Contemporary Uruguayan culture is diverse in its nature since the nation’s population is one of multicultural origins.
The country has an impressive legacy of artistic and literary traditions, especially for its small size. The contribution of its alternating conquerors, Spain and Portugal, and diverse immigrants — Italians, Germans, Swiss, Russians, Jews and Armenians, among others — has resulted in traditions that integrate this diversity with Native American elements.
Uruguay has centuries-old remains and fortresses of the colonial era. Its cities have a rich architectural heritage and an impressive number of writers, artists, and musicians.
Carnival and candombe are the most important examples of African influence by slaves, as well as Umbanda religious beliefs and practices. Guarani traditions can be seen in mate, the national drink.
The folk and popular music of Uruguay shares with Argentina not only its gaucho roots but also the tango.
Music and Dance
Music of Uruguay includes a number of local musical forms. The most distinctive ones are tango, murga (a form of musical theatre) and candombe — an afro-Uruguayan type of music which is played yearly during the Carnival period. There is also milonga, a folk guitar and song form deriving from Spanish traditions and related to similar forms found in many Hispanic-American countries.
The popular music of Uruguay — which focuses on rock, jazz and many other forms — frequently makes reference to the distinctly Uruguayan sounds mentioned above. The group 1960s, imitators of The Beatles, deserve special mention as the band that kickstarted the Argentine rock scene. Also, cumbia, a music style popular throughout most of Central and South America is widely enjoyed by the Uruguayan people, around the whole country.
Literature
One of Uruguay’s most famous works of literature is Ariel by José Enrique Rodó (1871–1917). Written in 1900, the book deals with the need to maintain spiritual values while pursuing material and technical progress.
Florencio Sánchez (1875–1910) wrote plays about social problems that are still performed today. Juan Zorrilla de San Martín (1855–1931) wrote epic poems about Uruguayan history. Juana de Ibarbourou (1895–1979) and Delmira Agustini (1866–1914) were also notable poets.
Modern Uruguayan writers include Juan Carlos Onetti (author of No Man’s Land and The Shipyard), novelist Mario Benedetti, social critic Eduardo Galeano, Mario Jesús Moraes.
Art
Influential since the 19th century, well-known Uruguayan painters include realists such as Juan Manuel Blanes, constructivists such as Joaquín Torres García, nativists like Carlos María Herrera, post-impressionists such as Pedro Figari and Felipe Seade, abstract artists such as Carlos Páez Vilaró and numerous others.
Well-known sculptors include realists Pablo Atchugarry, José Belloni and José Luis Zorrilla de San Martín, as well as contemporary sculptors such as Juan José Calandria, Águeda Dicancro, Hugo Nantes, Claudio Silveira Silva, Mariví Ugolino and Carlos Páez Vilaró, who created an internationally renowned “livable sculpture,” Casapueblo.
Religion
Uruguay is South America’s most secular country. It has no official religion and church and state are separate. Religious freedom is guaranteed.
Sixty-six percent of Uruguayans are Roman Catholics. Most Uruguayans baptise their children and marry in churches but less than half attend church on a regular basis.
There is a small Jewish community in Montevideo (about 1% of the population) as well as several evangelical Protestant groups (about 2%). Macumba and Umbanda, religions of Afro-Brazilian origin, are the currently fastest-growing religions in Uruguay.
Language
Spanish is the official language of Uruguay and is spoken by almost all of the population. English is common in the business world and its study has risen significantly in recent years, especially among the young. English is still a minority language, though, as are French and Italian.
Other languages include Portuguese and Portuñol, a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese. Both are present in northern regions near the Brazilian border. As few native peoples exist in the population no indigenous languages are thought to remain in Uruguay.