Un recorrido por el bolero en cuatro países: Cuba, México, Puerto Rico y Colombia, desde el Fondo de Documentos Sonoros Antonio Cuéllar: contextualización y digitalización

Abstract

Through this thesis, a selection and digitization of audio and images of 367 Latin American boleros from the Antonio Cuéllar sound document collection at the Gabriel Esquinas Arts Documentation Center of the Faculty of Arts ASAB was carried out. This selection includes boleros from Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Colombia, as well as some examples from other countries. Subsequently, the discs were cleaned and re-stored in conservation paper sleeves to continue with the sound and image digitization processes of all the selected items. To contextualize the digitized pieces, the written work offers a general overview of the emergence and history of bolero in the referenced countries, analyzing how it expanded and consolidated thanks to radio as a pioneering medium for the genre's dissemination. The analysis also highlights the importance of trios as the primary format, and how bolero has adapted and integrated with the local music of each country, creating different fusions. Finally, the study focuses on some significant trios, showcasing numerous digitized examples.