Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Since I´ve been to: CR, DR, PR, Ecuador, Colombia, Panamá and Mexico
What I´d still like to do would be Chile, Argentina, Uruguay in one trip; and Guatemala (Antigua, Lago Atitlan, Tikal) alongside Honduras (Copán, Bay Islands, Garifuna towns on the coast) in another.
Other places interest me and all, but that´s top 5 for now.
Although I've been to some of the following countries I haven't been to these places yet.
Brazil (the colonial gold towns--Ouro Preto, etc.) and also Sao Paulo
Chile (the southern lake district and Torres del Paine)
Peru (Machu Picho)
Colombia (Cartagena)
Mexico (Baja California)
Ive been to more islands than I ever wanted to on Caribbean cruises and visited Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico gulf resorts multiple times. Been to Cartagena, Honduras one time each. The top 5 I have not visited yet are Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, and mountain parts of Colombia and inner cites of Mexico.
I'm more than fully aware of Miskito. The Garifuna. & Livingston Guatemala is one of the most culturally unique places in the world. But still, Panama is unique in it's own way as a whole. It's not limited by pockets .
& other than Panama, the rest of Central America doesnt have much in the way of cultural distinctions (music, art, film). I'll say Guatemala is second, but the other countries are kind of bland & boring. They listen to salsa, cumbia, bachata, merengue, & reggaeton. But they dont produce any popular music of their own. & I grew up listening to Punta, but it's not nearly as wide spread.
LOL Most Central Americans probably don't listen to those music styles as much as you think. They do produce music of their own. Punta is only popular in certain areas and is past its hey day. What makes Guatemala unique among Central American countries is the large Native culture. Guatemala is really two countries, Natve/Mayan and Mestizo.
As for my five...
Mexico
Colombia
Ecuador
Peru
Brazil
Last edited by UrbanLuis; 10-09-2020 at 11:41 AM..
Since I´ve been to: CR, DR, PR, Ecuador, Colombia, Panamá and Mexico
What I´d still like to do would be Chile, Argentina, Uruguay in one trip; and Guatemala (Antigua, Lago Atitlan, Tikal) alongside Honduras (Copán, Bay Islands, Garifuna towns on the coast) in another.
Other places interest me and all, but that´s top 5 for now.
The Bay Islands are Garifuna territory, fyi. Check out the opposite side of Roatan from the resorts. There are little Garifuna fishing villages. You can rent a shack from them for virtually nothing, if you don't require fancy comforts, and bring a light sleeping bag. Friendly people.
While in Tikal, take a day trip to nearby Uaxactun, if weather and road condition permits. Uaxactun is a rare Mayan pre-Classic center. You'll have to hire a jeep and driver to do that, but it's worth it.
I haven't seen Costa Rica, so that would be top on my list. I assume you mean--places we're interested in, that we haven't seen already. Maybe southern Chile, for the dramatic landscapes: fjords and snow-capped mountains. Can't say as I have much curiosity outside of those two, and places I've already been. I've spent a fair amount of time in Ecuador, but haven't seen the advertised cloud-forest parks/preserves. That would be nice to see.
LOL Most Central Americans probably don't listen to those music styles as much as you think. They do produce music of their own. Punta is only popular in certain areas and is past its hey day.
I've been down there enough to hear it. Most young people listen to popular music which isnt produced from their countries.
And you're making my point. Give me an example of a wide spread regional sound that's popular from Guatemala down to Costa Rica? Punta is the most widely known, and as you've said, its novelty isnt what it was. Cumbia is super popular, especially in El Salvador, but it isnt anywhere near the same kind of tier as its cousins. Artistically, these places lack what Mexico, Colombia, and the Caribbean produce. I like Central America for what it is, but music? Go down the list of all the things they listen to today- a lot of it is from Mexico and the Caribbean.
I think the reason I view these places different with their music, than say Bolivia or Ecuador, is because that cluster of countries collectively have a huge presence in the US.
A few decades ago I was surprised when a Honduran woman that was a family friend said that in her native country people listen to bachata and more bachata. Her adult son corroborated what she said. It's a genre native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and most artists are either Dominicans or Dominican-Americans. I did further research on the subject and true enough, Dominican bachata artists are so popular in Honduras that they make concerts in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula that are sold out every time. I was astounded by this. These are not Latin famous types such as Romeo or Prince Royce who fill stadiums everywhere they go whether its Buenos Aires, Argentina; San Juan, Puerto Rico or Mexico City; but strictly Antony Santos or RaulÃn RodrÃguez types.
I don't know of a single Honduran music artist that is popular among Dominicans though. Now that I think of it, only Panamá produced some singers that have been popular among Dominicans, the rest of Central America doesn't exist regarding this topic.
From the rest of the world they are mostly from Spain, USA (including non-Spanish artists such as Akon) and Italy (Laura Pausini is probably the most famous Italian singer, especially once she decided to sing in Spanish).
Last edited by AntonioR; 10-12-2020 at 03:39 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
