cumbia

American  

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

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

See Examples For:

cumbia

Last Friday at Espacio 1839 in Boyle Heights, visitors were greeted by the thumping bass of cumbia sonideras, earthy scent of leather trinkets and clothing racks featuring silky screen-printed soccer jerseys.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

But back at the camp in Los Azules, where cumbia music carries on the wind, Andres Carrizo is looking forward to a boom time.

From Barron's ● May 23, 2026

The band recorded the song alongside Grupo Frontera, who earlier that year had reached TikTok popularity for the cumbia nortena spin on “No Se Va,” a 2018 pop song by the Colombian band Morat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 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

Now that he can walk, we dance together to cumbia tunes on the stereo—which, like the television, I’m not supposed to touch, but could operate blindfolded.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau