Latin Rhythms 101: Son, Salsa, Cumbia and Reggaeton

Latin American music is a vast family. Here are four rhythms that make a good starting point.

Son cubano

Born in eastern Cuba, the son combines Spanish guitar traditions with African rhythms. Listen for the tres, a guitar with three pairs of strings, and the clave, the two-bar rhythmic pattern that holds everything together.

Salsa

Salsa took shape in New York in the 1960s and 1970s, created largely by Cuban and Puerto Rican musicians. It builds on son and adds big brass sections, piano and jazz-influenced arrangements.

Cumbia

Cumbia comes from the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where Indigenous, African and Spanish influences met. It has since travelled across Latin America, with distinctive versions in Mexico, Peru and Argentina.

Reggaeton

Reggaeton emerged in Puerto Rico and Panama in the 1990s and 2000s, drawing on Jamaican dancehall and hip hop. Its signature is the dembow rhythm.

Hear these styles and more on Ritmo Latino.