MUS 232
Latin Music USA
Last Offered Spring 2004
Division I Writing Skills
This course is not offered in the current catalog

From the nineteenth century until today, the most important foreign influence on popular culture in the USA has been the music and dance traditions of Latin America, especially those from Cuba, Puerto Rico, The Dominican Republic, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. These music and dance traditions have enriched North American culture and served as a means by which Latinos and non-Latinos have communicated different meanings to different people at different times. This tutorial examines the history of Latin music and dance traditions in the United States, analyzing the meanings communicated and assessing the impact of these traditions on American culture and vice versa. Although the focus of this course is music, students may examine related dance forms.