[1] Its roots lie in Spanish popular song forms, including tiranas, polos and boleros; also in Italian light operetta, French romanza, and the slow waltz.
Initially, even when written by the creole population of Cuba, who opposed the ruling hierarchy, the music retained its European style of "intricate melodies, and dark, enigmatic and elaborate lyrics".
The accompaniment of the guitar followed naturally, and the canción gradually fused with other forms of Cuban (and therefore Latin American) music such as the bolero.
In the Renaissance, the term was often used interchangeably with cantiga, cantar, canson, and sometimes villancico; it was related to the chanson of the Franco-Flemish school.
Canción was the least specific term to cover all the popular, secular styles of vocal music of Spain at the time.