Hot Miami Sound

Because Miami is such a virtual melting pot of ethnicities and various cultures, it's no wonder that it’s all manifested in the music. There are few other places in the country, or the world, that can boast the number of different musical sounds that Miami contains in one city.

Cuban conga and rumba are among the more prevalent styles of music in Miami, as native Cubans brought their music from their island homeland, making both conga and rumba instant favorites in the U.S. The Dominican immigrants living in Miami brought with them bachata and meringue and the Colombians brought vallenato.

In addition, Caribbean transplants introduced reggae, soca, kompa, zouk, calypso and steel pan music to the South Florida region. Because of these various Latin American influences, visitors to Miami can gain new knowledge and appreciation for many different types of music, including styles of music they may not have even known existed before their visit to Miami.

In addition to the different cultural forms of music, there are some American sounds that originated in Miami, as well. The Miami disco scene was teeming with new artists in the early 70s, when KC and the Sunshine Band exploded onto the national scene, fresh from the beaches of Miami. You can still hear many of the group’s top hits on the radio today, including “Get Down Tonight” and “That the Way (I Like It).” In fact, these songs are party favorites, no matter where you are. In the 1980s, Cuban songstress Gloria Estefan turned Miami upside down with her huge Billboard Top 40 hits that were intertwined with innovative Cuban sounds, spinning out classics like “Bad Boys” and “Conga.”

On the urban scene, there were few other styles of music that had as much influence on Southern hip-hop as Miami bass. Artists like 2 Live Crew, 95 South, Tag Team, Quad City DJs and 69 Boyz all came from Miami and had huge Top 40 hits as a result of the high-energy, booty-pumping Miami bass sound. In fact, hit records like “Tootsee Roll” and “C’mon N’ Ride It (The Train)” gave the Miami bass sound its first taste of true commercial success. Luther “Luke Skywalker” Campbell and David “Treach DJ Mr. Mixx” Hobbs of 2 Live Crew were the pioneers of Miami bass. The duo helped to popularize this form of music, even as they faced harsh criticism for the sexually-charged lyrics that often showed up in many of the songs.

A spin-off of Miami bass is car audio bass, which features more stripped down beats and heavy bass that focuses on sine waves and 808 audio kicks. Car audio bass spread quickly from the streets of Miami around the nation, spurring hip-hop aficionados to adopt this sound in their cars, accounting for the deep boom you hear from tricked out cars driving down the street blasting the latest hip-hop music. 

Hip-hop also has Miami to thank for some of its most popular artists, including DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, Trick Daddy, Trina and Pitbull. Many other hip-hop artists come to Miami often to record new albums and soak up the eclectic music vibe that encircles this lively city.

Miami is also a popular place to hear electro-pop, club music. Freestyle, which is a derivative of electro-pop, was huge in the 80s and 90s, with popular acts like Pretty Tony, Stevie B, Expose and Debbie Deb cultivating their sound in the Miami area.  Rock also has a presence in the South Florida region, with rock god Marilyn Manson calling Fort Lauderdale home and Against All Authority hailing from Miami.

Miami hosts the Winter Music Conference annually, which is the largest dance festival in the world. It is also home to a number of electronica music gatherings as well as some of the best nightclubs in the nation. After all, the nightlife is Miami’s heartbeat and where the various forms of music can be heard nightly. Clubs like Parkwest, Ink, Cameo, Space and Mansion have all hosted some of the top acts in music at one time.

The Miami music scene is a huge part of the city’s core identity. Artists flock to Miami in droves just to be inspired and influenced by the many different sounds found here. From Miami bass rap to slow and lazy blues to the heat of Latin salsa, the sound of Miami is sizzling, making the city come alive every day of the week.

Copyright 2010 MiamiSmarts

1. An Introduction to Miami
2. Getting Around Miami
3. Secrets of South Beach
4. Dolphins in Heat in Miami
5. The Miami Music Scene
6. Things to See in Miami
7. The Miami Cultural Scene
8. Shopping in Miami