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Latin music (genre)


Latin music (Música latina in Spanish and Portuguese) is a musical category that encompasses music from the Spanish-speaking areas of the world (namely Latin America and Spain). Most definitions of Latin music also include Portuguese-language music from Brazil and sometimes Portugal as well. US trade industry groups such as Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Billboard magazine define "Latin music" as any type of release with most of its lyrics in Spanish, regardless of genre or the artist's nationality.

The term "Latin music" originated from the United States (US) due to the growing influence of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the American music market, with notable pioneers including Xavier Cugat (1940s), Tito Puente (1950s), Antônio Carlos Jobim and Carlos Santana (1960s), and accelerating especially since the 1980s. As one author explained the rising popularity from the 1940s: "Latin America, the one part of the world not engulfed in World War II, became a favorite topic for songs and films for Americans who wanted momentarily to forget about the conflagration."

Major record labels such as Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music often have two divisions dedicated to the Latin market: one which focuses on Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula, and the other for the Hispanic market in the United States. Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States are the largest Latin music markets in the world.


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