Is Brazilian Music "Latin?"

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  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    I have a Latin section, and a Brazilian section and a Caribbean section.
    Haitian music is in the Caribbean section.
    Puerto Rican Salsa is in the Latin section.

    I think I might divide my Latin section into Salsa, Folkloric and Mariachi.
    But if I did that, where would I put my my Norte??o and Cumbia and New Song?
    I would like to have a Boogaloo section and a Pachanga section, but some artist did both Pachangas and Boogaloos, so people might not know where to find a favorite artist.

    New question, do you want your record stores to have more sections or fewer?
    How many records does a store need before it can start a new section?

  • Conjunto, Tejano and Norte??o: Latin music?

  • SPlDEYSPlDEY Vegas 3,375 Posts
    Good question Soundsreal,

    Latin is not a good term to use because it's not culturally specific, but it's technically acceptable because in English speaking countries Brazilian people are often considered Latinos based on their Iberian heritage.

    Hispanic and Latino are generic blanket terms that are usually used by English speaking countries to describe Spanish speaking communities. Similar to the the terms "Black" people and "Asian" people which are also words use by people that fail to properly describe certain groups of people.

    Hispanic and Latino are controversial terms similar to how the word "Black" was at one point used by the community to describe themselves but many felt that it also retains a negative connotation especially after it replaced the word "Colored" which was seen by many people as racist. The American government now officially uses the term African American as the politically correct term, along with Asian American and Hispanic American.

    Hispanic is just a more politically correct phrase used by government officials whereas Latino is the slang word which was created by the spanish speaking community yet shares the same definition.


    A small essay on what defines LATINO states:

    "The term ???Hispanic??? is often used interchangeably with the term ???Latino.??? The term ???Hispanic??? was introduced into the English language and into the 1970 census by government officials who were searching for a generic term that would include all who came from, or who had parents who came from, Spanish-speaking countries. It is, therefore, an English-language term that is not generally used in Spanish-speaking countries. The term ???Latino,??? on the other hand, is a Spanish-language term that has increased in usage since the introduction of the term Hispanic. Some Latinos/Hispanics feel strongly about which term they prefer. Some reject both terms, and insist they should be known by their national origin; still others use all terms and vary their usage depending on context."

    Wikipedia states:

    "The term 'HISPANIC' has also been used to denote the culture and people of Spanish and Portuguese colonization of the Americas countries formerly ruled by the Spanish and Portuguese Empire, usually with a majority Hispanophone population. Collectively known as Hispanic America, this region includes Mexico, the majority of the Central and South American countries, and the Spanish-speaking island-nations of the Caribbean, including the Philippines which may not have Spanish as the language of the majority, but also possesses a strong Hispanic cultural heritage and traditions despite of being geographically far away from the rest of the Hispanic World."

    "The terms Hispanic and Latino tend to be used interchangeably in the United States for people with origins in Spanish-speaking or Portuguese-speaking countries, like Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil. Contrary to many beliefs, Hispanic is not a race, as the Chilean Nobel Prize Gabriela Mistral once said, "mi patria es mi lengua" (My fatherland is my language). Latino, from American Spanish, is used in some cases as an abbreviation for latinoamericano or "Latin American".[24] In other Hispanophone countries, Hispanic and Latino are not commonly used. The term "Latin America" (considered by some obsolete) was used for the first time in the nineteenth century when the French occupied Mexico (1862???1867), leading to the Second Mexican Empire, and wanted to be included in what is considered Spanish America. Today, many U.S. cities with an overwhelming Hispanic population are part of Latin America, Ibero America or the Pan Hispanic World."

    - spidey

  • SPlDEYSPlDEY Vegas 3,375 Posts
    hogginthefogg said:
    Conjunto, Tejano and Norte??o: Latin music?

    Si.

    - diego

  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    Just to point out the obvious; all these terms are socially constructed. There's no "right" answer to be found.

  • SPlDEY said:
    hogginthefogg said:
    Conjunto, Tejano and Norte??o: Latin music?

    Si.

    - diego

    Tejano is closely related to polka with the Czech/Polish influence coming from 19th c. settlers in Texas...so, is polka latin? This thread reminds me of when I used to shop for music in the early 90s and find Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant and others of their ilk in the RAP section....like the term 'world music'....baffling.

  • discos_almadiscos_alma discos_alma 2,164 Posts
    mannybolone said:
    Just to point out the obvious; all these terms are socially constructed. There's no "right" answer to be found.

    This.

    My two cents: what is commonly meant by "Latin music" (as the phrase is frequently used) is Afro-Cuban music.

