Concept in Definition ABC

The term ballad can refer to two forms of recited verse: the best known currently is the one that is recognized as a Latin American ballad with romantic overtones; the other is the older version and traditional ballad, the one that was sung in some Nordic regions of Europe and that told journeys, adventures and magical tales in addition to the traditional stories of love.

The most traditional form of ballads is the one that has to do with those recited forms that were carried out publicly in medieval times, mainly in Nordic regions of Europe such as England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany and Scandinavia. The ballad was a poetic form that might or might not have music according to the preference of the reciter; furthermore, the music could be performed by instruments or generated by the reciter when counting the verses in melodic form. The ballad form was usually assembled in four-line stanzas or verses. These ballads used to tell the real or magical stories of folk heroes, their misadventures, love stories and could even tell stories of suspense or fear.

Nowadays, the term ballad relates more than anything to a stylemusical which assumes a slightly slower or calmer rhythm than most popular songs use. The current ballads are usually mostly love songs or songs. heartbreak, always with a melancholic tinge and perhaps even a little sad. The romantic ballads of Latin America, which can also be considered as boleros, are the Latin forms of English love songs and many important artists of the region they have stood out for their creations. These ballads usually include a set of traditional instruments from each country or region that give them another particular rhythm and sound.