ARGENTINA & URUGUAY MUSICAL HERITAGE MUSICA FOLKLORE Several other musical genres have made their presence felt on the Argentine and Uruguayan cultural scene, with the most significant being "musica folklore" consisting of a heart-felt, ballad type of music, often lamenting romance gone bad, similar to American country music. Musica Folklore also found a voice in the Argentine social justice movements of the 1960s and 70s, with Mercedes Sosa and Atahualpa Yupanqui making significant contributions, both musically and socially during their time. POPULAR MUSIC Argentines and Uruguayans, especially the young, are connected through radio, television, and the Internet to the rest of the world and consequently are part of the increasingly homogeneous western popular culture as defined primarily by the United States and Western Europe. The latest "Top 40" music heard in other western countries is also heard on radio in these two nations, seen on TV, and available in CD stores for purchase. While Argentina and Uruguay have their own homegrown rock bands and similar types of performing groups, often playing their own compositions, most of their music gets its inspiration from the more-developed countries and lacks a native flavor of its own. CLASSICAL MUSIC Classical music is also widely available for purchase in stores and performed by choirs and orchestras, just as it is in the United States and Europe. In a given week, dozens of concerts open to the general public are held in Buenos Aires, often in very attractive venues. Ensembles are affiliated with schools, colleges, churches, and communities, just as they are in the United States and Europe.