Types of Music

Music is a universal language and throughout history different types of music has been developed in different parts of the world.

Folk music is music is transmitted aurally or orally. This cannot be taught from printed or written material and can be learnt only through performance and ear. It varies with different cultures and is found all over the world.

This is performed by communities and not by professionals. It is usually related to life activities such as religion, work and child rearing. This type of music is passed down from generation to generation and therefore tends to change the originality over a period of time due to the differences of singing capabilities, faulty memories and other factors.

Carribean music is one type of music which is not only popular in the carribean but also in several parts of the world. This music originated from islands in the Caribbean sea and ranged from folk genres like the Puerto Rican aquinaldo and Jamaican mento to more contemporary styles such as reggae and salsa. This music is a combination of strands of African and Western music. This music originated with the first inhabitants to the islands but died a natural death in 1600s. Subsequently it emerged again with European settlers and African slaves. During the mid twentieth century this music started spreading again with immigration of Cubans to large cities. Caribbean music is grouped into categories of folk, classical or pop music. Caribbean folk styles are primarily from African music and is performed mainly with percussions instruments. Cuban rumba and the Puerto Rican bomba also fall into this category and also music associated with Afro-Caribbean religions such as Cuban Santeria, Haitian and voodoo. In the nineteenth century the local classical music was developed in Cuba and Puerto Rico by formally trained composers who began to infiltrate into the area. The most popular categories are the Cuban contradaza and the habon.

Jazz music originated in New Orleans in the 1890s and was developed by African Americans who combined African music with the sounds and instruments of the western world. Though it was resisted initially the popularity of this music spread across the USA and the world thereafter. The traditional jazz music was later developed into `swing' jazz by Benny Good and Glenn Miller. `In the Mood' became a world wide hit.

Latin American music a very popular form of music. Some of the Latin American music can be traced to Europe. More recently Latin American music can be traced to various types of fusion and different cultural heritages. Latin American music has become very popular and has taken the original latin song and translated only the words into English without much change to the rhythm or the tempo.

R & B Music is the more popular term used for rhythm and blues. It is a combination of club blues, jump blues, black rock and roll, doo wop, Motown, soul, disco and rap. Throughout in the 20th century R&B music has been the largest influence on popular music which is seen in rock, jazz, country and western and gospel. Though the styles differ the rhythm is similar and it is this element that joins all types of music into the same category.

Funk and Disco music became known in the late 1960s. It is a development of R&B music. Funk made rhythm the most important element while de-emphasizing melody.

Dance and Rap music spread a like a storm in the 1980s and 1990s by superstars like Michael Jackson and Prince. The roots of rap is from African and African American verbal games.

Rock n Roll Music has been popular since 1950s. It began in the United States and has been absorbed by classical and gospel. It was a combination of African American rhythm and Country and Western music. It was made popular by Elvis Presly and later Beatles and the Rolling Stones added their own versions to it. In the late 1970s a new version of rock n roll called 'punk rock' was developed.

Country and Western music developed folk music and American rural southern of cow boys. It was performed mainly at home, in church or local functions until the 1920s with fiddles, banjos and guitars.