    To me, Brazilian music is not Afro Cuban music, simply based on the melodies and some of the rhythms and vocals patterns. This is clear even to the most casual of music listeners. Lumping them together is not useful except from a dry, academic perspective (and yes, as an easy, catch-all record store section).

    Lusophone & Francophone influences in Latin America left decidedly different musical outcomes than what is commonly considered Afro-Cuban music. What is fascinating to me is the "hybrid" micro genres that arose, and just the general cross-pollination of styles going on everywhere all the time. Don't get me started...

  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    Musica: you don't think samba sounds Afro-Cuban in a loose way?

  • discos_almadiscos_alma discos_alma 2,164 Posts
    mannybolone said:
    Musica: you don't think samba sounds Afro-Cuban in a loose way?

    Sure, because they are both based on African rhythms. Samba sounds a lot like some Rhumbas to me. My general point stands, though. A guajira is a perfect example of a deep Afro-Cuban style of clear Spanish descent. Any major style of Brazilian music sound even close to that? (I GUARANTEE that there are isolated examples)

  • SPlDEYSPlDEY Vegas 3,375 Posts
    don_gigante said:
    SPlDEY said:
    hogginthefogg said:
    Conjunto, Tejano and Norte??o: Latin music?

    Si.

    - diego

    Tejano is closely related to polka with the Czech/Polish influence coming from 19th c. settlers in Texas...so, is polka latin? This thread reminds me of when I used to shop for music in the early 90s and find Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant and others of their ilk in the RAP section....like the term 'world music'....baffling.

    That's an interesting twist to this thread.

    Quickly,

    Tejano is Latino music enjoyed by Mexican Americans, but the origins of the polka influence goes back to the German/Polish immigrants influence on Mexican musicians, and the rise of the accordion in Mexican culture.

    Traditional Banda and Mariachi music blended very well with the Accordion. The style of traditional Mexican folkloric music is typically played with acoustic guitars, trumpets, tubas, horns, trombones, clarinets, and singers.

    The accordion is a solo instrument that's played sort of like a piano but it's louder than any acoustic guitar. So they quickly rose in popularity especially with solo singers. Now keep in mind the Microphone as we know it wasn't manufactured until around the 20's. The Accordion became a popular instrument because of it's unique sound and volume without amplification.

    German Immigrants brought early accordions (Hohner I think) to America, and it was especially picked up in Louisiana which gave birth to Zydeco, and the Texas Mexico border which gave birth to the Tejano sound.

    So it definitely can be categorized as Latin music influenced by polka music using accordions.

    - spidey

  • SPlDEYSPlDEY Vegas 3,375 Posts
    musica said:
    mannybolone said:
    Just to point out the obvious; all these terms are socially constructed. There's no "right" answer to be found.

    This.

    My two cents: what is commonly meant by "Latin music" (as the phrase is frequently used) is Afro-Cuban music.

    I don't agree man.

    Paco De Lucia and Andres Segovia don't have any afro cuban influence. They would be filed under Latin music.

    On Amazon for example:

    Music > World Music > Latin Music > Flamenco

    - spidey

  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    SPlDEY said:
    musica said:
    mannybolone said:
    Just to point out the obvious; all these terms are socially constructed. There's no "right" answer to be found.

    This.

    My two cents: what is commonly meant by "Latin music" (as the phrase is frequently used) is Afro-Cuban music.

    I don't agree man.

    Paco De Lucia and Andres Segovia don't have any afro cuban influence. They would be filed under Latin music.

    Not in my store they wouldn't.

    They would be in the 'Spain' section.

  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    SPlDEY said:


    Paco De Lucia and Andres Segovia don't have any afro cuban influence.
    But they have afro influence.

  • discos_almadiscos_alma discos_alma 2,164 Posts
    don_gigante said:
    ...like the term 'world music'....baffling.

    "World Music" is one of the most insulting titles for a supposed genre of music ever thrust upon the human population.

  • leonleon 883 Posts
    musica said:
    don_gigante said:
    ...like the term 'world music'....baffling.

    "World Music" is one of the most insulting titles for a supposed genre of music ever thrust upon the human population.

    That's an understatement!

  • musica said:
    don_gigante said:
    ...like the term 'world music'....baffling.

    "World Music" is one of the most insulting titles for a supposed genre of music ever thrust upon the human population.

    agreed

  • tabiratabira 856 Posts
    soundsreal said:
    musica said:
    don_gigante said:
    ...like the term 'world music'....baffling.

    "World Music" is one of the most insulting titles for a supposed genre of music ever thrust upon the human population.

    agreed


    Aah yes. Especially when "it" got coopted by corporate airline marketing and 24 hr news channels ?? la BBC

    The "Genres you actively hate" thread
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