MUSC 147

Introduction to Latin/@ American Music

Spring 2017
MWF 10.10am 11am
Kenan Music Building 2131

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS:

Latin American is one of the richest, versatile and complex multi-cultural places in the world.
Countless musical genres such as Tango, Cumbia, Samba, Mariachi, Merengue, Bolero, Bachata
and Salsa have developed in this region and achieved worldwide popularity. However, music in
Latin America has had a multi-purpose function: both as form of entertainment and as a symbol of
cultural identity but also as a form of expression against oppression, discrimination and political
corruption. Thus, in order to fully understand Latin American music, one must examine it within
the context of major historical, social and political events that have influenced its development.

For instance, how do Mexicans and Mexican Americans make mariachi music not only culturally
meaningful but also economically profitable in their lives? Is salsa Puerto Rican, Cuban or
Nuyorican? What is mestizaje, and how has it impacted the creation of many Latin American
music genres and instruments? What is transnationalism, and how has it shaped contemporary
Latin American popular music genres such as Reggeaton? What kinds of Latin music are
accessible in North Carolina, and what can these music scenes teach us about the music and
cultures of North Carolina and the New South? These as well as other important topics will be the
focal point of our discussion through the semester.

This course will introduce students to Latin American music and Latin@ music of the United
States. We will learn about this musics historical, cultural, social, and political significance by
addressing the questions listed above and others like them. We will do this by listening to, reading
about, researching, and even playing some of the musical traditions that encompass South
America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and the United States.

Having participated in this course you will be able to do the following:

Identify salient musical features that define and distinguish the genres and styles of Latin
American and Latin@ music.
Understand the impact colonization, mestizaje and transnationalism in the formation and
development of Latin American music.

Explain how culture, society, politics, and history inform the meaning and sound of this
music.

Synthesize the materials learned in this class into coherent and factually accurate
discussions of Latin American and Latin@ music.
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I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY THE ENORMOUS VARIETY OF LATIN AMERICAN AND
LATIN@ MUSIC, AND THAT YOUR INTEREST IN LATIN AMERICAN AND LATIN@
MUSIC AND CULTURE WILL EXTEND INTO THE YEARS AHEAD. WELCOME!
UNDERGRADUATE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

This course satisfies a Global Issues (GL) and Visual or Performing Arts (VP) requirements. It also
counts toward course credit in the Latina/o Studies Program. For more information on the General
Education Curriculum please visit: www.unc.edu/ugradbulletin/requirements.html. For more
information on the Latina/o Studies Program please visit: http://englishcomplit.unc.edu/latina-
o/UNCLatResources.html.

MUSC 147 also counts toward the Latin America area requirement for the Global Studies major.
For more information please visit http://global.unc.edu/globalstudies/major/structure-of-the-global-
studies-major#-b-requirements----------for-majors-declared-during-or-after-fall------b--.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

1. Robin Moore, Music of Latin America. W. W. Norton & Company, 2012

2. Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Online: South America, Mexico, Central America, and
the Caribbean. This invaluable source is available FREE online through the Music Librarys
Catalogue at www.lib.unc.edu/music/.

3. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/latinmusicusa/index.html

4. Latin Music USA. [Video-recording], Arlington, Va. PBS Distribution, c2009.

5. http://www.corridos.org/main2.asp?language=E

6- Calle 54 - Media Resources Center Library Use Only, 65-DVD14422

7- How Latinos influenced popular music in the U.S. http://americansabor.org/story

8- Other reading materials will be posted on Sakai (www.unc.edu/sakai) as PDF files.

NOTE: The Moore textbook is available at the UNC Student Stores. Your reading and listening
assignments are also listed on this syllabus. All the listening examples (audio files) are available on
Sakai. Please complete the assigned readings before class. Be aware that most reading assignments
are accompanied with listening and activity assignments. These assignments are also to be
completed prior to class.

Contact Information:
Instructor: Dr. Juan lamo
Office KMB 1111
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Office Hours by appointment

E-mail: jalamo@email.unc.edu
Phone: 940 231-0212
GRADING

2 Tests- 200 points

5 Assignments - 100 points

1 Concert Report - 100 points

Final Exam (May 1st at 8 a.m.) 150 points

Late assignments will not be accepted without medical or some other reasonable excuse. Your final
letter grade will be based on your total point accumulation as follows:

Grade Scale

A+ = 97-100 C+ = 77-79 F = 0-59

A = 94-96 C = 74-76

A- = 90-93 C- = 70-73

B+ = 87-89 D+ = 67-69

B = 84-86 D = 64-66

B- = 80-83 D- = 60-63

An important note about ATTENDANCE/ABSENCES

Attendance will be taken for every class meeting via a sign-up sheet. Our teaching assistant will
pass around a sign-up sheet at the beginning of each class. Make sure your name and signature are
on the sheet by the end of each class period. You will be allotted three (3) unexcused absences
without penalty no matter the reason. Each absence after the allotted three will result in the
deduction of two (2) points from your final grade.

