Origin and Evolution in its letters

Rebeca Hernandez Mendoza

Dominican Republic (1960)

This genre was born as a mixture of bolero with influences from other rhythms such as Cuban son, merengue and Mexican ranchera. In the beginning, bachata was considered music of the popular classes and was played mainly in bars, canteens or rural areas.

Con el tiempo, fue ganando aceptación y evolucionó hasta convertirse en un género internacionalmente reconocido. A partir de los años 90, artistas como Juan Luis Guerra, Anthony Santos, Aventura y Romeo Santos ayudaron a modernizar y popularizar la bachata en todo el mundo.

Evolution in its letters

The lyrics of bachata are characterized by being romantic, sentimental and melancholic. Since its inception, most songs talk about love and heartbreak, betrayal, nostalgia and emotional pain.

In its early stages, the lyrics were very simple and direct, expressing the feelings of the people in an honest way. Over time, they became more poetic and elaborate, although always preserving that passionate tone that distinguishes it.

Today, in addition to love, bachata also deals with issues such as self-improvement, the joy of living or cultural identity, adapting to modern tastes without losing its romantic essence.