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Which Latin American Christmas song genres developed from Spanish villancicos?
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Latin American music
Flute, slip-painted ceramic, Nopiloa, southern Veracruz, Mexico, 300–500 ce; in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 35.56 × 17.15 × 10.80 cm.
In the context of Latin American music, the traditional Spanish villancico has evolved into several distinct Christmas song genres. These include:
- Aguinaldo: A type of carol prevalent in various Hispanic American regions.1
- Adoración: A genre focused on the theme of adoration.1
- Coplas de Navidad: Literally meaning "Christmas couplets," these are songs structured around traditional Christmas-themed verses.1
These genres emerged as the villancico—originally a secular folk song that developed into a sacred art music form during the colonial period—adapted to the local cultural landscapes of Latin America. While the villancico was once a significant part of the output for cathedral chapelmasters in cities like Mexico City and Puebla, the term in the 20th century became restricted primarily to the Spanish Christmas carol.213