Written by Theonius Monk, ©Thelonius Music Corp.
Arranged by Markus Schwartz & Lakou Brooklyn
The bolero is a genre of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins. The term is also used for some art music. In all its forms, the bolero has been popular for over a century.
The exhange of cultural and musical history between Haiti and Cuba is very deep, with many aspects of Haitian musical expression present in various forms of Cuban dance music (for example, Changui, Contradanza, and Danzòn), as well as secular/ religious drumming, such as Tumba Fransesa, Arara, Gaga, and Fodu (Vodou) among many others. Likewise, Cuban influences have permeated Haitian popular music for generations. The bolero is in this category and is an extremely popular musical form in Haiti.