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habanera

American  
[hah-buh-nair-uh, -nyair-uh] / ˌhɑ bəˈnɛər ə, -ˈnjɛər ə /

noun

  1. a dance of Cuban origin.

  2. the music for this dance, having a slow duple meter and a rhythm similar to that of a tango.


habanera British  
/ ˌhæbəˈnɛərə /

noun

  1. a slow Cuban dance in duple time

  2. a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of habanera

1875–80; < Spanish ( danza ) habanera (dance) of Havana

Vocabulary lists containing habanera

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Mr. Smith’s syncopated keyboard style reflected the influence of his early idol, Professor Longhair, who combined boogie-woogie with habanera and rumba rhythms.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 22, 2023

Afro-Cuban rhythms like the habanera have fed into Afro-American music as early as the 19th century.

From Reuters ● Jan. 24, 2023

They work loosely but purposefully, fleshing out a habanera rhythm in “This Magic Moment,” and spinning a shroud of mystery around “Gypsy Woman.”

From New York Times ● Jan. 21, 2013

Handy's band in 1918 - he is in the centre holding a trumpet In 1914, Handy followed up Memphis Blues with his next hit, another 12-bar blues piece with a 16-bar habanera section.

From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2012

The habanera and its contredanse antecedents had a highly distinctive accompanying rhythm of four beats, which in musical notation - as in the opening of the Bizet song - looks like this.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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