13 Latin Wedding Music Genres That Need to Be on Your Playlist

Whether you're passionate about showcasing your heritage or want to add more songs to your DJ's Latin wedding music list, you need to know the origins of the Latin music genres you love. Once you do, we promise you'll have a new appreciation for today's hits and the music you listened to growing up. Below, we go through some Latin music genres that beautifully marry different cultures, grooves and instruments to create dozens of dance-worthy styles. Plus, get a roundup of fun and romantic tracks for your wedding and advice on where to find your music pro.

In this article:

• Latin Wedding Music Genres And Subgenres
• Latin Wedding Songs
• How to Find Latin Music Pros for Your Wedding

Latin Wedding Music Genres And Subgenres

There are lots of amazing Latin music genres that would be perfect for your celebration. Below, we break down some of the genres and subgenres you should have on your radar before finalizing your wedding music lineup.

Bachata

"Originally from the Dominican Republic, bachata is a romantic genre. Romeo Santos and Aventura have played a significant role in popularizing bachata globally," explains Karla Solórzano, founder and CEO of Kiss & Say I Do Events with 14 years of event planning experience. According to UNESCO, bachata became popular around the 1960s as a form of musical expression among impoverished social groups and stemmed "from a fusion of rhythmic bolero with other Afro-Antillean genres such as son, the cha-cha-chá, merengue" and much more. Bachata, which typically uses guitars, bongos, maracas, bass and güiro instruments, eventually gained favor with other demographics by the 1990s.

• A bachata song fit for a wedding: "Promise" by Romeo Santos featuring Usher
• Other bachata artists: Prince Royce, Frank Reyes and Hector "El Torito" Acosta

Banda

"Banda originates from Sinaloa [a state in] Mexico. Instruments typically used are tubas, trumpets, trombones, French horns, clarinets, snare drums, bass drums and cymbals. Key banda artists are Banda el Recodo and Banda MS," says Miriam Neblina, lead singer of Miriam Neblina Latin Band, who has over 25 years of entertainment experience. Historians say the music genre came to be around the 19th century from European colonists in military and brass bands. Banda, which references other dance rhythms such as polka, cumbia, son and waltz, has upbeat and slow-tempo songs.

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• A banda song fit for a wedding: "Mi Meta Contigo" by Banda Los Sebastianes
• Other banda artists: Chuy Lizárraga, El Fantasma and La Arrolladora Banda El Limón De René Camacho

Bolero (Cuban)

"Invented in Cuba, bolero is a slow-tempo genre known for its romantic lyrics and smooth melodies. Artists like Armando Manzanero and Luis Miguel have brought bolero to the forefront of Latin music," Solórzano explains. Even though bolero was a dance created in Spain in the late 18th century, what makes Cuban bolero, using guitar, piano and sometimes symphony orchestra instruments, distinct is its influence from Afro-Cuban music genres. Historians say it was in the late 19th century when the bolero style came to be in Cuba, which is linked to the trova tradition. José "Pepe" Sánchez, a Cuban musician known as a key figure in trova music and creator of bolero, is credited with making the first Cuban bolero song, "Tristezas." This song stands out because of it's 2/4 or 4/4 time signature compared to Spanish bolero's 3/4 time.

• A bolero song fit for a wedding: "Aquellos Ojos Verdes" by Los Panchos
• Other bolero artists: Olga Guillot, Trio Matamoros and Los Panchos

Bossa Nova

A group of students, artists and musicians came together to develop bossa nova, a blend of soft samba and American jazz, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the late 1950s. This Latin music genre uses guitar, bass, surdo, claves, cabasa, drums, saxophone and more to make its signature sound. In 1959, João Gilberto, a Brazilian guitarist and singer, debuted Chega de Saudade, credited as the first bossa nova album. Bossa nova took hold of American listeners in the 1960s, which influenced Stan Getz, a famous American saxophonist, to collaborate with Brazilian musicians João Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto, Antônio Carlos Jobim (Tom Jobim). This group of stars produced the hit song "Garota de Ipanema" ("Girl from Ipanema") in 1964. Fun fact: "Girl from Ipanema" is said to be the world's second most played song, with the Beatles' "Yesterday" at number one.

• A bossa nova song fit for a wedding: "Chuva de Prata" by Gal Costa
• Other bossa nova artists: Elis Regina, Nara Leão and Luiz Bonfá

Cha-cha-chá

"Coming from Cuba, cha-cha-chá typically uses instruments such as piano, bass, trumpets, congas, güiro and timbales. Some key cha-cha-chá artists are La Sonora Santanera and Beny Moré," Neblina tells us. Enrique Jorrín, a Cuban violinist and composer, is known for creating cha-cha-chá in the 1950s with the help of Orquesta America, founded by Ninón Mondéjar in 1945. It's believed that Jorrín's "La Engañadora" was the song that put cha-cha-chá on the map in 1953. But how did this famous genre get its name? Some say it's an onomatopoeia that imitates the sound of dancers' feet on the dance floor, while others say it references the sound of the güiro instrument. Cha-cha-chá, originally played by Cuban charangas, is thought to be made by musicians as an easier rhythm for dancers to move to than mambo.

