Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bachata
Whereas merengue might be viewed as an urban sound,
bachata
is definitely the nation's
'country' music, of love and broken hearts in the hinterlands. Born in the poorest of
Dominican neighborhoods,
bachata
emerged in the mid 20th century, after Trujillo's death,
as a slow, romantic style played on the Spanish guitar. The term initially referred to inform-
al, sometimes rowdy backyard parties in rural areas, finally emerging in Santo Domingo
shanties.
The term
'bachata'
was meant as a slight by the urban elite, a reference to the music's
supposed lack of sophistication. Often called 'songs of bitterness,'
bachata
tunes were no
different to most romantic ballad forms, such as the Cuban bolero, but were perceived as
low class, and didn't have the same political or social support as merengue. In fact,
bachata
was not even regarded as a style per se until the 1960s - and even then it was not widely
known outside the Dominican Republic.
But widespread interest and acceptance grew largely because of the efforts of musician
and composer Juan Luis Guerra, who introduced international audiences to this rich and
sentimental form. Already credited with developing a more modern and socially conscious
merengue, Guerra nearly single-handedly brought
bachata
out of obscurity, paving the way
for many Dominican artists to come.
While merengue continues to be the more popular style,
bachata
has risen in popularity,
particularly in New York City's Dominican community. Among the big name
s
are Raulín
Rodríguez, Antony Santos, Joe Veras, Luis Vargas, Quico Rodríguez, Frank Reyes and Leo
Valdez.
Bachata Roja
is a compilation of classic
bachata
from the early 1960s to late
1980s; the pre-electric era when the music was entirely guitar based and drew on a variety
of musical traditions, including Mexican
ranchera,
Puerto Rican
jíbaro,
Cuban bolero,
guaracha and
son
. The record includes legendary musicians such as Edilio Paredes and
Augusto Santos.
