Music In Evangelical And Pentecostal Hispanic Churches

As in every worshiping tradition, music in Hispanic churches today represents a blend of the old and the new and of indigenous and imported musical styles. This article describes this interplay in Hispanic churches, observing the main genres and accompaniment styles involved. In the past, music in the traditional Hispanic evangelical church was of two types. Part of its hymnody consisted of Spanish translations of traditional songs imported from the United States and England. Since the worship service of the past was patterned after the North American model, the use of these hymns was a logical and natural outcome. Such hymnody, though not indigenous to the culture, served a major purpose of communicating doctrine and meaning to the church. European hymns are steeped in doctrine that helps to establish the believers in the faith. Popular hymns, like "At the Cross," "The Old Rugged Cross," "How Great Thou Art," "Holy, Holy, Holy," and many others comprise a large portion of Hispanic e…