Its indigenous traditions are fused with those introduced by contact with Spaniards, the Portuguese, the French, English, and Africans. Salsa, popular in most Latin American countries and interpreted differently in each region, is essentially dance music with elements borrowed from Cuban son, mambo, and rumba.
Salsa largely reflects an attempt to modernize stale styles.
Merengue, originated in the Dominican Republic, has a fast-paced tempo traditionally played with accordion, tambora drum, saxophone, and box bass, though big band orchestration has become popular. Vocals are often performed by not one singer, but three, who swap parts while dancing in a choreographed fashion. Calypso originated in Trinidad as carnival music in the 19th century with a heavy lyrical emphasis on public commentary. Calypso's descendant, soca, surfaced during the height of disco fever in the United States, dependent on a heavy disco beat and bass line that propels the music as opposed to a melody. Made from a modified oil drum, a steel pan is tuned by denting the surface to produce specific pitches.