The word “conga” describes the music groups in Cuban comparsas and the music they perform. Comparsas are large groups of musicians, singers, and dancers who wear special costumes and follow set dance moves. They perform during street carnivals in cities like Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey, and Havana.
The clave (pronounced /ˈklɑːveɪ, kleɪv/; Spanish: [ˈklaβe]) is a rhythmic pattern used to organize time in Cuban music. In Spanish, the word “clave” means key, clef, code, or keystone. It is found in many music styles, including Abakuá music, rumba, conga, son, mambo, salsa, songo, timba, and Afro-Cuban jazz.
Salsa is a type of music and dance that has roots in Caribbean traditions and music from Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and other countries like Colombia and Venezuela. This music combines influences from African cultures, European traditions, and indigenous instruments, along with contributions from the United States. Many of the basic musical elements used in salsa existed before the term “salsa” was created, which has led to debates about where salsa originated.
The “bombo legüero” is a traditional drum from Argentina. It is made from a hollowed-out tree trunk covered with tanned animal skins, such as those from goats, cows, or sheep. The word “legüero” means that the drum’s sound can be heard from a long distance, like a league away.
Wankara, also known as Huancara in another spelling, is a mountain in the Andes of Peru. It is approximately 4,800 metres (15,748 ft) high. The mountain is located in the Puno Region, Lampa Province, on the border between the districts of Paratía and Santa Lucía.
Eschweilera mexicana, also called cajita or jicarillo, is a type of woody plant in the Lecythidaceae family. This plant is only found in Mexico. It is in danger because its habitat is being lost.
A cajón (Spanish: [kaˈxon] ka-KHON; “box, crate, drawer”) is a box-shaped drum from Peru. It is played by hitting the front or back sides (usually made of thin wood) with hands, fingers, or tools like brushes, mallets, or sticks. Cajóns are mainly used in Afro-Peruvian music, especially in a style called música criolla.
Andean music is a type of music from the Andes region in South America. The original songs and melodies came from the areas where Quechua people (from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile) and Aymara people (from Bolivia) lived. These groups were part of the Inca Empire before Europeans arrived.
A pan flute, also called panpipes or syrinx, is a musical instrument that uses the way sound works in closed tubes. It has several pipes that get longer (and sometimes wider) as they go from one end to the other. Many different types of pan flutes have been used as traditional folk instruments.
Indigenous music of Canada includes many different types of music made by Aboriginal Canadians. Before Europeans arrived in what is now Canada, the area was home to many First Nations groups, such as the West Coast Salish and Haida, the Iroquois, Blackfoot, and Huron in the center, the Dene in the north, and the Innu and Mi’kmaq in the east, as well as the Cree in the north. Each community had and still has its own special musical traditions.