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A taxi driver in Medellín turns up the radio and a trumpet-heavy salsa track fills the car. In a park in Valledupar, an old man squeezes an accordion while children chase each other around a concrete bench. On a beach in Cartagena, a group of teenagers blasts reggaetón from a phone balanced on a cooler, the bass competing with the waves. In a smoky bar in Bogotá, a woman closes her eyes and hums along to a cumbia that her grandmother used to dance to. La música en Colombia no es un pasatiempo — es una identidad. (Music in Colombia is not a pastime — it is an identity.)
In this lesson, you will learn to talk about Colombian music genres using present tense verbs in complete sentences. You will not just memorize genre names — you will build sentences that describe, compare, and express what people do with music, using structures you can apply to any topic.
A2-B1 Language Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
To talk about music in Spanish, you need to describe actions. Here are the key verbs you will use throughout this course, organized by their conjugation patterns:
Regular -ar verbs (most music action verbs follow this pattern):
| Infinitive | Meaning | Yo | Usted / Él / Ella | Nosotros | Ustedes / Ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bailar | to dance | bailo | baila | bailamos | bailan |
| tocar | to play (instrument) | toco | toca | tocamos | tocan |
| cantar | to sing | canto | canta | cantamos | cantan |
| escuchar | to listen | escucho | escucha | escuchamos | escuchan |
Irregular verbs you will need:
| Infinitive | Meaning | Yo | Usted / Él / Ella |
|---|---|---|---|
| preferir | to prefer | prefiero | prefiere |
| oír | to hear | oigo | oye |
| conocer | to know / be familiar with | conozco | conoce |
The pattern: Subject + conjugated verb + complement.
When talking about genres, you need two different verbs for "to be." This distinction is critical and you will use it in every lesson of this course.
Use ser for permanent characteristics and classifications:
Use estar for current states and trends:
| Use ser when... | Use estar when... |
|---|---|
| Defining what something IS | Describing a current state |
| Origin: es de... | Location: está en... |
| Permanent quality: es tradicional | Temporary trend: está de moda |
| Classification: es un género | Current activity: está sonando |
Select the correct sentence: 'Vallenato ___ a traditional genre from Valledupar.'
Now let's learn the genres — but every term comes inside a sentence you can actually use.
Pattern: [Genre] + es + description. + Se + verbo + en + lugar.
| Genre | Sentence You Can Use | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| el vallenato | El vallenato es música de acordeón. Se escucha mucho en la costa. | Vallenato is accordion music. It is listened to a lot on the coast. |
| la cumbia | La cumbia es un ritmo afroindígena. Se baila en todo el país. | Cumbia is an Afro-indigenous rhythm. It is danced throughout the country. |
| la salsa | La salsa es el ritmo de Cali. Se baila con pasos rápidos. | Salsa is the rhythm of Cali. It is danced with fast steps. |
| el reggaetón | El reggaetón es música urbana. Se escucha en las discotecas. | Reggaetón is urban music. It is listened to in clubs. |
| la champeta | La champeta es un género afrocaribeño. Se baila en Cartagena. | Champeta is an Afro-Caribbean genre. It is danced in Cartagena. |
| el bambuco | El bambuco es música andina. Se toca con guitarra y bandola. | Bambuco is Andean music. It is played with guitar and bandola. |
Notice the se + verb construction: se baila, se escucha, se toca. This is the impersonal "se" — it means "it is danced / listened to / played" without specifying who. It is one of the most useful A2 structures for talking about customs and culture.
El vallenato... / La cumbia... / La salsa...
...es un género tradicional. / ...es música rápida. / ...es un ritmo afroindígena.
Se baila en Cali. / Se escucha en la costa. / Se toca con acordeón.
Colombia's music is inseparable from its geography. Learning where genres come from teaches you both vocabulary and the structure ser + de (to be from).
