cumbia

American  

[koom-bee-uh, koom-byah] / ˈkʊm bi ə, ˈkum byɑ /

noun

1. a type of Latin American dance music of Colombian origin, similar to salsa and using guitars, accordions, bass guitar, and percussion.

2. a dance performed to this music.

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Etymology

Origin of cumbia

First recorded in 1860–65; from Latin American Spanish; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Now the Texas-based artist is taking her musical stylings in a new direction, drawing from her Monterrey roots with the release of her latest “Cuando Una Mujer,” a cumbia norteña about fierce female empowerment.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

The follow-up, 2022's Motomami, was a wildly innovative pop smash, twisting Latin American genres like cumbia and reggaeton around glitchy hip-hop beats and her playful, sinuous melodies.

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025

Later, as the kids slept, Cruz and Ciau stayed up, dancing cumbia deep into the night.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025

This year’s all-ages festival will be headlined by two bands that blend cumbia rhythms with psychedelic melodies, Tropa Magica and Combo Chimbita, as well as jazz band Brainstory.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2025

It takes me a few minutes to figure out how to turn it on, but soon lively cumbia music fills the room, music that makes you want to dance around.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau