Impact of Latin America on United States Popular Culture

Not only has the United States had a lot of influence on Latin American society and culture, but Latin America too has had a huge influence on the popular culture here in the U.S. One of the clearest examples of this is the increasing popularity of Latin dances in the United States. Not only are ballroom dancers now dancing the sensual and beautiful Latin American Dances, but also many everyday people go to enjoy the rhythmical beats of the Latin sound. Many people take salsa lessons or go to Latin clubs to enjoy the relaxed environment and also its upbeat style. It is now one of the United States’ most popular dancing styles. Ever since the Macarena first came out many years ago, the rising popularity of Latin music in the United States has boomed.

http://www.zonalatina.com/Zldata65.htm

George Lopez is a Mexican-American comedian and actor, and one of the most prominent entertainers of Hispanic heritage to be recognized in mainstream American pop culture. He was born in Mission Hills, California and built his career on jokes based on his life growing up in a Mexican community. He was a successful comedian by the late 1980s, performing in clubs around the nation and appearing on television shows and specials. He also formed a film career with comedies such as “Ski Patrol” in 1990 and, most recently, “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” in 2008. He is most widely known for his television series “George Lopez,” which made him one of the few Latinos to star in a series, following the footsteps of Desi Arnaz and Freddie Prinze. He has truly been a role model with his ability to make comedy out of his real-life tragedies and his several philanthropic endeavors.

Below is a list of his awards and accomplishments:

• Imagen Vision Award
• Latino Spirit Award for Excellence in Television
• National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award
• Spirit of Liberty Award
• Recognized by Time magazine as one of "The 25 Most Influential Hispanics In America"

When it comes to fashion in the United States, New York City is no stranger. But who are the women walking the run way? You would think in the United States, the models would be blond or brunette and white. But now a days, most models in the industry are Latin American. The most popular ethnicity in 2007 for models was Brazilian. For example, one of the highest paid and most recognized models is Gisele Bundchen who comes from Brazil. Another is Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio. Designers not only choose people to represent their creations by their height and weight but also now by their nationality. Latin America and especially Brazil is greatly influencing the United States in fashion and models.

http://www.jurgita.com/articles-id2207.html

http://en.w

ikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Victoria's_Secret_fashion_models

In the world of entertainment, music from Latin American and Caribbean artists have had a definite impact on the United States' popular culture. From Grammy winning artists such as Ricky Martin and Selena, Latin music and rhythms have capture American audiences like no other.

Before her tragic death, Selena became the "Queen of Tejano music" as she captured numerous audiences throughout the states. Born from Mexican parents, Selena was born as an American citizen and live here most of her life. Yet although of her American tendencies, she had Mexican and true Tejan

o blood which she portrayed through her music. Selena inspired and shocked many people with her captivating and romantic lyrics while dancing with that Spanish flavor that we all love.

From Menudo to "Livin' la vida loca" the Puerto Rican Grammy award winning artist, Ricky Martin, has swung his hips and captivated audiences all around the world. His influence in the United States came with his first English album release where he sang "Livin la vida loca" and the premiered the hit for the FIFA World Cup "The Cup of Life."

His Latin moves and charisma have led him to be that catalyst for appreciation and somewhat acceptance of Spanish music in America throughout the twentifirst century.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmwzEhwScug

Colombia's Diverse Music and Dance

Colombia is a country rich in musical culture with a vast variety of genres. From the traditional music and dances such as Bambuco to the Pop music of the 20th century, Colombia has music for every generation and taste. The mixture of Colombian music has African, native Indian, and European influences that make the musical culture even more diverse and interesting. Globalization has also really internationalized Colombian music and has had its affects on the different genres in this South American country.

Bambuco is an indigenous form of music often referred to as Musica del interior. It is still around today but was the most popular in the mid 1920s to late 1930s. It has a sad and slow rhythm and often uses the tiple, the mandolin, and the guitar. Some believe that the music is the unofficial music of Colombia but it is most popular in the Andean region. It also has a beat structure similar to the European waltz or polska.

The Popular music genre and dance, Cumbia, is a very large staple in both traditional and modern Latin America. Originating in the Northern region of Colombia, near Cartagena, during the Spanish Colonization of the region, Cumbia started with African slaves who were brought to the country. It is thought to be from Guinea and their form of dance Cumbe. It is said to resemble the shackles that slaves were kept in when they were brought to the country. In the beginning of this genre, only percussion instruments were used. However now a day, there is much more variety in the instruments such as trumpets, saxophones, and trombones. Cumbia rose in popularity during the 50s which is called the Golden Age of Cumbia and Discos Fuentes (the largest Cumbia record label) was formed at this time. Since then, Cumbia has become internationally recognized and celebrated, especially in Mexico. However, one of the genres most famous songs is the unofficial Colombian national anthem. It is called “Cumbia Cienaguera” and talks of Colombian’s sabor y ambiente. Cumbia is unarguably one of Latin America’s most well-known genres.

