Musical Forms and Styles

Question: Blues music originated in what country?

Answer: Blues music originated among poor African-Americans, often slaves or descendants of African slaves, in the Southern part of the United States.

Question: In what country did lieder originate?

Answer: The word lied means “song” in German. Lieder are usually art songs based on German poems. Principal composers include Brahms, Schumann, and Schubert (who wrote over 600 lieder).

Question: Which of these musical styles is associated with Brazil?

Answer: Bossa nova means "new beat" in Portuguese. It is a popular musical style in Brazil, where that language is spoken.

Question: In what country is mariachi an especially popular kind of music?

Answer: Mariachi music, featuring brass instruments and guitars, comes from Mexico and is very popular there.

Question: What is the name for a hybrid of rap and son music?

Answer: Reggaeton is popular music of Puerto Rican origin that combines rap with Caribbean rhythms, especially the style called son.

Question: Which of these musical forms did not originate in Latin America?

Answer: The raga is a musical form associated with Indian classical form and extending deep into antiquity.