Versión en Español

The Bolero: King of Hearts

by:
Translation by: Jacira Castro

“I always knew that the bolero is not a part of the past nor a part of memory, but rather the language of love and indifference, of pain, passion and the profound secrets that finally carry us into the world ...of love." --Luis Miguel.

Without a doubt, the bolero is the best romantic music in Latin America and the Caribbean, and we Cubans can legitimately claim its paternity since it was the great Don Pepe Sánchez, who, in 1883, wrote the first song recognized to be a part of this musical genre: Tristeza.

Don Pepe Sánchez was born in Santiago, Cuba and it was he who defined the formal, harmonic and stylistic character of the Troubadour songs, and with that, the Bolero. Don Pepe was an emblematic tailor by profession, with a master's musical talent and vocation.

The Bolero has been crowned King of Hearts and even the younger generations enjoy it due to its expressions of amorous sentiments.

We find joy in both the song and the dance form, but there was a series of musical genres prior to the Bolero which mixed to form a new style, giving birth to the origins of what we know as the Bolero today. Even though the bolero is over a hundred years old, it maintains its place within Cuban musical history as one of the most melodic, beautiful and moving genres ever produced.

The first to utilize and further this song style were the Troubadors who sang with their guitars in cafés and family festivities. They may not have had much technical background in music, but they were excellent interpreters and writers and their melodies struck a chord in the hearts of the townspeople. They led a poverty stricken, bohemian lifestyle, but they managed to get by with what their admirerers would give them.

The interpretation of the Bolero is characterized by a sort of segmented, constant, rhythmic strumming while playing the guitar, which was well liked and easily assimilated by the local populace. They kept in close contact with the Bolero players, who enjoyed wide popularity.

Bolero themes often include the love felt by a couple, love for a woman or love for one's country.

The majority of these interpretations were not written in pentagram format, but rather expressed orally. It was in this way that its creators could demonstrate both their esthetic ideals and their musical talent. Our Bolero does not share the same format or structure with the Spanish song genre of the same name.

In the traditional bolero there is a fusion of hispanic and Afro-Cuban elements, and with this fusion came a universal popularity. This happened, for instance, when composers would put poetry to music, like with the song, Aquellos ojos verdes, with the lyrics by Adolfo Utrera and music by Nilo Menéndez. This bolero was a hit with audiences around the world.

Beatriz Cuesta has stated that, "In this composition, the verses impose their rhythmic prose and with that the cinquillo loses its traditional hegemony." (Translator's Note: A cinquillo is five beats within a measure, stemming from the danzón musical tradition.)

Even though the Bolero continues to evolve and grow, it has not lost its eminant romantic character and its most exacting expression.

In 1926, Sindo Garay, Emiliano Blez, Rosendo Ruiz (father), Patricio Ballagas, and many more were the primary renouned figures of the Bolero movement in the eastern part of Cuba. Ignacio Piñeiro, Alberto Villalón and María Teresa Vera, were the most famous in the western region.

There have been many other styles of music which have been combined with the Bolero. Among them are: bolero-moruno, bolero-ranchera, bolero-rumba, bolero-tango, bolero-son, bolero-mambo, bolero-guaracha, bolero-zamba, bolero-swing, fox-bolero, clave-bolero (by Agustín Lara) Even the Troubadour movement called "Feeling" has meshed with the bolero, along with other rhythms.

Thought the years, the bolero has been nourished by influences of other musical genres, but it has not broken its roots. Rather, it has taken on a continual process of enrichment and has itself become a polarizing rhythmic and stylistic force for Latin American and Caribbean music.

This musical expression, so much a part of the Latin soul, has been consecrated by voices such as our own Beny Moré with boleros such as Te quedarás, Lucho Gatica with El reloj, Ibrahím Ferrer with Dos Gardenias, or Luis Miguel with Contigo en la Distancia, or the series, Boleros de Oro ...among others.

Both national and international composers and interpreters have shown the popularity of this song style which more than a century ago launched Cuba to the four winds. Rather than becoming diluted, it was enriched by cross-breeding and discussions that have brought together many peoples with a common language: the Bolero.

The Bolero, as the indisputable king of our hearts is eternal and immortal, just like love. It shall remain as an allay to those in love, and it will carry them to the four cardinal points of marvelous, unforgettable romances.

Lea otros editoriales en SalsaPower AQUI.

 

All editorials and letters to the editor on SalsaPower.com are personal opinions of those people who write them and do not necessarily reflect the position of SalsaPower.com, Inc.

This page last updated on:  31-Dec-2007