Colombia Music

Urbano is a high-energy Latin urban genre originating from the Dominican Republic, characterized by the fusion of dembow rhythms, reggaeton, and trap. It features infectious, syncopated percussion patterns, booming 808 sub-bass, and heavily processed, autotuned vocals. The genre is defined by its street-smart lyrical content, rapid-fire flows, and club-oriented production designed for maximum impact.

Chicha is a vibrant Peruvian genre that fuses the rhythmic foundations of Colombian cumbia with the melodic sensibilities of Andean huayno. Characterized by jangly, reverb-drenched electric guitar arpeggios and swirling psychedelic synthesizers, it captures the raw, festive energy of Lima's urban migration experience.

Marinera is a traditional Peruvian partner dance and music genre originating from the northern coast. It features elegant zapateo footwork, handkerchief flourishes, and emotive call-and-response vocals in a distinct 6/8 rhythm, fusing Spanish bolero, African percussion, and indigenous Quechua elements.

Vals criollo is a sentimental Peruvian waltz genre blending European 3/4 rhythms with criollo poetry, featuring heartfelt Spanish lyrics on love, longing, and nostalgia delivered via intimate requinto guitar leads, segunda harmonies, subtle cajón percussion, and emotive vocals.

Tondero is a traditional Peruvian folk music and dance originating from the northern coastal region of Piura. It is characterized by passionate Spanish vocals, intricate Spanish guitar rasgueado, syncopated cajón percussion, and the rhythmic zapateo footwork of the dancers.

Landó is a traditional Afro-Peruvian folk genre and couple's dance from Peru's coastal valleys like Chincha, featuring syncopated 6/8 rhythms, call-and-response vocals in Spanish, and percussion-driven grooves with cajón and quijada that inspire sensual, communal dancing.

Zamacueca is a vibrant traditional Peruvian folk dance music originating from coastal regions, characterized by a fusion of Spanish colonial, indigenous, and African-Peruvian influences. It features syncopated 6/8 rhythms, intricate nylon-string guitar arpeggios, cajón percussion, handclaps, and passionate call-and-response vocals that accompany flirtatious couple dances.

Fandango is a lively traditional Peruvian coastal folk music and couples' dance genre from northern regions like Piura and Lambayeque, featuring syncopated acoustic guitar strumming, resonant cajón percussion, violin melodies, and improvisational Spanish vocals, performed at festive social gatherings.

Parang is a vibrant Christmas folk music genre from Trinidad and Tobago, blending Spanish, Venezuelan, and African influences. It features upbeat syncopated rhythms, call-and-response vocals in Trinidadian Spanish, and the tradition of paranderos serenading homes during the holiday season.

Candombe is a traditional Afro-Uruguayan music and dance genre originating from Bantu traditions of enslaved Africans in Montevideo. It features explosive polyrhythmic drumming on three wooden drums—piano (bass), repique (tenor), chico (treble)—in comparsa ensembles, paired with call-and-response vocals blending Spanish and Bantu linguistic elements.

Milonga is a traditional folk music and dance genre originating from the Rio de la Plata region. It is characterized by a syncopated habanera rhythm in 2/4 time, often featuring poetic, narrative lyrics in Spanish. It serves as a foundational precursor to tango, emphasizing acoustic guitar performance and storytelling centered on rural life, love, and melancholy.

Marimba is a vibrant Afro-Ecuadorian folk music genre from the Esmeraldas province on Ecuador's Pacific coast. It features idiophone marimba melodies leading polyrhythmic percussion ensembles and energetic call-and-response vocals.

Rock en Español is a seminal rock genre originating from Latin America and Spain, characterized by Spanish-language lyrics that fuse classic rock, punk, and new wave elements with regional Latin rhythmic sensibilities. Emerging prominently in the 1980s, it features distorted electric guitar riffs, passionate, anthemic vocals, and lyrical themes of social rebellion, cultural identity, and political commentary.

Sonorita is a vibrant, upbeat electronic dance genre from El Salvador, blending cumbia influences with synthesizer keyboards mimicking accordion sounds, fast-paced 4/4 rhythms, and infectious hooks ideal for parties and celebrations.

Tamborito is the national folk music and dance genre of Panama, characterized by syncopated percussion from the caja and repique drums, call-and-response vocals in Spanish, and melodic violin lines. It is deeply rooted in the country's rural celebrations and communal heritage.

Mejorana is a vibrant traditional Panamanian folk music and dance genre from the Azuero Peninsula, featuring rhythmic strumming on the small mejorana guitar, soaring violin melodies, caja drum percussion, and narrative lyrics in Spanish evoking rural life, celebrations, romance, and community.

Congo is a vibrant Afro-Panamanian folk genre from the Colón province of Panama, rooted in the resistance and cultural preservation of enslaved Africans. It features intense polyrhythmic drumming on caja and repique drums, dynamic call-and-response vocals, maracas, and conch shell signals, serving as the musical backbone for elaborate Carnival dances that reenact historical narratives of freedom.

Plena is a vibrant Puerto Rican folk genre known as the 'newspaper of the barrios.' It features driving percussion, accordion melodies, and call-and-response vocals, serving as a medium for narrative storytelling, social commentary, satire, and local news.

Danza is a traditional 19th-century Puerto Rican ballroom dance genre, evolved from European contradanza and Cuban habanera. It features elegant 2/4 rhythms, syncopated bass patterns, graceful melodic lines, and romantic chamber ensemble arrangements.

Aguinaldo is a traditional Puerto Rican Christmas music genre featuring upbeat folk songs with call-and-response vocals, performed in lively parranda house-to-house celebrations from Christmas Eve through early January.

Música Urbana is a dominant Latin music umbrella genre originating from Puerto Rico, synthesizing reggaeton, Latin trap, and hip-hop. It is characterized by infectious dembow rhythms, heavy 808 basslines, auto-tuned melodic rap, and street-centric lyrical themes.

Latin Pop is a vibrant fusion of global pop sensibilities with Latin American rhythms and melodies. It features infectious hooks, dance-oriented beats, and lyrics primarily in Spanish, often incorporating English bilingual elements. The genre blends traditional Latin foundations like salsa, cumbia, and reggaeton with sleek, modern, high-fidelity production.

New York Salsa, or Salsa Durísima, is a high-energy, piano-centric evolution of salsa music born in 1970s-1980s New York City. Known for aggressive brass, rapid-fire percussion, and explosive montunos, it fused Cuban roots with Nuyorican flair for intense dancefloor dominance.

Latin Fusion is a vibrant, cross-genre style that integrates traditional Latin rhythms like salsa, cumbia, and reggaeton with contemporary jazz, funk, pop, and electronic production. It is defined by infectious percussion, syncopated basslines, and melodic brass, creating high-energy, dance-oriented soundscapes.