The bachata is a dance style and musical genre from the Dominican Republic. The name"bachata"is originally a colloquial word to refer to village parties; this term was used because of the festivity and rhythm of the dance.
This Caribbean rhythm is representative for fusing Latin and African rhythms, thus representing the cultural heritage of the Dominican Republic. The dance, on the other hand, is concentrated in the lower part of the body, where the movements of feet and hips are the main element.
Bachata is recognized as one of the characteristic rhythms of Latin America; It is on par with Salsa, Merengue and Cha-Cha-Cha, but manages to differentiate themselves from these by having a more sensual style and a more intimate dance.
Being one of the most popular Latin rhythms worldwide, bachata is enjoyed in countless parties and dance halls,
It has captured the attention of dance lovers and even amateurs, which is why bachata schools have been created - especially in Europe.
But where does bachata come from? what are their characteristics? How has it managed to gain immense popularity outside of the Dominican Republic?
History of bachata
Origin
Bachata originates in 1962, in the rural area of the Dominican Republic. It begins with a musical recording composed by José Manuel Calderón titled"Borracho de amor". The song combines the Latin style of trova with son rhythms and Cuban bolero.
Despite its popularity and success among the general Dominican public, the high social classes discredited the bachata as"village music"and low status. For this reason, throughout the 70s, bachata was not usually broadcast on radio or television.
However, bachata is far from being a common or simple rhythm. The distinctive Caribbean style of complex mergers and their passionate dance moves have earned the taste and approval of millions of people around the world.
Bachata as a musical style
Bachata is a musical style based on strings and percussion. An average bachatero group consists of 7 instruments: a leading guitar (requinto), a rhythmic guitar (the second), acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, bongos and güira.
It is highly influenced by the Cuban bolero, even being called initially as a Dominican variant of bolero.
The instrumentation depends on the type of bachata that is chosen: a slow bachata is stronger in the area of strings, a more effusive and danceable bachata is concentrated in the percussions.
The style has evolved over the years. At first, drums were used instead of bongos and in the place of güiras were the maracas. These changes over the years have turned it into a more dance-oriented rhythm.
Bachata as a form of dance
Just as the bolero inspired the sound of bachata, it also had a great influence on his dance steps. The couples dance using a very small space, thus giving intimacy to the dance.
During its development and spread throughout the Caribbean, bachata became faster and more dance steps were added to the repertoire, so now the movements are concentrated in the lower body and the focus is totally on the hips .
Despite being a dance that can be performed individually, bachata is more popular in its couple format.
When dancing in pairs, the duet can be in closed (in a romantic way) or open position (with space to make turns and move the torso).
As it happens in other styles of dance in couple and Latin rhythms, in the duet of bachata is a leading dancer, which can be identified as the one that establishes the turns.
In the same way, dance is categorized according to the social environment. In a festive environment, the couple dances openly, in casual demonstrations the duo is at medium distance and in nightclubs and dance halls the closed style predominates.
Different styles of bachata
Like all artistic demonstrations, bachata has been influenced by different factors, achieving an evolution both in a musical and choreographic way.
Despite the fact that the term"bachata"is general, it encompasses various aspects of bachata popularized throughout the Caribbean.
In music you can find different styles, such as romantic bachata: slow and with great influence of the bolero; and the rhythmic bachata: influenced to a great extent by the merengue, another Dominican musical style that makes it faster and more festive.
At present, bachata is in a"pop"stage that merges with traditional elements of American music (Pop, R & B and Hip-Hop). This has catapulted it into the international arena.
Romeo Santos
In the same way, bachata has more than one dance style:
-La Bachata-Tango: mix of the Caribbean rhythm with the sensual Argentine dance.
-The sensual bachata: is a style of dance popularized mainly in Spain, where the couple moves with circular movements.
-The lounge bachata: in places like the United States and the rest of Europe, especially in dance competitions.
Bachata today
It began as a popular dance at the parties of the working class, went through a period of discrediting because it was related to crime and underdevelopment according to the Caribbean elite and is now one of its highest points of popularity worldwide.
Bachata is one of the main Latin rhythms enjoyed in dance halls and parties around the world.
It has global exponents such as Romeo Santos, is played on radio, television and has even taken its exponents to Madison Square Garden in New York.
Bachata without a doubt, has managed to forge its hallmark and establish itself in popular culture.
Other famous bachata singers of today are Prince Royce, Frank Reyes, Hector"El Torito"Acosta, Toby Love, Antony Santos, Raulin Rodriguez or Andy Andy.
References
- Cusenza, A. (2016) Bachata History: Dance & Music. Heart Latino Family. Recovered from bachatabrno.com
- Dancing Fever (s.F.) What is Bachata?. Dancing Fever Retrieved from dancingfever.co.uk
- Euronews (2015) The popularity of bachata - a dance from Dominican Republic is growing in Europe. Euronews. Retrieved from euronews.com
- Heritage Institute (2009) Introduction to Bachata. The Heritage Institute: Dance. Retrieved from heritageinstitute.com
- Incognito Dance (2012) What is Bachata?. Incognito Dance. Recovered from incognitodance.com
- Marracco, M. (2014) What is Bachata?. UDEMY Retrieved from udemyblog.wpengine.com
- The Duet Team (2014) Differences between Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha and Merengue. Ballroom dance in Chicago. Retrieved from duetdancestudio.com