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The “national folk music” is known as the genre embracing more sub-genres, nuances, styles and expressions. Each region of the country  stands out as it imprints a distinctive touch to its own music, thus resulting in an even greater variety of styles.

Since colonial times, folk music has been regarded as the music genre having achieved the combination of rhythms regarded as closest to its native populations, and colonizing influences.  Zamba,  chacarera, chamamé, baguala, carnavalito or copla represent sub-genres that have gained greater popularity in many of the Argentine provinces, which have in turn found revitalized as a result of the exchanges with bordering countries. The musical instruments that clearly excell are bombo legüero, caja, sicu, charango and the guitar.

Its most oustanding exponent is Atahualpa Yupanqui who was an author, composer, guitar player and singer who knew how to portray the identity and reality of each region by becoming familiar with native indians´ ancient cultures. He managed to accurately and poetically describe the political situation of rural inhabitants by referring to the exploitation and poverty historic conditions. “El Arriero” and “Luna tucumana” are, perhaps, considered as his most famous songs.

There is a countless number of folk musicians made up of internationally renowned artists. Some of them are Horacio Guarany, Jorge Cafrune, Mercedes Sosa, Eduardo and Juan Falú, Alfredo Ábalos, Sixto Palavecino, Liliana Herrero, Los Fronterizos, the Dúo Salteño, Peteco Carabajal, Los Chalchaleros, Chango Spasiuk, Teresa Parodi, Raúl Carnota and Soledad Pastorutti, to mention just a few.

The major Latinamerican folk festival has been celebrated in the city of Cosquín in the province of Córdoba, in summer time for over 50 years.

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