Tribal house is a subgenre of House music that emerged in the 1990s in the United States. Developing from the scene dominated by Garage House and Deep House, it would become a largely distinct subgenre by taking influences from Latin House, and regional, percussive styles of Hispanic American music and African music, commonly referred to as "world music". Tribal house is characterized by its signature, more complex and intense syncopated rhythms, incorporating drums such as congas, toms, and bongos on top of a four-on-the-floor house beat. Chanting and ululation are also common features of the genre. This usually results in an energetic, drum-centric sound, focusing on the polyrhythmic percussion while having little to no melodies, however ranging in mood from uplifting and cheerful to dark and aggressive.
With the sound being already hinted on some releases from the turn of the decade, tribal house was established and popularized around the mid-1990s in New York City scene at clubs like Sound Factory and Roxy NYC. Junior Vasquez was the leading pioneer with important releases "X" and "If Madonna Calls". Danny Tenaglia, Reel 2 Real, Armand Van Helden and River Ocean also contributed to the genre's spread, with successful tracks like "I Like to Move It", "Witch Doktor" and "Elements". Many early works were released on Tribal America Records or Strictly Rhythm Records. The genre was highly popular among LGBT communities and associated with the ball culture, paving the way for the Ballroom subgenre.
In the following decades, tribal house would spread globally to various local scenes, still typically being centred around LGBT communities, and especially circuit parties. Various international DJs like Mark Stereo, DJ Ghosty, Tommy Love, Yinon Yahel, Mauro Mozart and Rafael Starcevic & Liu Rosa represent the modern sound, exemplified by hits like "My Body". Guareber Recordings became a notable label, but Latin American countries were the most important for the genre's further growth, developing of their own local-flavoured variants such as Guaracha (EDM) which rose to great prominence in the late 2010s. Nonetheless, certain popular western EDM artists also lean towards the genre, most notably Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano and Gregor Salto.
The sound would also cross over and influence various other styles, such as the Techno subgenre Hardgroove Techno. Tech House, Progressive House and even Psytrance also developed their "tribal" strains influenced by the genre. Although emerging from different roots in the 2000s, Afro House and especially Bubbling House sometimes share similarities, with Jungle Terror later mixing tribal house drum patterns into a more bombastic, mainstage EDM context. The genre was also influential on UK Funky and especially its later offshoot Hard Drum, which mixes elements of tribal house with UK Garage.
Some artists and disc jockeys that support this type of music include: Danny Tenaglia, Oscar G, Junior Vasquez, Peter Rauhofer, Steve Lawler, Superchumbo, DJ Vibe, Tamer Fouda, Berhed and Nad Passion aka. Underground Sounds, D-Formation, Ralphi Rosario, Saeed & Palash, Victor Calderone, Deka, DJ Paulo, Antoine Clamaran, Scott Hall, DJ Fist, Rob Warner, Frank Bailey, Kostas Maskalides, DJ Adrock, FC Nond, Robbie Rivera, Simon & Shaker, Peace Division, John Creamer , Chus & Ceballos, Alejandro Rado, Snooze, Carlos Manaça, Kult of Krameria, DJ Cytric, Tainostar, DJ Petzi, Hugo Rizzo, Joe Shiba, DJ Delrubbio, DJ Dextro, Karim Mika, DJ Echo, DJ Hauz Rokr, DJ Paul, Joy Marquez, Benny Blazin, Patrick Kroft and many more.
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