Since the days of the Incas and Aztecs, Latin Americans have made musical instruments and used music in their celebrations and rituals. Pre-Columbian instruments were percussion (like drums and guiros) and woodwind (like pan pipes). When the Spanish arrived, they brought string instruments like guitars.

Almost every village in Latin America has a band of Mariachis, or strolling musicians, who play at festivals, celebrations, and in the marketplace. They sing ballads, or 'corridos,' of love affairs and great disasters, and tell of heroes and bandits from history.

Latin American music is becoming very popular in the United States. As a result, many Latin instruments are becoming more common in North America.