Lágrimas Negras, meaning Black Tears, is a bolero-son by Miguel Matamoros, best known from the Trío Matamoros. It was written in Santo Domingo in 1930, while Matamoros was returning to Cuba from the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. The first recording by Trío Matamoros appeared in 1931, and the tune has been described as the perfect fusion of the son with the bolero. It became the group’s most famous song, alongside Son de la Loma, and remains a cornerstone of Cuban music. Over the years it has been interpreted by many artists such as Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades, Omara Portuondo, and Chucho Valdés, among others.
