The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated the Cuban/Mexican musical genre of bolero as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
It joins tango, flamenco, and Jamaican reggae as other musical styles on the list, to which mariachi was added in 2018.
The bolero was conceived in Cuba in the late 19th century but took root in Mexico in the early 1920s. The first bolero song to achieve national acclaim was “Morenita Mía,” written in 1921 by Armando Villarreal Lozano.
The bolero is usually characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has been called the “quintessential Latin American romantic song of the 20th century.”
One of the most popular boleros of all time, “Solamente Una Vez,” was composed by Augustin Lara in 1941. This prolific Mexican composer from Veracruz wrote more than 800 compositions, including “Maria Bonita,” “Noche de Ronda” and the perennial classic “Granada.”
Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.