History of Bachata

It is a shame you are not in Santo Domingo, because the Centro Leon is going to open the Yorgi Morel retrospective soon, here in Santo Domingo. You could go and see a painting dated in 1940, showing a "t?pico" band: g?ira, tambor, accordion. And the title was "Bachata" ....
To my way of thinking, the artist was referring to the atmosphere of fiesta, party time, gaiety, that surrounds dancing in the Dominican Republic.

Therefore, "bachata" is not just the newer dance and song, but rather the entire scenario surrounding the party...

HB

kcl060 said:

I'm doing a project on Bachata and I did my research and everything, but I was just curious, que opinan Uds?

Why do you think Bachata was rejected initially?
Do you like Bachata now, why or why not?
Do you or anyone you know still associate Bachata with the lower class?
Do you think there is a reason why Bachata came about during the dictadura de Trujillo?
Do you think Bachata communicates the way bachateros really feel (about respect for and the value of) or do you think it is just supposed to be over exaggerated for the purposes of the musical genre?

Click to expand...

ask AZB, :cheeky:

If you have not already you should see the movie Santo Domingo Blues. It is a documentary about Luis Vargas and the roots of bachata. I am not sure if you can get it on DVD but it is a well done movie.

Wow

Hillbilly said:

It is a shame you are not in Santo Domingo, because the Centro Leon is going to open the Yorgi Morel retrospective soon, here in Santo Domingo. You could go and see a painting dated in 1940, showing a "t?pico" band: g?ira, tambor, accordion. And the title was "Bachata" ....
To my way of thinking, the artist was referring to the atmosphere of fiesta, party time, gaiety, that surrounds dancing in the Dominican Republic.

Therefore, "bachata" is not just the newer dance and song, but rather the entire scenario surrounding the party...

HB

Click to expand...

I would love to see this! i'll be back in May, where is the Centro Leon exactly?
on another note, thats an interesting painting from the 40's you say?
interesting how Bachata was defined back then as an atmosphere of fiesta...now i wonder how it changed to what it is referred to or thought as now? truly amazing. thanks for the info

Jaime

kcl060 said:

I'm doing a project on Bachata and I did my research and everything, but I was just curious, que opinan Uds?

Why do you think Bachata was rejected initially?
Do you like Bachata now, why or why not?
Do you or anyone you know still associate Bachata with the lower class?
Do you think there is a reason why Bachata came about during the dictadura de Trujillo?
Do you think Bachata communicates the way bachateros really feel (about respect for and the value of) or do you think it is just supposed to be over exaggerated for the purposes of the musical genre?

Click to expand...

Hi, I am a Dominican born in the US, well I mean I was born in the US from Dominican parents. To answer question #1, From what I've heard from friend and relatives bachata was rejected and it still rejected by the "upper class" as a music for the "barrios" ghetto lower class peoples. Initially it was played only in bars, where of course only the men went to drink, listen to "discos" 45's played in a juke box, of course there were women who lent their services of dancing and you know what, so the respectable women never went into these places.

question #2 I like bachata now, mainly because I love to dance, I love the rhythm that the bachata has, I love to dance to it, I love the sound of the guitar and because is music I've grown up with.

kcl060 said:

I'm doing a project on Bachata and I did my research and everything, but I was just curious, que opinan Uds?

Why do you think Bachata was rejected initially?
Do you like Bachata now, why or why not?
Do you or anyone you know still associate Bachata with the lower class?
Do you think there is a reason why Bachata came about during the dictadura de Trujillo?
Do you think Bachata communicates the way bachateros really feel (about respect for and the value of) or do you think it is just supposed to be over exaggerated for the purposes of the musical genre?

Click to expand...

It was rejected because most upper/middle class dominicans thought bachata was music for the undesired lower class (los chulos, drunks, prostitutes - the same people who expressed frustration and deception of their society. It was mostly played in brothels very early. Most upper class dominicans still dislike anything (music) that originates from their roots. In Ecuador, most upper class people dislike pasillo as it's music for poor people. In Colombia it's the vallenato and cumbia. etc, etc, etc..

I like bachata, but I wish more artists were using their own material instead of stealing it from Colombians. I love to dance/hear bachata and how it's transformed in sound and has expanded.

Bachata is no longer considered lower class music as it's hitting mainstream to the middle class, since they like Aventura, Frank Reyes, Los Toros Band and a few others. Upper Class people do not listen to bachata or even tipico. You can see it when you frequent the dance clubs and homes of these people !

ElvisNYC said:

Bachata is no longer considered lower class music as it's hitting mainstream to the middle class, since they like Aventura, Frank Reyes, Los Toros Band and a few others. Upper Class people do not listen to bachata or even tipico. You can see it when you frequent the dance clubs and homes of these people !

Click to expand...

yeah you are right about that, they don't even dance nice classical Merengues!!!! :surprised :surprised :surprised at their weddings!!! who doesn't dance at weddings, even Royalty dance at their weddings.

They don't MAR !! It's quite sad to see when people refuse to acknowledge music developed in their country. Oh well !

I remember ( I believe it was 94) when I came back from Ecuador to study university here in NY, I heard this amazing song - Medicina de Amor by Raulin. After I heard it I went to a local record store in Washington Heights and asked about this new music and they recommened a few artists - Anthony Santos, Raulin, Teodoro Reyes, Luis Segura and bought a few cd's.. After that I was hooked !!