If you arrive to class after the sign-up sheet has been returned to the teaching assistant, you will be
responsible for adding your signature to the sign-up sheet at the end of class. You will be marked
as late. Two late marks will equal one absence.
 lamo MUSC 147 p. 4

DO NOT SIGN IN FOR A CLASSMATE. Signing in for another student will be considered a
violation of the Honor Code and will be reported accordingly (see pp. 8-9).

Tests

Students will be responsible for all material covered in the readings, listening, lectures, class
assignments, and videos assigned for each unit. The purpose of the tests is to monitor the students
progress in the course and to identify difficulties that the student may be having with the courses
material and methods of study. Tests consist of objective multiple-choice, T/F questions, essay and
listening examples. Attendance on exam dates is MANDATORY. If for any reason the student
must miss an exam, the student may notify the instructor in advance. (THIS MUST BE AN
EMERGENCY SITUATION ONLY). If you are late to class and there is an exam in progress,
you will NOT be given additional time to complete the exam.

Concert Attendance

You are required to attend ONE concert and write a report about it.

February 11 at 8pm: Marimjazzia Latin Jazz Quintet at Sharp 9 Gallery, 4608 Industry
Lane, Durham, NC, 27713 admission fee, $10.00

February 16 at 7:30pm: UNC Charanga Carolina at UNC Kenan Music Building (room
1201)- free event

February 24 & 25 at 8pm: Arturo OFarrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble at Duke
Baldwin Auditorium, 1336 Campus Drive. Durham, NC 27708 - admission fee, $10.00

April 20 at 5:30 pm UNC Charanga Carolina at CSAS Music on the Porch, Love House,
UNC-Chapel Hill http://south.unc.edu/category/music-on-the-porch/ free event

April 1 at 9pm: Marimjazzia Latin Jazz Quintet at Idregardless Caf: 901 W Morgan St.
Raleigh, NC 27603 - free admission

April 22 at 8pm: UNC Charanga Carolina at UNC Moeser Auditorium - free event

You will not be permitted to attend other concerts to meet this requirement without my approval.
(Concert Report Guidelines document available on Sakai under Resources)

Final Exam
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The final exam will be comprehensive; consisting of multiple choices, true/false, essay and
listening identification. Students will be responsible for all material covered in the readings,
listening, lectures, student group presentations, and videos. Our final is scheduled for Monday,
May 1st at 8:00am.

Class Participation

Participation in class discussion and other activities is expected to ensure successfully meeting the
goals of the course. We will have allotted classes in which students will collaborate in groups to
address questions or complete assignments given at the beginning of class. Active and positive
participation will be used to weigh final grades that are borderline. No extra-credit will be allowed.

What is active and positive participation? When students: answer questions and participates in
discussions on a regular basis (at least once a week); volunteer to the front of the class as well as
from his/her seat to participate in music demonstrations; and complete in-class assignments in
collaboration with other students.

Audio Examples: Passive vs. Active Listening

Listening to a wide variety of recordings representative of the different styles of Latin American
Music is arguably one of the most important and fundamental activities of this course. However, it
is important to understand the difference between passive and active listening. For instance, rather
than hearing the music with admittedly divided attention - as one may do during a wedding
ceremony- one must concentrate on listening carefully and diligently in order to identify the main
characteristics on each example/genre. Therefore, it is extremely important that you set aside time
- at least a few days during the week- to work your way through assigned recordings and listening
guides in preparation for class, quizzes and exams. When listening to the audio examples, try to
take notes about important musical characteristics such as: tempo/meter (duple, triple, quadruple
etc.) , form/structure ( binary AB, ternary ABC, strophic-verse/chorus etc.), instrumentation and
role/function of each instrument, melodies (polyphony, monophony, harmonized etc.), interaction
among musicians (call and response), lyrics/language (social/political/historical -
Spanish/Yoruba/Quechua/Portuguese), rhythms (syncopation, polyrhythms, hemiola, habanera,
Cinquillo, Clave, Tundete etc.) and genres (Bossa-Nova, Corrido, Cumbia, Joropo, Merengue,
Tango, Rumba, Reggeaton, Salsa etc.). For more information, see listening guide sections and
dictionary in your textbook.

