Liscio music is a distinctly Italian style of dance music, with an important place in the social and cultural life of many regions of the country, particularly in the north; born in Emilia-Romagna in the 19th century, liscio is a tradition, a form of popular entertainment, and a reflection of how the rhythms of rural and urban Italian society changed after the Unification and the industrialization process, especially in the Pianura Padana area.

Its name, which means “smooth” in Italian, refers to the fluidity and grace of the dance steps it has always traditionally accompanied. The roots of liscio lie in the fusion of local folk traditions with imported European ballroom dances.