What's the difference musically between merengue, salsa, soca & bachata? I can distinguish .....?

Question

Mexico's mariachi music as well as Tejano. But my ears are too untrained to tell the difference between the rest. Are there CD's I can buy with good examples? I don't know which artists perform what. Help!

Answer 1

Merengue is from the Domincan Republic and it is distinguishable from the tambora (two-sided drum) and the Guira (metal sheet).

Salsa is from the Puerto Rican immigrants in New York who mixed their traditional styles of music with Cuban and American rock n roll.

Soca is Calypso and Indian music and uses risque humor because it celebrates female bodies (particularly the bottoms).

Bachata is also from the Dominican Republic, influenced by merengue, and the lyrics are sad love stories and tragedies.

Mexican Mariachi has some roots in Africa and typically has two violins, two trumpets, one guitarron, one vihuela, and one Spanish guitar, though they vary from region to region, sometimes as many as twenty musicians.

Tejano, or tex-mex, is heavily influenced by today's blues, rock, and cumbia music and orginated in Texas. There are three categories: Conjunto, Orchestra and Modern. Conjunto band is comprised of an accordion, a bajo sexto, a bass, and a drum. Orchestra consists of a bass, drum, electric guitar, synthesizer and, a brass section. Modern band consists of synthesizers, drums, electric guitar, bass and at times an accordion.

I hope that helps a little, though it probably didn't since I can't play music clips as examples....

Answer 2

Mexican Mariachi does not have any roots in Africa. That is a lie. Mariachi music is a blend of European and Amerindian country music. Basically Mariachi Music and Tejano music are country music only Mariachi music comes from Jalisco Mexico and Tejano music comes from Mexicans who lived in Texas.
Mariachi music was used more to serenade a woman. Tejano music and Norteno music are practically the same. They can sing about a lost love.

Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, indigenous music was played with rattles, drums, flutes and conch-shell horns as part of religious celebrations. The Spanish introduced violins, guitars, harps, brass instruments, and woodwinds which mostly replaced the native instruments. The European instruments were introduced to be used during Mass but were quickly adapted to secular events.[3][1] Indigenous and mestizo peoples learned to play and make these instruments often giving them modified shapes and tunings. In addition to instruments, the Spanish introduced the concept of musical groups, which, in the colonial period, generally consisted of two violins, a harp and various guitars. This grouping gave rise to a number of folk musical styles in Mexico.[1]

Answer 3

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