bolero

Bolero is a term used for several related musical and dance forms from Spain and Latin America. It most commonly refers to either a Spanish dance and song tradition or a Latin American romantic song style. It is also the title of a famous orchestral work by Maurice Ravel, which is Spanish-inspired but not a dance.

Spanish bolero: originated in 18th-century Spain as a dance in ballroom settings, characterized by a graceful, flowing style performed by couples; often accompanied by guitar, castanets, or accompanying voices. The term later broadened to refer to a form of song used in Spanish zarzuela and popular music.

Latin American bolero: a slow, sentimental song style developed in Cuba and spread to Mexico and other countries in the 19th and 20th centuries. Boleros typically feature romantic or longing lyrics, simple memorable melodies, and accompaniment by guitar, piano, or small ensembles. The form produced many enduring standards such as Bésame Mucho, Solamente una vez, Quizás, quizás, quizás, and Historia de un amor. It remains a common repertoire in Latin music and is often fused with pop, bolero-son, and other styles.

Maurice Ravel's Boléro (1928) is a one-movement orchestral piece built on a repeating rhythm that gradually increases in dynamics and orchestration, culminating in a dramatic finale. The work uses a single melodic idea and is notable for its orchestration and crescendo rather than dance instruction.