Bachata is a music and dance genre that arose in the rural areas of the Dominican Republic in the mid-20th century. At first it was disdainfully regarded as the “music of the poor” and of roadside taverns, yet in time bachata won worldwide recognition.
The characteristic sound of bachata is created by an ensemble of guitars: a lead guitar with a ringing, “weeping” arpeggio, a rhythm guitar, a bass, as well as the bongo and the metal güira scraper. The lyrics are mostly romantic, full of sorrow over lost love. At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries bachata modernised, became electrified, and turned into a couple dance popular all over the world. Today it is one of the symbols of Dominican culture and an inseparable part of the global Latin American dance scene.
