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teen and tween-focused pop music; Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears may not be from Flor-
ida, but they perfected the art of mass marketability via trained Disney handlers and taste
makers. While the aim of pop is to create a universal sound that cuts across borders, Flor-
ida's native beat works its way into the most globally marketed Orlando albums, from Hol-
lywood native Victoria Justice's mallrat anthems to Boca Raton-born Ariana Grande's
Latin-spiced dance numbers.
Rap and hip-hop have flourished in Tampa and Miami, from old-school 2 Live Crew to
Trick Daddy, Rick Ross, DJ Khaled and Pitbull, the most visible link between North
American hip-hop and Latin American reggaeton. The latter has its roots in Panama and
Puerto Rico, and blends rap with Jamaican dancehall, Trinidadian soca, salsa and electron-
ica.
Miami, of course is a tasty mélange of Cuban salsa, Jamaican reggae, Dominican mer-
engue and Spanish flamenco, plus mambo, rumba, cha-cha, calypso and more. Gloria
Estefan & the Miami Sound Machine launched a revival of Cuban music in the 1970s,
when they mixed Latin beats with disco with 'Conga.' While disco has thankfully waned,
Latin music has not; for a taste of hip-hop Miami-style, check out Los Primeros. The best
times to see ensemble Cuban bands - often with up to 20 musicians and singers - is during
celebrations like Carnaval Miami.
Electric music is ubiquitous across South Florida, especially in Miami, which celebrates
the genre with two of its biggest festivals: the Ultra Music Festival and the Winter Music
Conference, both of which kick off in March (the two festivals essentially piggyback off of
one another).
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