Music, Words & Culture - Quiz
From slang to song to celebration, discover how much culture we already share across the hemisphere.
Take the quiz - Music, Words & Culture
One Hemisphere · One Future
How well do you know the music and words we share?
Fifteen questions about the songs, words, and traditions that travel across this hemisphere. No politics, no trick questions. Just the Americas, in rhythm and language.
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The word 'chocolate' came into English and Spanish from which Indigenous language of Mexico?
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Nahuatl. English and Spanish both took 'chocolate' from the language of the Aztec world in Mexico.
Tango, the dance born in the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, is rooted in which region?
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The Río de la Plata. Tango grew up among working-class communities in Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
The everyday word 'hurricane' traces back to the Taino people of which region?
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The Caribbean. 'Hurricane' came into English through Spanish from a Taino word.
Samba, with its drums and Carnival energy, is most associated with which country?
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Brazil. Samba has roots in Afro-Brazilian communities in Bahia and grew into the sound of Rio's Carnival.
The word 'tomato' comes from 'tomatl' in which Indigenous language?
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Nahuatl. 'Tomato' comes from the Nahuatl word 'tomatl,' by way of Spanish.
Reggae, with its offbeat rhythm and message of unity, grew up on which island?
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Jamaica. Reggae grew out of Jamaican ska and rocksteady in the late 1960s.
The word 'canoe' entered European languages from the Taino people. What is a canoe?
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A small boat. 'Canoe' comes from a Taino word that Columbus wrote down.
Mariachi music, with its trumpets, violins, and guitars, comes from which country?
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Mexico. Mariachi comes from western Mexico, most often traced to Jalisco.
The pan flute and charango are traditional instruments of which mountainous region?
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The Andes. Panpipes and the charango are traditional Andean instruments.
The word 'avocado' traces back to 'ahuacatl' in which Indigenous language?
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Nahuatl. 'Avocado' comes from the Nahuatl word 'ahuacatl.'
Salsa, the dance music that swept the hemisphere, took shape largely among Latino communities in which city?
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New York. Salsa took shape in the 1960s and 70s among Cuban, Puerto Rican and other Latino musicians there, building on Cuban son and mambo.
The word 'jaguar' comes into many languages from which South American language family?
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Tupi. 'Jaguar' reached English through Portuguese from a Tupi word.
Bachata and merengue, two beloved dance styles, both come from which Caribbean country?
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The Dominican Republic. UNESCO lists both merengue and bachata as living heritage.
Potatoes were first grown in which region?
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The Andes. Potatoes were first grown by Andean farmers in what is now Peru and Bolivia, where the Quechua word for them is 'papa.'
Country, blues, and jazz, three styles that shaped popular music worldwide, were all born in which country?
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The United States. Blues and jazz grew from African American communities, and country from rural Southern traditions.
One Hemisphere · One Future
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Curious Neighbor
You're just tuning in to the shared songs and words of the Americas, and there's so much to hear. Every rhythm and every borrowed word is a thread connecting us. Take another listen and come back. Your next score will rise.
Good Neighbor
You've got an ear for the big rhythms and a feel for the words we pass back and forth. You can hear how the hemisphere harmonizes. A little more listening and you'll know these shared sounds inside and out.
Hemisphere Insider
Impressive. You hear the Americas the way a music lover does: the roots, the borrowings, the styles that crossed every border to become ours together. Just a few more and you've got the whole songbook.
Hemisphere Local
You know these songs and words like they're your own, because they are. From Nahuatl to Taino, from tango to jazz, the shared culture of the Americas runs through you. Now pass it on: tell a neighbor.
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