Granting the existence of numerous minor differences in Latin America (LA), there are fundamental ties which bind the countries of Spanish America together and give character and unity to their artistic output. No cultural unity existed before 1492 but after the Conquest there emerged a new united America, with a new political organization, universal speech and concept of life. A new way of life emerged which was not totally Indian nor Spanish but adapted to the environment and influenced by both Indian and Negro elements. This way of life was termed criollo. Its influence is recognizable in all the arts: in architecture, in the adapted Spanish styles and the utilization of native ideas and materials; in music, in the modified rhythms of LA; & in literature, in the typically Spanish-American styles and especially in the works of Rondo and Mistral. J. E. Hughes.