The first Latino baseball player to be
admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame was
Puerto Rican legend Roberto Clemente
(1934–1972). Current Hispanic-American
baseball stars included Albert Pujols,
Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Pedro
Martinez, Vladimir Guerrero, Alex
Rodriguez, Johan Santana, and Alfonso
Soriano, and José Reyes.
In golf, notable Hispanic-American
athletes have included Juan “Chi Chi”
Rodriguez and Mexican Americans LeeHISPANIC AMERICA TODAY 237- Conjunto: A small instrumental group, highlighted by trumpet
in its Cuban variety and accordian in the Mexican variety.
Backing instruments include piano, bass, conga, and bongos,
as well as vocals. Mexican conjunto music played by groups is
known as norteño. - Cubop: A nickname for Afro-Cuban jazz, which first blossomed
in the 1940s, fusing improvisational bebop jazz of that era with
Latin percussion and rhythms. The form was popularized by
artists such as Dizzy Gillespie and Machito. - Cumbia: A Colombia-based, accordion-led style that fuses
Andean Indian music with African and European influences. - Danzón: A highly syncopated music form that is one of the ear-
liest styles of Afro-Caribbean music, danzón was introduced to
Cuba from immigrants from Haiti and Louisiana in the 17th
century. - Guaracha: This song and dance style, featuring alternating
rhythms, started in Cuba and became popular in Puerto Rico
and New York City from the 1920s to the 1940s. - Jíbaro: Rural Puerto Rican music featuring guitar, cuatro,
maracas, güiro, and vocals. - Mambo: An instrumental Cuban dance style that became
immensely popular in New York City from the 1930s to the
1950s. - Mariachi: Mariachi is an urban style of Mexican folk music.
While mariachi bands originally consisted of two violins, a
vihuela (a small five-string guitar), a jarana (a larger five-string
guitar), and a harp, the harp was replaced at the turn of the
20th century by a guitarrón (a large, acoustic four-string bass
guitar). Since the 1930s, two trumpets have also been includ-
ed in the ensemble. Mariachi bands are also known for their
elaborate, highly embroidered costumes, which include som-
breros, short bolero jackets, and vaquero pants.- Merengue: A music born in the Dominican Republic and
imported to Puerto Rico and the United States during the
1930s, merengue is usually accompanied by a small accordion,
a two-headed drum called the tambora, and a singer who
plays the güiro. - Plena: A style of Puerto Rican street music that is played on
panderetas (hand-held frame drums), güiros, harmonica, and
accordion. - Quechua: A traditional music form named after the Quechua
Indians of Peru, who are descended from the Incas. Quechua
is often accompanied by the waltzlike huayno dance. - Ranchera: Literally meaning “ranch song,” rancheras were a
key element in the Mexican political theater of the early 20th
century. Ranchera lyrics usually focus on powerful expressions
of patriotism. This music is very popular to this day. - Salsa: Salsa is a mixture of African, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and
Dominican styles first popularized in the United States during
the 1970s. Salsa is usually played by a band of eight to 10 musi-
cians, including piano, bass, conga drums, timbales, bongos,
cowbell, trumpet, cuatro, and one or two singers. Salsa stars
include Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. - Son: A very highly syncopated Cuban dance music that has
had a strong impact on Hispanic music in New York City. Son
is sometimes also called rumba. - Tango: The tango, an Argentinian dance form, became a
worldwide sensation during the early 20th century. Featuring
a solo vocalist accompanied by a guitar, tangos often feature
lyrics that stress long, sentimental narratives. Perhaps because
of the dance’s overt sensuality, tangos have often been con-
demned. - Tejano: In its broadest musical context, Tejano refers to the
broad range of pop music from the Texas-Mexico border
region. Also referred to as Tex-Mex, Tejano often blends
mainstream rock or pop music with traditional Mexican genres,
particularly the accordion-based conjunto. The Tejano sound,
therefore, can vary from the countrified sound of Freddy
Fender to the pop ballads of Selena. - Vallenato: Vallenato, once the music of Colombian rancheros,
or ranchers, is an increasingly popular music. Vallenato features
the accordion backed by instruments like the scraper, hand-
drum, and bass guitar.
MAJOR STYLES OF LATIN MUSIC