But I found weird that when I would talk to dominicanos they would comment not knowing much about bachata and it wasn't as popular among the dominincans I knew, a majority worked as taxistas whom were friends and coworkers of my dad. They would say that bachata was campesino music !They mostly liked merengue !

But I'm glad bachata is getting well known because it's great music to listen and dance to !

kcl060 said:

Why do you think Bachata was rejected initially?

Click to expand...

Because it is a genre for hookers, drunk, thieves and motoconchistas...

kcl060 said:

Do you like Bachata now, why or why not?

Click to expand...

No I don't, I actually dislike it pretty much...

kcl060 said:

Do you or anyone you know still associate Bachata with the lower class?

Click to expand...

Myself, and plenty of others...

kcl060 said:

Do you think there is a reason why Bachata came about during the dictadura de Trujillo?

Click to expand...

Good question, I have no idea... I guess it is pure coincidence...

kcl060 said:

Do you think Bachata communicates the way bachateros really feel (about respect for and the value of) or do you think it is just supposed to be over exaggerated for the purposes of the musical genre?

Click to expand...

No, I agree it is completely over exageretated and (locally) commercial.

It has become trendy for the past 10 years, but it still is a deep down barrio music... Some like it, some don't, but those who don't have to endure it anyway, because those who do are blasting it at an amazingly loud volume...

kcl060 said:

1. Why do you think Bachata was rejected initially?
2. Do you like Bachata now, why or why not?
3. Do you or anyone you know still associate Bachata with the lower class?
4. Do you think there is a reason why Bachata came about during the dictadura de Trujillo?
5. Do you think Bachata communicates the way bachateros really feel (about respect for and the value of) or do you think it is just supposed to be over exaggerated for the purposes of the musical genre?

Click to expand...

I have numbered your questions, thus the numbers below reflect the answer to such question.

1. Bachata has traditionally been music for drunk lowlifes who have marital problems and resolve them by wheeping on the shoulder of some hooker in a bar while drinking liquor into oblivion. Anyone with education and some culture will not fall to such disgraceful level and bachata was the song that identified that lowlife group of people.

2. Not at all. The singers for the most part are horrible, the topics are too damn depressing, and its garbage for the most part. If you want to hear some depressing or love music, listen to boleros. At least the singers know how to make real good music in that genre.

3. Some acquaintances associate bachata with the lower classes and since the lower classes are uneducated, obnoxious, and an embarrasment to many; bachata, as a noisy representation of that group of people is not welcomed. I, on the other hand, reject bachata simply because its mostly garbage, with a notable exeption being Juan Luis Guerra's "Bachata Rosa." If bachata was more refined in the Juan Luis Guerra's way, it would most likely be adopted by the upper classes.

4. Pure coincidence, bachata is an off shoot (a horrible off shoot) of boleros.

5. Its probably a mixture of both, but in most cases the singers can't sing! So, regardless how sentimental, their horrible voice and lack of knowledge on how to properly sing (hitting notes, etc) turns what could have been a good genre into crap.

The same goes with much of modern merengue, perico ripiao, etc. There are exceptions in all of them, but the majority of Dominican singers are crap, regardless of the genre!

-NALs

NALs said:

I have numbered your questions, thus the numbers below reflect the answer to such question.



2. Not at all. The singers for the most part are horrible, the topics are too damn depressing, and its garbage for the most part. If you want to hear some depressing or love music, listen to boleros. At least the singers know how to make real good music in that genre.




-NALs

Click to expand...

Nals quiere bailar una bachatica conmigo?? pretty please :cheeky:

let me ask you Nals - what do you think of Tango????

M.A.R. said:

Nals quiere bailar una bachatica conmigo?? pretty please :cheeky:

let me ask you Nals - what do you think of Tango????

Click to expand...

It's interesting to see couples dance the Tango and the actual music is not necessarily bad, but in general that genre is not to my liking.

-NALs

NALs said:

It's interesting to see couples dance the Tango and the actual music is not necessarily bad, but in general that genre is not to my liking.

-NALs

Click to expand...

ok well I guess you know why I asked, because it has almost the same history as the bachata.

I am under the impression that bachatta is to the DR like country and western is to America. Lots of rednecks and hicks and poor cowpokes lwere the main staple of the C&W genre for years.

I actually love Bachatta...maybe because i heard it so much on my early visits , when i was being imprinted. I hear and i think back the feelings i had when I first went there....GOOD TIMES, partying, women ect ect.....

unfortunately...my GF dislikes bachatta....

but she puts up with it... and knows how to dance it well

bob

laurapasinifan said:

I am under the impression that bachatta is to the DR like country and western is to America. Lots of rednecks and hicks and poor cowpokes lwere the main staple of the C&W genre for years.

Click to expand...

That sums it up - the nature of the music and lyrics, the traditional audience and mainstream rejection, followed by a select few who manage to take it to mainstream credibility and trendiness are almost exact parallels.

kcl060 said:

NALs, are you Dominican?

Click to expand...

?Hasta la tambora!

-NALs

you know the party is now really really super extra drunk when you hear the same bachata over and over and over and over....................and it seems like there is a new one about every year that gets played over and over and over and over at 2 in the morning..........................