms and incorporated elements of Moorish and Caribbean music. These rhythms spread throughout Latin America and influenced genres like samba, bossa nova, tango and more. The key characteristics of Afro-Latin music include call-and-response vocals, improvisation, using the voice and instruments expressively, and having the instrument serve as a "singer".

Uploaded by

Lara Jane Dogoy
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
6 views2 pages

Afro-Latin American Music Overview

The history of Afro-Latin American music can be traced back to the period of European colonization and the slave trade between 1550-1880. During this time, African slaves brought their traditional rhythms and incorporated elements of Moorish and Caribbean music. These rhythms spread throughout Latin America and influenced genres like samba, bossa nova, tango and more. The key characteristics of Afro-Latin music include call-and-response vocals, improvisation, using the voice and instruments expressively, and having the instrument serve as a "singer".

Uploaded by

Lara Jane Dogoy
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

HOLY INFANT SCHOOL-TAGBILARAN

0271 Tomas Cloma Avenue, Booy District, Tagbilaran City


MUSIC 10
3 QUARTER 1ST HALF
RD

WEEK 17
Name: Score:

What is the history of Afro-Latin American music?

The history of Afro-Latin American music can be traced during the European colonization and
slave in trade in America.

Latin America is comprised of different regions such as the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, and
Central and South Americas which are of diversified cultures of the European, Moors, Mexicans, and the
other tribes of Africa. European countries contributed regions and languages like Spanish and
Portuguese.

Their music is identified by their rhythms, which they adapted from the elements of Moorish
music and other African and Caribbean music in the slave trade from 1550 to 1880. The slaved Moors of
the North America in 1776 were prohibited from playing drums, but in the Congo Square in New
Orleans, Caribbean slaves are free to play their drums for recreation and entertainment and also for
communication. These were their “talking“ drums, relaying current and timeless messages which their
history, struggle and revolting joy. All of these were performed by replaying the traditional rhythms of
Moorish and African music through drum beats.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, these rhythms spread, developed and were canonized
throughout the Caribbean, around the same time that another American Art form started. This north
American art also contained a rich cultural mix. It incorporates blue intonation, African drums and
rhythms, Indian cymbals, European instruments, harmony, and musical forms with a syncopated beat,
namely , jazz.

This developed a unique musical culture in countries in the Caribbean, and its influences include
Latin rhythms and dances like habanera and bolero in Cuba, samba and bossa nova in Brazil, and tango
in Argentina.

This is the reason for the existence of rich music and dance like jazz, tango, cha-cha, rumba,
foxtrot, and pasodoble.

The characteristics of Afro- Latin America music

These are the characteristics of Afro- Latin America:

1. Conversation: “Call and response” – a performance of voice interaction as an answer to the first
chant.
2. Improvisation: Non-scripted ways of singing that allow for sincere conversations. It is a
framework where the artist has freedom in creating musical mood.
3. The voice as an instrument. It is the manipulation of freely controlled piece where they can
change the tone of voice, its tempo, the creation of moods, and even changing the range and
voice power.
4. The instrument as a voice. The instrument serves as a “singer” along with the performer.

Activity1. Answer the following questions.

1. Give a short summary about the history of Afro- Latin American Music.
2. What are the characteristics of Afro-Latin American Music?

You might also like