SAKAI
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Important information will be posted on our Sakai site (https://www.unc.edu/sakai/). You should
check the courses Sakai site on a daily basis. It is recommended you use Firefox to open the Sakai
site.

HONOR CODE

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has had a student-administered honor system and
judicial system for over 100 years. The system is the responsibility of students and is regulated and
governed by them, but faculty shares the responsibility. If you have questions about your
responsibility under the honor code, please bring them to your instructor or consult with the office
of the Dean of Students or the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance
(http://instrument.unc.edu/). This document, adopted by the Chancellor, the Faculty Council, and
the Student Congress, contains all policies and procedures pertaining to the student honor system.
Your full participation and observance of the honor code is expected.

The Instrument of Student Judicial Governance, which contains the provisions of the Honor Code,
states that students have four general responsibilities under the Code:

1. Obey and support the enforcement of the Honor Code;

2. Refrain from lying, cheating, or stealing;

3. Conduct themselves so as not to impair significantly the welfare or the educational

opportunities of others in the University community; and

4. Refrain from conduct that impairs or may impair the capacity of University and associated
personnel to perform their duties, manage resources, protect the safety and welfare of
members of the University community, and maintain the integrity of the University.

PLAGIARISM

Please be very careful not to plagiarize on any of your assignments or exams. If you have any
questions about plagiarism, or if you are not sure whether you are plagiarizing, please visit:
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/plagiarism/

In the event of student misconduct that appears to violate the requirements of the Honor
Code, I and the courses teaching assistant will follow university protocol stated in Appendix
B of the Instrument of Student Governance (http://instrument.unc.edu/).

Pay particular close attention to the Sanctions section of the Instrument of Student
Governance: http://honor.unc.edu/instrument/#_Toc325716091
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Citing your sources:

You are required to use MLA as your citation format style. Please visit the following webpage for
information on citing your sources in MLA: http://www.lib.unc.edu/instruct/citations/?
page=mla_sample.

***The following class schedule is subject to change as deem necessary by the instructor. ***

Class Schedule
Week Date Topic Assig/ Exam
1 1/11 Discuss syllabus and course goals
Ch. 1-Introduction: Defining Latin American Music
- The Impact of Colonialism & Mestizaje on Latin American Music
1/ 13 Ch. 2-Music, Conquest and Colonialism:
Indigenous Music at the Time of the Conquest: The Mexica Legacy
Music of the Conquest: Colonizing Through Music & Religion
The European Villancico & Latin American Villancico
**Exclude pages 40-45 & 50-64*
2 1/16 LABOR DAY NO CLASS
1/18 Ch. 2- Popular Dance Music: A Transcultural Manifestation
- Jcara
- Fandango
- Contradanza

1/20 Ch. 3-Mexico: Preserving Tradition and Embracing Transculturation

Overview of Mexican Music: The Mexica Empire, the European Influence, the Mexican
film industry & the impact of the Mexico/USA relationship on Mexican music
The Mexican Son: origins & musical characteristics:
Discuss: instrumentation, repertoire, rhythms, singing style, dancing etc.
3 1/23 Ch. 3- The Corrido: A Platform for Cultural Expression and Socio-Political Commentary Assig. 1
Discuss: lyrics (structure/form/themes), instrumentation, melodies, singing style etc.
1/25 Ch. 3 - Mariachi: National Pride and Cultural Ambassador of Mexico
Instrumentation (roles), repertoire, rhythms (comps & Sesquialtera).
1/27 Ch. 3- Msica Ranchera: The quintessential sound of Mariachi music
Instrumentation, lyrics/themes, rhythms, singing style. Important composers & performers
4 1/30 Rock and Roll music in Mexico: In Pursuit of Cultural and Musical Identity
- American & British Influence
Los Locos del Ritmo, Los Blue Jeans, El Tri, Caf Tacuba, Mana
Rocanrol, Refritos & Jipis
- La Onda
1971 Festival de Avandaros
2/1 Test 1
2/3 Ch. 5 Bat Music/ Santera vs. Rumba music: The Impact of Two Contrasting
African-Influenced Musical Styles in Cuban Music and Culture.
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5 2/6 Ch. 5 Bat & Rumba music: The Impact of Two Contrasting African-Influenced
Musical Styles in Cuban Music and Culture.
- Compare and contrast Bat (Santera) vs. Rumba music
Instrumentation, structure, rhythms, lyrics ( language, themes, secular vs. religious),
improvisation etc.

