Bachata

Bachata, a form of music and dance that originated in the countryside and the rural neighborhoods of the Dominican Republic. Its subjects are often romantic; especially prevalent are tales of heartbreak and sadness. In fact, the original term used to name the genre was "amargue" ("bitterness," or "bitter music"), until the rather ambiguous (and mood-neutral) term "bachata" became popular.

Overview

Bachata originates from the Dominican Republic and is a guitar based music which recently evolved from bolero. During much of its history Bachata music was denigrated by Dominican society and associated with rural backwardness and delinquency. In the 1990s, bachata 's instrumentation changed from acoustic Spanish guitar to electric steel string. The new electric bachata soon became an international phenomenon, and today bachata is as popular as salsa and merengue in Latin American dancehalls.

Instrumentation

The typical bachata group consists of five instruments: Requinto (or lead guitar), rhythm guitar, electric bass guitar, bongo and güiro. Bachata groups mostly play an evolved style of bolero, but when they instead play merengue based bachata, the percussionist will switch from bongo to a tambora drum. In the 1960s and 70s, maracas were used instead of guira. The change in the 1980s from maracas to the more versatile guira was made as bachata was becoming more dance oriented.

History

Bachata first began to be recorded immediately after the demise of the three decade long Trujillo dictatorship and stifling censorship which accompanied it. José Manuel Calderón is credited as having recorded the first bachata singles: (“Borracho de amor” and “Que será de mi (Condena)”) released on 45rpm in 1961. After Trujillo's death, the floodgates were opened: following on the heels of Calederon's historic bachata debut came hundreds and then thousands more recordings by the likes of Rafael Encarnacion, Ramoncito Cabrera El Chivo Sin Ley, Antonio Gomez Salcero, Luis Segura, Ramon Cordero and many more. The 1960s saw the birth of the Dominican music industry and of the bachata music which would dominate it.

While the bachatas being recorded in the 1960s had a distinctly Dominican flavor, they were regarded at the time as a variant of bolero. The term 'bachata' had in fact not yet come into use. Bachata, which originally was a term used to describe an informal rustic party, and which also happens to sound similar to the word 'basura' which means 'trash', was a label first applied to the music by those seeking to disparage it. The higher echelons of Dominican Society felt that bachata music was an expression of cultural backwardness, and a campaign ensued to brand bachata in this negative light.

The 1970s were dark years for bachata. The music was seldom played on the radio, and almost unmentioned on television and in print. Bachateros were also barred from performing in high society venues - having to content themselves instead with gigs in the bars and brothels of the country's notoriously crime ridden barrios. The music was impacted by its surroundings and many of the songs emerging during this era speak of drunkenness and prostitution - directly or in humorous double-entendre. This of course only furthered the cause of those seeking to tar bachata as a music of the ignorant and uncouth. Despite its unofficial censorship, bachata remained widely popular; while orchestral merengue received the backing of the establishment and the benefit of the country's major publicity outlets, bachata still continued to outsell merengue.

By the early 1980s bachata's popularity had grown to a degree that the media embargo began to crumble. Caving to popular demand, more radio stations began playing bachata and bachateros soon found themselves performing on television as well. Bachata in the mean time had begun to take on a more dance-hall sound: tempos increased, guitar playing became punchier, and call and response singing more prevalent. Bachata style merengues, or guitar merengues, also became an increasingly important part of the bachata repertoire. Blas Durán was the first to record with electric guitar in his 1987 bachata-merengue hit, "Mujeres hembras".

By the early 1990s, the switch to electric guitar was complete, and the bachata scene was dominated by two new young stars: Luis Vargas and Antony Santos. Both incorporated a large number of bachata-merengues in their repertoires. Santos, Vargas and the many new style bachateros who would follow achieved a level of stardom which was unimaginable to the bachateros who preceded them. They were the first generation of pop bachata artists and received all the hype and image branding typical of commercial pop music elsewhere. It was also at this time that bachata began to emerge internationally as a music of Latin dance-halls.

Some credit Juan Luis Guerra's Grammy winning 1992 release, "Bachata Rosa", as helping bachata to have achieved legitimacy and international recognition. Others argue that Guerra had very little to do with bachata's rise, and that, although he used the word "bachata" in an album title, he never actually even recorded a song in a typical bachata style.

The Dominican group Aventura, based in New York City, is now probably the best known bachata group worldwide, with its 2002 single "Obsesión" having dominated for a long time radio play both in Latin America, US Latino markets, and countries as distant as Italy and Sweden. While he is superseded at the international level by Aventura, for the Dominican audience, the most popular of the modern bachateros still remains without question Antony Santos. Other popular modern artists include Raulin Rodriguez, Zacarias Ferreira, Frank Reyes, Monchy y Alexandra, Andy Andy, Elvis Martinez, Joe Veras and El Vinny (Tu Melón).(y los king de la bachata Aventura)

Dance

Bachata

The dance is a four-step beat achieved with a walking Cuban hip motion, and a unique “pop”. The dance is performed both in open position and in closed position depending on the setting and mood of the partners. Similar to Merengue, dips are not original to the dance and turns are done infrequently. The male leads the female with subtle communication using pushing and pulling on the hands to guide the direction in which to move or to hint on upcoming turns. The female may also provide communication using her left hand to indicate whether she is comfortable or not dancing in a closed position.

The basic dance sequence is a full 8 count in a side to side motion. Counts 1 through 3 and 5 through 7, when taken, generate a natural hip motion. Counts 4 and 8, consists of a “pop” movement. The "pop" depending on a person’s style is executed lifting or tapping a foot or using stylish footwork while popping the hip to the side opposite of the natural Cuban hip motion. Bachata music has a slight accent in rhythm at every fourth count, indicating when the “pop” should happen. "Note: The “pop” will always be done in the opposite direction of the last step, while the next step will be taken on the same direction of the pop." Basic Dance Steps; Start with the male stepping left, with Cuban hip motion, and the female moving right also with Cuban hip motion. The dance direction will interchange at every 4th count. In order to remain in tune with the music, start with a tap of the right foot in tune with the musical change in rhythm. Then, Stepping with left foot; 1, 2, 3 and “POP” with right, then change direction and with right foot step 4, 5, 6 and POP. Repeat. :"See also: [http://www.iasorecords.com/bachata-dance.cfm Video clips with instructions on how to dance bachata and examples of people dancing] "Dance Variations

"Modern Bachata" (Nueva bachata) is the new version of the traditional Bachata brought about through the younger generation of Bachata dancers. This style incorporates more free style moves. This involves intricate footwork: enchufles, lock steps, guapachas, slides, etc. The female, along with the male, will incorporate the footwork with a difference being in her isolated hip movements within the Cuban hip motion.

"Bachata Tango" (Bachatango) is a style of dance incorporating Tango styling. It is characterized by embellished kicks, dips, turns and long pauses generally used in Tango as well as other popular Latin Dances. This dance is performed in a very close position with fewer elaborated foot styling than Bachata due it's focus being more on sensuality. It focuses on overextended Cuban hip motion. The basic steps are the same 8 count as Bachata only that it produces a side to side motion, while occasionally moving back and forth. The “pop” count will be used to add elaborated sensuality and varied Latin dance styles. Although this dance has been used to dance to Bachata, it has evolved to being used to dance to Tango as well. It should be noted that 'Bachatango' is a foreign introduction and is unheard of in the Dominican Republic - Bachata's country of origin.

References

* [http://www.iasorecords.com/bachata.cfm Comprehensive history of bachata] , with music and video clips
* [http://www.BachataRadio.com Live Bachata & Merengue music Stream / Musica Domincana, en Viva]