Pop Music in Colombia has been quickly growing recently, especially with the avid support of young listeners. Artists such as Fonseca, Lucas Arnau and San Alejo have led mainstream Pop Music in the country. Pop infused with traditional Colombian music has also been on the rise with artists Los De Adentro and Maia. However, the most recognized Colombian Pop artist by far is Shakira, who has sold millions of records worldwide, topped the charts in over 70 countries and won 9 Grammy awards (2 American, 7 Latin American). Singer-songwriter Juanes gained mainstream popularity in 2002 and swept the Latin Grammys in 2003.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Colombia

The popular folk music of Vallenato was first established around the Caribbean bordering regions of Colombia. This music genre is composed of a mix of African and Caribbean sounds as its roots “lie with the music of the Wayuu Indians of the Güajira peninsula of Northern Colombia.” A myth about the Vallenato is that many say that it originated from Francisco el Hombre who battled with Satan in a musical contest. After this, Vallenato rose to popularity in 1980’s especially with the works of Grammy

award winner, Carlos Vives. His music has reached all parts of Latin America and worldwide as he established a more modern mix to Vallenato by combining traditional sounds with pop and rock sounds.

http://www.lafi.org/magazine/interviews/vallenato.html

http://solar.physics.montana.edu/munoz/AboutMe/ColombianMusic/NaturalRegions/Andina/English_Bambuco.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Colombia

La Isla del Encanto: A Look at Puerto Rico’s Culture Through Music and Dance

The Caribbean is an enchanting place full of life and mucho savor—or a lot of flavor. The island of Puerto Rico is one of the many islands in the Caribbean Sea which was first established by Spanish conquistadors, but stands today as a self-governing Commonwealth territory of the United States.

Known as La Isla del Encanto, or The Island of Enchantment, Puerto Rico is a unique country full of vibrant culture that comes alive through its music and dance.

With strong ties to its African, Taino, and Spanish roots, two of the most popular and practiced traditional dances or folklores in the island are the Bomba and the Plena. These two traditional dances are derived from the unique music that also holds the same names as the dances. Bomba music is composed of African rhythms and beats through the use of barrel shaped drums and sticks. This dance is “described as a dialogue between [the] dancer and [the] drummer” where each play and move to dueling rhythmic beats as if challenging each other. In most dances, the man is the musician and the woman plays the role of the challenger or seductress. Plena music derives from a mix of Spanish and Taino rhythms through the use of instruments from such cultures, such as the Spanish guitar and the guiro. As this style of music emerged through the island during more colonial times, people used music as a means of communicating recent news, stories, and even rumors. The Plena is a more structured and conservative dance with strong Spanish ties within the movements. It is normally danced in couples and in many cases the dancers portray what the lyrics are expressing.
In Puerto Rico today, there is a variety of music and dance that have established themselves into the culture, yet “Bomba y Plena remain the most popular forms of folk music on the island, and many cultural events highlight this music for entertainment.”


Puerto Rico has a rich culture in dance, but the most popular are by far the Merengue, Cha-Cha, Salsa, Plena and Bomba.

Merengue: Adapted from the Dominican Republic, this style has two variations. The ballroom Merengue is a basic two-step with a twist of the hip during which the couple never separates. The Figure Merengue involves the couple making individual turns.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_cbIgK_OLc

Cha-Cha: Based on the mambo, it was named for the sounds of the dancers' feet when performing this. It involves three quick steps (the triple step or simply the cha-cha-cha) followed by two slow steps on the next two beats.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc_jOljHgWI&feature=related

Salsa: The word denotes a fusion, and the dance is a mixture of several Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances. Salsa is danced in a pattern of six steps over eight counts of music. Turns are very important in this dance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7IwkLcHeBI

Plena: The Plena is simple and although it is danced in pairs, its evident it was originally a solo dance. Some are very fast paced, accompanied by the drums.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZO6Rsl6mWw

Bomba: This provides the foundation for the rhythm of the Bomba genre of music. Developed by west african slaves to celebrate marriages, baptisms and other occasions it is danced in pairs without contact (unlike most of the other popular dances). The dancers perform fast steps called floretea piquetes, challenging the drums and musicians that accompany them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RfPjGOfrr0

Another very popular music style is reggaeton. Although originally from Panamá, this music dance genre has grown in popularity throughout the island of Puerto Rico. Reggaeton is a distinct style of music that is fairly new. With roots in the early 20^th century, the genre has only recently come into popularity and spread throughout Latin America and the World. This music is a mix of Jamaican dancehall, reggae, merengue, bomba, plena, and many other styles of music and has a unique beat called “dembow.” Later on in the 1980s, urban youth in Puerto Rico began to catch wave of this music because of the hip-hop and reggae beats and reggaeton became popular in Puerto Rico. The pioneering reggaeton artist of Puerto Rico was Vico C and now many of the most well-known reggaeton artists come out of Puerto Rico such as: Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderon, Wisin y Yandel, Calle 13, and Ivy Queen. 2004 was the year that reggaeton took a turn and finally spread outside of Latin America and became very, very popular, especially in the United States. That year was the release of Daddy Yankee’s album Barrio Fino. The Puerto Rican outbreak of so many reggaeton artists has captured the hearts and minds of urban Hispanic youth and many others throughout the world.

http://latinmusic.about.com/od/genres/p/PRO019BASIC.htm

http://www.topuertorico.org/culture/folklore.shtml
http://www.topuertorico.org/culture/