2/8 Ch. 5 - Cuban Son: The heart and soul of Cubas popular music
- African & European Influences
- Distinctive Musical Characteristics
- Instrumentation & role of instruments within the ensemble
2/10 Ch. 5- Cuban Son: The Legacy of Ignacio Pinero & Arsenio Rodrguez
6 2/13 Ch. 5 Latin Jazz The encounter of two seemingly oppose cultures and
musical traditions - (Power point available on Sakai). Also See PBS & The Story:
How Latinos influenced popular music in the U.S. documentaries on Sakai
2/15 Ch. 5 Latin Jazz The Founding Fathers & Masterminds of Latin Jazz
Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo, Mario Bauz & Machito
2/17 Ch. 5 Salsa: A musical revolution and a cross-cultural phenomenon Assig. 2
- Origins, developments, musical characteristics and important artists
7 2/20 Our Latin Thing: The birth of Salsa and the Legacy of Fania
- The Fania All Stars: Jerry Masucci & Johnny Pacheco
2/22 Salsa - The Voice of Latino Immigrants in New York in the 1960s & 70s
- Eddie Palmieri
- Ruben Blades
2/24 Puerto Rico: Defying Music Boundaries and Cultural Barriers
- Danza & Msica Jibara
- Bomba & Plena (PDF available on Sakai/resources)
Salsa: El Gran Combo
- Merengue & Reggeaton
8 2/27 Merengue: Musical Ambassador of Dominican Republic
- European roots: Polka
- Instrumentation & Musical Characteristics
- Evolution and Internationalization
3/1 Ch. 5 - Reggeaton: A Transnational Genre and The Voice of the Young Latinos Assig 3
- Origins & early developments: Shabba Ranks - Dem Bow
- El General
3/3 Ch. 5 - Reggeaton: A Transnational Genre and The Voice of the Young Latinos
- The Internationalization of Reggeaton: Luny Tunes & Daddy Yankee
- El Perreo
9 3/6 Ch. 5 - Reggeaton: A Transnational Genre and The Voice of the Young Latinos
- The Internationalization of Reggeaton: Luny Tunes & Daddy Yankee
- El Perreo
3/8 Mid Term Exam Test 2
3/10 No Class/Spring Break
10 March 13-19 Spring Break
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11 3/20 Ch. 4 Colombia: Origins, Evolution and Internationalization of Cumbia Music

Conjunto de gaitas: A Tripartite Cultural Manifestation
- origins, instrumentation (roles), lyrics, dance & improvisation
3/22 Ch.4 - Colombia:
Tropical music: The legacy of Lucho Bermudez
3/24 Ch. 6 Forr/Baio: Music as a Means of Cultural Enclosure

12 3/27 Ch. 6 Afro-Brazilian Musical Traditions: Samba

- Origin and development of Samba music
- Connection with the Catholic Church
- Dancing, costumes, musical characteristics
- Escolas de Samba
3/29 Ch.6 Samba Reggae:
- Afoxes
- Afro-Caribbean Influences
- Olodum
3/31 Ch.6 From Samba-cano to Bossa Nova: Evolution and Internationalization of
Brazilian Music
- Carmen Miranda, Joao Gilberto & Antonio Jobim
**Exclude pages 266-272** Review key terms & concepts in p. 273
13 4/3 Ch. 7 Popular Music: The Rioplatense Tango Assig. 4
The evolution of the Tango: from La Guardia Vieja to Contemporary tango
4/5 Ch. 7 Tango: Piazzollas Legacy

4/7 Ch. 7 Tango: New trends in Tango music

**Exclude pages 304 (7.6)-321** Review key terms & concepts in p. 322
14 4/10 Exam 3
4/12 Ch. 8 - Urban Popular Music in Lima
- Peruvian Vals: The Sound of a Multicultural City
4/14 Holiday/No Class
15 4/17 Ch. 8 - Urban Popular Music in Lima:
Nueva Cancin: A Musical Chronicle of the Political and Social Struggles of Latin
America in the 1960s & 1970s
**Exclude pages 362-368** Review key terms & concepts in p. 369
4/19 Ch. 8 - Nueva Cancin: A Musical Chronicle of the Political and Social Struggles
of Latin America in the 1960s & 1970s
4/21 Ch. 10 21th Century Latin America and Latino Popular Music: Colombian
Hit-Makers Shakira & Juanes
16 4/24 Ch. 10 - At the Boundary: Two Cases of Studies from the Mexico-U.S. Border Assig. 5
Msica nortea, narcocorridos, Cosmopolitan Tijuana
4/26 Ch. 10 - Recent Trends in U.S. Latino Popular Music: Salsa for the Hip-Hop
Generation, Urban Bachata - (Student Evaluations)
4/28 Latin Music in North Carolina: Keeping Traditions Alive!
5/1 Final Exam at 8am Exam 4