A Colombian Explains Regional Music
You are at a café in Bogotá. Your Colombian friend Andrés explains: "Mire, en Colombia cada región tiene su música. El vallenato es de la costa caribe, especialmente de Valledupar. La salsa es de Cali — bueno, originalmente es cubana, pero los caleños la hicieron suya. La cumbia también es de la costa, pero se baila en todo el país. Y el bambuco es de la zona andina, de Boyacá y Santander." Let's break this down: Mire (Look — usted command, very common in Colombian speech), cada región tiene (each region has), es de (is from), la hicieron suya (they made it their own — a B1 structure you will learn later).
| Region | In Spanish | Genres | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caribbean coast | la costa caribe | vallenato, cumbia, champeta | El vallenato es de la costa caribe. |
| Pacific coast | la costa pacífica | currulao, chirimía | El currulao es de la costa pacífica. |
| Andes | la zona andina | bambuco, carranga | El bambuco es de la zona andina. |
| Cali / Valle del Cauca | el Valle del Cauca | salsa caleña | La salsa es el ritmo del Valle del Cauca. |
| Urban centers | las ciudades | reggaetón, hip-hop, electrónica | El reggaetón se escucha en las ciudades. |
Here are 10 essential words for talking about music — each one inside a pattern you will reuse.
| Vocabulary | Pattern Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| el ritmo (rhythm) | La cumbia tiene un ritmo lento y constante. | Cumbia has a slow, steady rhythm. |
| la letra (lyrics) | Las letras del vallenato cuentan historias de amor. | Vallenato lyrics tell love stories. |
| el instrumento (instrument) | El acordeón es el instrumento principal del vallenato. | The accordion is the main instrument of vallenato. |
| el cantante (singer, m.) | Shakira es la cantante colombiana más famosa. | Shakira is the most famous Colombian singer. |
| la canción (song) | Esa canción está muy buena. | That song is really good. |
| el concierto (concert) | Hay un concierto de salsa esta noche. | There is a salsa concert tonight. |
| la fiesta (party) | En las fiestas colombianas siempre hay música. | At Colombian parties there is always music. |
| el baile (dance, n.) | El baile es una parte importante de la cultura. | Dance is an important part of the culture. |
| el género (genre) | Colombia tiene muchos géneros musicales. | Colombia has many musical genres. |
| la radio (radio) | Se escucha mucho vallenato en la radio. | A lot of vallenato is heard on the radio. |
At a Party in Bogotá — Talking About Music
You are at a friend's birthday party. The music changes and someone puts on cumbia. Another guest, Carolina, turns to you: "¿Usted conoce la cumbia?" (Do you know cumbia?) You respond: "Sí, un poco. Es un género tradicional, ¿cierto?" She smiles: "Sí, señor. La cumbia es de la costa caribe, pero se baila en todo el país. A mí me encanta el ritmo — es muy alegre." You notice she used es (permanent identity) for the genre and me encanta (I love — same pattern as gustar) for her personal reaction.
Which sentence correctly describes cumbia using 'ser' and the impersonal 'se'?
Describe Your Favorite Genre
Imagine a Colombian asks you: "¿Qué música escucha usted?" Using today's patterns, you might answer: "Yo escucho ___. Es un género ___. Se escucha mucho en ___." Try filling this in with a genre you actually listen to. Notice you need: (1) a conjugated verb (escucho), (2) ser for classification (es), and (3) the impersonal se for general customs (se escucha).
Daily Actions for This Week
Monday-Tuesday: Write a 2-sentence description for each of the 6 genres using the pattern: [Genre] es [classification]. Se [verbo] en [lugar]. Say each one aloud.
Wednesday-Thursday: Practice the present tense verbs. Write 5 sentences about people and music: Mi amigo toca guitarra. / Yo escucho cumbia. / Los colombianos bailan salsa. Use a different subject for each.
Friday: Write 3 sentences using ser and 3 using estar about music. Check: did you use ser for permanent traits and estar for current states?
Weekend: Listen to one song from each genre on YouTube or Spotify. For each, write: "Es [género]. El ritmo es [adjective]. Se escucha en [place]." This combines all structures from the lesson.
Se baila mucho en fiestas. / Se escucha todos los días en la radio.