Banda is a style of music largely based around brass instruments. Rhythmically it is very similar to polka, which makes it ideal for dancing. Banda groups play a variety of different numbers including pop, rock and cumbias. However, they are best known for their rancheras, which sound similar to Mexican versions of the polka. Instruments commonly used in banda music are the bass tuba or sousaphone, the tenor trombone, the alto trumpet, the soprano clarinet and the alto horn. Usually banda vocals are handled by a lead singer or a trio of vocalists harmonizing together. Banda is most commonly heard North of the border when played by mariachis at Mexican restaurants or Mexican cultural celebrations.
Salsa is a style of Hispanic music that has mostly Cuban roots. However, even though it is a Latin style, salsa was mostly developed by immigrants in New York City during the '60s and '70s. Immigrant musicians from Cuba, Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries took elements of Cuban mambo music and fused them with other styles including Latin jazz and contemporary rock to create a modern, very danceable and accessible music.
Flamenco is music and dance that originated in the Andalusian province of Spain. The music takes its cues largely from the traditional music of ethnic Gypsies who populated the region. A sparse, but highly rhythmic style, Flamenco often consists merely of a guitarist and a dancer who taps out the rhythms with her feet while accompanying them with castinets.
Reggaeton is a relatively new music genre that traces its beginnings to Panama where it was known as "Reggae en Espanol." Reggaeton drew on elements of Latin American music and fused them with Jamaican dance hall, soca (music from Trinidad and Tobago) and contemporary American hip-hop to form a style that became popular in North America, Europe and Asia during the latter half of the first decade of the 21st century.