Mixture Models

"...the father has the form of a lion, the mother of an ant; the father eats flesh, and the mother herbs. And these breed the ant-lion..."

-From The Book of Imaginary Beings

The River Plate (also known as La Plata River or Río de la Plata) is the widest river on Earth and a natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. During the late 19^th century, the port area along this river was a place where natives mixed with Africans (most of them slaves) and European immigrants. One consequence of this encounter was the mix of European music, such as the Waltz and Mazurka, with the African Candombe and Argentinian Milonga (which, in turn, is a mix of Afro-American rhythms), giving origin to a dance and music we now call the Tango.

Mixing previous existing elements is a great way to create new stuff, not only music. In statistics, mixture models are one common...