1. Dr. Munarriz considers the label “Latin American Music” problematic because there are so many varieties of music in Latin America. The diversity of music genres and music expressions makes the term “Latin American Music” not quite accurate. He also mentioned that using this term should be really careful. How to express what you really mean by saying these terms. The arrangement of words is really important here, which I agree with. I think it is definitely not wrong to use the term “Latin American Music”, but that is just a general name. What I really learn from his opinion is that as we discover more about Latin American music, we will be more precise in choosing words to describe them.
  2. Latin American music is music comes from any region, such as Spanish and French. Latin music is produced by the Latin community who comes of Latin American descent but is a citizen or resident of the US.
  3. In Western music, Ostinato is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice. However, in Latin American music, the Ostinato is more like a unique composition technique that formed by many pattern formulas.  Also, the ostinatos are played by many instruments to create combinations. Every instrument plays its own pattern of ostinato to form a wonderful mix of these parts. The patterns contrast and support each other as well.
  4. Habanera Pattern could be performed in many different shapes, articulations, and forms to express different attitudes. The Havanera Pattern is a repeated rhythm pattern(dotted eighth note, a sixteenth, and two eighth note. ) You could hear the Havanera Pattern both in the bass line and the soprano line. Sometimes it could be shifted. The order of these four particular notes in the pattern determined the feel when you hear it. For example, when the sixteenth starts first, the pattern could be described as “Ma-ni tos-tao” or “Ca-fe con-pan” which to give you the feeling of the pattern flows using words. The accents are changing with it too. The original accent is on the first while now it is on the second.