• A cha-cha-chá song fit for a wedding: "Oye Como Va" by Tito Puente
• Other cha-cha-chá artists: La Sonora Matancera, Eduardo "Richard" Egües and Félix Reina

Cumbia

Cumbia is from Colombia and was created in the 1800s by enslaved Africans and indigenous groups. Neblina says piano, timbales, congas, bass, gaitas, trombones, maracas, güira, accordion (introduced by Europeans) and more is used to create its double-beat sound. But even though cumbia comes from Colombia, it has many variations across Latin America. "Some subgenres of cumbia are cumbia Colombiana, cumbia Centro-Americana, cumbia sonidera and cumbia tejana. Examples of cumbia artists are La Sonora Dinamita, Aniceto Molina and Selena," Neblina says. Fun fact: Cumbia started as a courtship dance on Colombian and Caribbean coasts.

• A cumbia song fit for a wedding: "Baila Esta Cumbia" by Selena
• Other cumbia artists: Celso Piña, Carlos Vives and Luis Carlos Meyer Castandet

Mariachi

After multiple centuries of Indigenous people, Spanish colonists and enslaved Africans mixing musically, mariachi was introduced around the 1850s from towns and ranches in Western Mexico, like Jalisco, Michoacán and Nayarit. Known for using trumpets, violins, a vihuela and a guitarrón, mariachi bands perform other music genres such as son, cancion ranchera, polka and more. Also, of course, this music group is known for wearing matching outfits. This tradition became more ornate around the 1920s because of inspiration from Mexican cowboys and ranchers, which evolved into the colorful and stylish attire worn today. For those wondering what mariachi artists were some of the most influential, you need to know about Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, created by Gaspar Vargas in 1897. Fun fact: According to Save the Music Foundation, "mariachi" is a noun and an adjective that refers to "a musical group, an individual member of the group or a type of music or instrument. So a mariachi (also called a mariachero) might play a mariachi trumpet in a mariachi (group) that plays mariachi music."

• A mariachi song fit for a wedding: "Qué Bonito Amor" by María de Lourdes
• Other mariachi artists: Laura Sobrino, Flor De Toloache and José Alfredo Jiménez

Merengue

Born in the Dominican Republic with African roots, the merengue style got its start in the 1800s using string instruments. (By the way, this is different from Haiti's méringue, which has a low tempo in comparison.) The tambora and güira were crucial parts of the merengue's instrumentation, and so was the diatonic accordion, later introduced by German traders. Unfortunately, at its inception, the music genre had a negative connotation because of the use of "simple instruments" and its popularity with impoverished groups. But with the dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo's positive promotion of merengue in the 1930s, the music style is now synonymous with the Dominican Republic. Wondering who some of the leading musicians of this five-beat rhythmic pattern are? Listen to Juan Luis Guerra, Elvis Crespo, Los Hermanos Rosario and Wilfrido Vargas.

• A merengue song fit for a wedding: "Suavamente" by Elvis Crespo
• Other merengue artists: Luis Alberti, Oro Solido and Olga Tañon

Norteño

Founded in Nothern Mexico during the late 19th century, música norteña combines regional Mexican music and German, Polish and Czech folk music. In the 1930s, Santiago Jiménez and Narciso Martínez were recognized as the pioneers of the norteña sound found on the radio and recordings and played using the classic diatonic button accordion and bajo sexto. Eventually, conjunto norteño came to the forefront with the addition of a snare drum and a bass instrument. Later in the 1950s, Tony de la Rosa, a Mexican musician from Texas, brought more popularity to the genre and added his own flair by using a three-row, three-key accordion and an entire drum set.

• A norteño song fit for a wedding: "A La Antigüita" by Calibre 50
• Other norteño artists: Los Cadetes de Linares, Ramón Ayala and Los Tigres del Norte

Reggaetón

When Jamaican workers were imported to help build the Panama Canal, they brought with them upbeat reggae music. From there, Panamanian artists sang over reggae songs with Spanish lyrics, but in the 1980s El General and Nando Boom, famous Panamanian musicians, were the first to start recording original songs combining the hip-hop and reggae sounds––this was called reggae en Español. They also popularized the music style's iconic dembow rhythm, which is named after Nando Boom's "Ellos Benia (Dem Bow)," a cover of Shabba Ranks' "Dem Bow." Not long after the genre came to Puerto Rico, the term "reggaetón" was coined in the early 1990s with the help of Vico C's, "the founding father of reggaetón," and Daddy Yankee's, a reggaetón megastar, influence. Reggaetón is now one of the biggest Latin music genres today, as a result, Daddy Yankee's "Gasolina" is the first reggaetón song inducted into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.

