Boleromania

Latin Beat Magazine, March, 1997 by Rudolph Mangual

Various artists

(Blue Moon)

Bolero, the most popular Latin rhythm of all times, continues to excel today as it did over 100 years ago when the first bolero was composed, Tristezas, around 1885 by Cuban trovador José Sánchez in Santiago de Cuba. From this point on, the musical genre has been the main canvas for thousands of composara, singers and poets throughout Latin America as well as abroad. By the mid-1920s, Mexico was infatuated with the bolero and titles like Ella by Domingo Casanova, Beso de muere by Pepe Martínez, and Presentimiento by Emilio Pacheco became favorites. Meanwhile in New York City, Cuban composer Miguel Matamoros was undertaking his very first recordings which included three boleros, Promesa, Juramento, and Olvido. All 3 compositions would become hits. In 1928, a pianist by the name of Agustín Lara from Mexico would become the leading exponent of the genre with his composition Imposible. The '30s in Cuba made way for singers like Rita Montaner and Esther Borja as well as Ignacio Villa Fernández alias Bola de Nieve and Nilo Menéndez, author of the composition Aquellos ojos verdes, an international mega hit of its time. In Puerto Rico the evolution of the bolero was in the hands of artists such as Rafael Hernández and Pedro Flores followed by Johnny Rodríguez, Pedro Ortiz Davila "Davilita", and Daniel Santos. The '40s exposed the talents of Tito Rodríguez, Myrta Silva, and Bobby Capó, all achieving international fame. This period would be known as the Golden Era of the Bolero throughout all of Latin America. All-time favorites such as Besame mucho and Amor are some of the gems from this period.

Boleromania is a 4-CD set which treasures a total of 80 boleros ranging from the traditional form to the trio and quartet interpretations, to the "filin" period, and finally to the conjunto and its singers era. All songs are recorded by the original interpreters. The set is complete with a booklet which narrates the evolution of the bolero, (in Spanish)the lyrics to the songs, and includes numerous pictures of the main exponents of the genre. Some of the artists included are Olga Guillot, Antonio Machín, Toña La Negra, Elena Burke, Trío Los Panchos, Benny Moré, Pedro Vargas, Los Tres Ases, and many more.