Spanish Musical Genres

When learning by listening to music it's useful to be able to locate new songs in any particular genre that you enjoy.  Clearly if you can listen to the radio or use something like Shazam, and note down songs you like, or continue exploring a particular artist's repertoire; but here at Cloudlingo we'd like to pre-categorise music so you can continue your journey automatically. 

To do this we are building a "genre-list" for all Spanish music, for assignment by our native-speaker content writers and suggestion by learners.

Here is a list of some popular genres of Spanish music with some background information about each one:

1. Flamenco: a traditional style of music and dance from Andalusia in southern Spain, characterized by intricate guitar playing, rhythmic handclapping, and passionate singing.

2. Rumba: a fast-paced and energetic style of Cuban music that features complex rhythms, percussion instruments, and vocals.

3. Salsa: a popular genre of Latin dance music that originated in the Caribbean, characterized by upbeat rhythms and catchy melodies.

4. Merengue: a fast-paced dance style that originated in the Dominican Republic, characterized by its syncopated rhythms and upbeat melodies.

5. Cumbia: a Colombian genre of dance music that has spread throughout Latin America and features a mix of African, indigenous, and Spanish influences.

6. Reggaeton: a popular style of Latin dance music that originated in Puerto Rico and is characterized by its fusion of reggae, hip-hop, and Latin music.

7. Banda: a style of Mexican folk music that features brass instruments and upbeat rhythms.

8. Regional Mexican: a genre that encompasses a variety of traditional and folk styles from different regions of Mexico, including mariachi, norteño, and ranchera.

9. Bossa Nova: a style of Brazilian music that originated in the 1950s and is characterised by its relaxed rhythms, intricate melodies, and smooth vocals.

10. Tango: a traditional style of dance music that originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina and is characterised by its passionate and intense melodies.

Here is a more exhaustive list of Spanish music genres:

Flamenco
Rumba
Salsa
Merengue
Cumbia
Reggaeton
Banda
Regional Mexican
Bossa Nova
Tango
Bolero
Cha-cha-chá
Samba
Son
Rhumba
Latin pop
Latin jazz
Latin rock
Latin hip hop
Latin funk
Latin soul
Latin electronic
Latin country
Latin folk
Latin classical
Latin metal
Latin alternative
Latin American folk
Latin reggae
Latin ska
Latin punk
Latin blues
Latin American roots
Són Montuno
Guaguancó
Plena
Guaracha
Afro-Cuban jazz
Afro-Latin music
Chicha
Cumbia Sonidera
Latin house
Latin techno
Latin trance
Latin drum and bass
Latin dub
Latin hip house
Latin acid jazz
Latin go-go
Latin funk carioca
Latin reggaeton pop
Latin reggaeton ballad
Latin reggaeton swing
Latin reggaeton hip hop
Latin reggaeton R&B
Latin Urban

This list includes a wide variety of Spanish music genres, including traditional, folk, classical, popular, and experimental styles. However, it is important to note that the distinction between genres can be complex and fluid, and that many songs may incorporate elements from multiple genres.