• A reggaetón song fit for a wedding: "Andes En Mi Cabeza" by Chino y Nacho featuring Daddy Yankee
• Other reggaetón artists: Don Omar, Karol G and J Balvin

Rock en Español

Using electric guitar, bass, drums and sometimes piano, rock en Español was created from a mix of music from Spanish and many Latin countries. Ritchie Valens, "forefather of Chicano rock," is one the first artists to put Latin rock on the map with his hit "La Bamba" in 1958. And we can't forget Gloria Ríos uplifting Latin rock n' roll with "El Relojito" in 1956. With influences coming from so many countries, we can safely say rock en Español, as it's known today, is positively impacted by numerous amazing musicians like Carlos Santana, Aterciopelados, Charly Garcia and many more.

• A rock en Español song fit for a wedding: "Tren Al Sur" by Los Prisoneros
• Other rock en Español artists: Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, La Ley and Angélica María

Salsa

Solórzano and Neblina both cite Celia Cruz and Héctor Lavoe as two of the most iconic salsa artists, but how did this music genre come to be? Based on music styles such as son Cubano, mambo, rumba and cha-cha-chá, salsa was born in the 1940s by Cuban and Puerto Rican musicians. Coined "salsa" in the 1960s, the music with the distinct clave rhythm includes congas, cowbells, timbales and more to achieve its unique sound. With the help of Fania Records, a record label that released numerous salsa hits, the genre was everywhere by the mid-twentieth century, leading to Latin music performers making their mark on North American culture.

• A salsa song fit for a wedding: "Qué Locura Enamorarme De Ti" by Eddie Santiago
• Other salsa artists: Marc Anthony, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Jerry Rivera

Tango

Blending African rhythms, music from Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay and European salon tunes, tango came to life. (German immigrants brought over the bandoneón, an instrument in the accordion family, which became a key part of the music's sound.) An early developer of tango, Rosendo Mendizábal, an Argentine composer and pianist, is the first tango musician in history. At this time, in the early 19th century, tango was typically only in underground dance clubs, but was pushed into the spotlight with Carlos Gardel's, "The King of Tango," song "Mi Noche Triste" in 1917. Eventually, Astor Piazzolla flipped classic tango on its head by introducing tango nuevo, a style inspired by jazz and known for improvisation.

• A tango song fit for a wedding: "El Día Que Me Quieras" by Carlos Gardel
• Other tango artists: Osvaldo Fresedo, Vicente Greco and Bajofondo

Latin Wedding Songs

Now that you know some of the most influential Latin music styles, you need to research the best Latin songs for weddings because not just anything will do for your special playlist. Keep reading to see what Latin wedding music Solórzano and Neblina say are must-plays on your wedding day. Plus, a few of our favorites we can't get enough of.

The Best Latin Dance Songs for Weddings by Solórzano

• "Vivir Mi Vida" by Marc Anthony
• "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee
• "La Vida Es Un Carnaval" by Celia Cruz
• "Mi Gente" by J Balvin & Willy William
• "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" by Selena
• "Vagabundo" by Sebastián Yatra, Manuel Turizo and Beéle
• "Que Bueno Baila Usted" by Oscar D'León
• "La Bicicleta" by Carlos Vives & Shakira
• "Playa" by Camilo

The Best Latin Dance Songs for Weddings by Neblina

• "Escándalo" by La Sonora Dinamita
• "Nunca Es Suficiente" by Los Ángeles Azules
• "La Chona" by Los Tucanes de Tijuana
• "No Rompas Mi Corazón" by Caballo Dorado
• "Oye Mi Amor" by Maná
• "Suavecito Suavecito" by Laura Leon
• "Cumbia Sampuesana" by Aniceto Molina
• "La Víbora De La Mar" (a song played during a game of the same name at some Mexican weddings)

The Best Latin Dance Songs for Weddings by The Knot

• "No Hay Ley" by Kali Uchis
• "Low Sun" by Hermanos Gutierrez
• "Ojitos Lindos" by Bad Bunny featuring Bomba Estéreo
• "Amor Completo" by Mon Laferte
• "Hora Loca" by Rawayana and Monsieur Periné
• "Bailando" by Enrique Iglesias featuring Sean Paul, Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona
• "Let's Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez
• "Oye" by Gloria Estefan
• "The Best Thing About Me Is You" by Ricky Martin

Bonus: Listen to our picks with The Knot's Best Latin Wedding Songs playlist on Spotify.

How to Find Latin Music Pros for Your Wedding

Ensure you and your guests hear all the Spanish love songs you desire by hiring professional musicians who know the genre. Whether you're hosting a Latino or Hispanic wedding, find live bands or DJs on The Knot Vendor Marketplace that fit your vibe by using the filter to pick your preferred music genres, instruments, price point and more. Simply put in your wedding location and start scrolling through all the award-winning options.