Nereyda

Enjoying bachata guitar this weekend with a classic from Raulin Rodriguez.

Daniel Morillo

Lovely bachata music for today by Daniel Morillo. Enjoy!

La Parcela

Sexist song that objectifies women, but incredibly catchy bachata. I am in love with older styles of bachata for the lyrical guitar playing, something I don't usually find in contemporary bachata out of New York.

Son Dominicano

Joan Soriano has quickly become one of my favorite bachata artists. His excellent guitar playing and 'authenticity' with bachata's Afro-Dominican roots appeals to me, as well as his excellent performance with Puerto Plata. This "Son Dominicano" seems to be quite derivative of the Cuban son, except played a little faster. 

La cama tiene candela

Robin Cariño's hit, "La cama tiene candela," is excellent bachata. Moreover, Cariño is supposedly a Dominican of Haitian descent (according to an NPR program), thus a great example of Caribbean music transcending ethnic and national boundaries. Regardless, the invariably beautiful guitar and lovely lyrics make this a memorable bachata number.

Voy Pa' lla

A beautiful bachata classic from Antony Santos with stunning guitar playing. Bachata is growing on me as a genre, particularly in how 'familiar' this new genre should be to me. It bears more than a passing resemblance to Cuban and Haitian twoubadou music, which is not surprising given the mutual Cuban influences in twoubadou and bachata. Nonetheless, some of the older styles of bachata feature excellent guitarists with infectious rhythms. This song, "Voy Pa' lla," was a hit with the Dominican diaspora in New York, perhaps because the title resonated with the immigrant experience, according to Afropop Worldwide's special on bachata. Another excellent feature of bachata is the adaptation of the bachata guitar style to merengue, something exemplified in tracks like "Cojelo Ahi" or "El Tomate" by Luis Vargas. The guitar style is quite reminiscent of Cuban tres as well as Congolese styles due to, again, shared Cuban and African influences. To be honest, I am now ashamed of my previous dismissive attitude toward bachata without really hearing it.

Cheri Amou

I don't care much for bachata, but this bachata in Haitian Kreyol is infectious. "Cheri Amou" has an endearing music video, lovely guitar sounds, and hand percussion. Although I will probably never be a huge fan of bachata, I am grateful to the music forum Islandmix for opening my eyes (and ears) to some beautiful Caribbean music. In some ways, this is not that different from twoubadou because of the prominence of the guitar and similar playing styles. Check out this video for Toni Tomas and bachata legend Joan Soriano singing "Cheri Amou" live.