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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.

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

The habanera is a hybrid seed of great potency.

From New York Times • Mar. 5, 2018

It contained both 16-bar melodies that the audience was used to, and innovative 12-bar sections, and mixed regular two-four time with the Afro-Cuban habanera dance rhythm.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2012

In the later nineteenth century, however, the habanera was reintroduced to Europe as an ‘exotic’ dance from Cuba, and it began to reappear in European music.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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