Prior to the settlement of Spanish travelers, Latin American natives used flutes and percussion instruments such as guiros and shells. The Spanish and Portuguese settlers introduced the natives to string instruments such as guitars, and this influence gave birth to the development of other string instruments in a variety of shapes and sizes. The African influence provided drums and a style of singing known as call and response.
Before the arrival of outsiders, natives of Latin America used music as a means of worship or as a practice for rituals. European settlers did not approve of these pagan practices and replaced the native instruments and styles with European instruments such as guitars. This music still serves a function in religious practices. Drumming from the African tradition became a means of entertainment as well as communication.
Native Latin American instruments were made of wood and animal hides for drums, clay for flutes and gourds and seeds for rattles. The natives also used their voices as an integral part of their music. After settlement by the Europeans and Africans, the popular instruments became string instruments and drums. The African tradition gave birth to styles such as the Afro-Cuban rumba, Brazilian samba, Argentinean tango and Jamaican reggae.
Latin American music heavily features rhythm, which is usually syncopated, meaning the various rhythms that are being played create a kind of counterpoint and cross rhythm. Most Latin American music features a clave, or 3-2 rhythmic pattern. Latin American music also typically features the call-and-response form derived from the African tradition.
The co-mingling of styles that took place in Latin America became influential to the music of other countries. For example, the Afro-Cuban culture affected jazz music of North America. The elements derived from the tradition of other cultures became the mix that is now considered Latin American.