By now you know that stylistic labels like “jazz” and “rock” are general terms used to describe a wide variety of genres. “Latin” music is no exception. Like the blues, Latin American styles are best understood through regionalism. Latin music comes from the inhabitants of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands. The islands of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago are particularly important to Latin's development. Latin also has a large following in the United States. Cities such as Miami, New York, and Los Angeles teem with Latin American culture and music.

The electric bass is commonly used in Latin hybrids. One of these hybrids is Latin jazz. Latin jazz dates back to the early 1900s. For example, the Argentinean tango was used in a section of W. C. Handy's classic tune “St. Louis Blues.” During the 1930s, Duke Ellington, influenced by valve trombonist Juan Tizol, wrote the now famous “Caravan.” After World War II, the Latin jazz explosion occurred due in part to Dizzy Gillespie, a bebop trumpeter, who was enchanted by Afro-Cuban music. By the 1950s, Latin big bands led by Tito Puente, Perez Prado, Chico O'Farrill, and Machito sparked many of the trends in dance such as the cha-cha-cha and the mambo that we now consider commonplace. The enchanting Desi Arnaz also helped to expand Latin's appeal through performances by his orchestra on the hit TV show I Love Lucy.