Perfidia is a 1939 Spanish-language bolero written by Mexican composer Alberto Domínguez. The song is sung from the perspective of a man whose lover has left him, expressing heartbreak and betrayal. It has been recorded in Spanish and in English (lyrics by Milton Leeds) and also as an instrumental. The most famous early version was Xavier Cugat’s 1940 hit on Victor Records; later, the Ventures released a rock instrumental in 1960 that reached the Billboard Top 20. Over the years it has been covered by artists such as the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Nat King Cole, Mel Tormé, Linda Ronstadt (who included a Spanish version on Frenesí in 1992 and contributed an English–Spanish rendition to The Mambo Kings soundtrack), and Los Straitjackets. The tune remains a standard in the bolero and Latin pop repertoire and has appeared on numerous albums and compilations rather than tied to a single original album.
