Bolero Music History

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Originating as a dance style in Spain, bolero music was later reborn in Cuba with Mexico quickly following in its footsteps. From there, it spread to nearly all of Latin America thanks to the talented artists who portrayed its charming and romantic contents. After a brief period of hibernation in the 1970’s, bolero reemerged in popularity thanks to fresh new musicians. Among those reinventing these classic bolero songs was Mexican singer/songwriter Luis Miguel. Twenty-three albums after his rise to fame, Miguel released his album, Mis Boleros Favoritos, or in English, My Favorite Boleros. This album captures the essence of bolero while incorporating a touch of modern balada flair thanks to its instrumental composition, lyrical significance, and rich vocals.…show more content…
In its movement between countries and eras, it has adopted many new sounds and instruments. Cuban bolero formed towards the end of the nineteenth century, stemming mainly from a mixture of Spanish stringed instruments and Afro-Cuban percussion with emphasis on guitar and claves. It was suitable for dancing with an important characteristic of French cinquillo, a rhythmic pattern marked in the accompaniment. After being introduced to Mexico through the film industry, mariachi instruments such as trumpets and trombones were introduced to bolero. Mexican bolero became slower and toned down the original rhythmic liveliness that had emerged in the Caribbean. Percussion instruments were minimized and stringed instruments became even more dominant. Towards, the latter of its career, bolero picked up some American rock instruments such as the drum set. All of these historical occurrences influenced Miguel’s modernized version of bolero present in his album Mis Boleros

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