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 oldest and most traditional version of the ballad, the one that was sung in some Nordic regions of Europe and that recounted journeys, adventures and magical tales in addition to traditional love stories.
The most traditional form of ballad 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 could or could not have music according to the preference of the one who recited it; 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 put together 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 musical style that assumes a slightly slower or calmer rhythm than what most popular songs use. The current ballads tend to be mostly love or heartbreak songs, 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 artists of importance in the region 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.
