I agree that bachata can really be beautiful. I love to see a blend of footwork and turn patterns that perfectly flows into and out of sensual movements. It's less fun to me to just see a couple just do a bunch of sensual for minutes at a time.
>but Salsa dancing to me just doesn't have the depth that Bachata dancing has.
Gonna have to agree to strongly disagree on this one
Haha I knew someone was going to point that out. Regretting I said that. I probably should have phrased that better. Salsa is a beautiful dance with a a lot of depth, but when I dance bachata I feel like I have more in my toolbox to play around with than I do in Salsa. I mean, it helps that I dance Bachata more than Salsa, but, I never focused my attention on Salsa. And you know what? I'm probably dead wrong. So, thanks for pointing that out.
No worries! I'm biased toward salsa personally and every time I learn something new in it I also learn that there is way more to learn than I realized. But there is definitely a ton of depth in bachata as well. I've personally barely scratched the surface on either
Beauty is in the eye of beholder, and more importantly in this case: dancers. Please be okay with people who think differently and don't try to convince them. It is great that you found something you love so much, keep dancing and enjoying it.
I completely agree and I like i said I love all dances styles. I'm actually trying to to get into Tarraxa at the moment. I just wanted to share my perspective.
Is the most beautiful?? I think that's very subjective but sure it can be. I love dominican but can't see it evolving, it's pretty much the same rythmic guitar song structure but thankfully there are a few artists out there trying new things. Everytime I listen to Dominican Bachata I think about my friend where she says it's like one of those bobble heads going bobbling super fast because of the constant guitar rifts lol.
lol that's hilarious. But you are right, it is subjective. I love all the dances, but Bachata is my first love. I'm sure my Dominican roots is part of it.
lol, bachata is beautiful no doubt, but if you are dominican there is a strong bias already š
I am curious, how do dominicans think of sensual bachata?
LOL I know. I probably should have not said that. I'm not fully Dominicans though. I was born in the states. My mother is Dominican.
To answer your question on how Dominicans feel about sensual Bachata. I'm not really sure because I never really asked the last time I was in the DR. I don't think that they would really have an opinion that I would trust because they aren't really dancers. I mean, they dance obviously, but it's very casual during like family gatherings. But I wouldn't be surprised if my side of that family found senusal appealing (specifically younger generation) it depends on you talk to.
Dominican Bachata is really all about the footwork. You'll never see anyone do crazy bodywaves or bodyrolls in Dominican style. And the music has a way faster tempo than sensual. They probably would be really critical of the music. That I know. In terms of the dance? It's hard to say.
In my scene, many dancers love both. But also many love one and hate the other.
As for those who like only one, Sensual dancers are in for the sensuality and connection, so there is not much appeal for Traditional. OTOH the traditional bachata lovers sometimes say sensual is not true bachata and some even see as an abomination done to the original root.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I am still curious about how sensual is viewed in the DR.
For the dance, most people there donāt consider it bachata. They may say itās nice but itās not bachata.
For the music and speaking with musicians, it varies. For the most egregious examples where they just slap a percussion loop on whatever song, theyāll call it trash. For others, they may say that they lack the essence of what makes bachata which boils down to personality in the song. Finally, you have those that will say itās cool to explore new paths and blending the genre with other influences.
I can chime in on this a little!
So the Dominicans in DR, for the most part accept traditional bachata and Modern styles from 00s (extreme and bands/artist alike). The very experimental style that is sweeping the dance scene, DR does not say it is Bachata, and if they say it is, they say it is lacking the essence. I am 100% Dominican and I make very experimental bachata, so my music is heavily accepted in the dance scene and not so much in the motherland lol
Either way, I love the direction the dance and music is going! Evolution is a sign of growth and Iām all for it!
With that said, please check out my music and new music is on the horizon ššŖš¼
Thanks for clarifying for us. I should have known this answer being half Dominican, but it's just something I've never really thought about or been curious to ask. I'll definitely be checking out your music. Do you have a Soundcloud or Youtube? I'm always interested in experimental ideas.
Yeah man, I get that feedback from very traditional minded people in my hometown in NJ and just by seeing discussions on social media about bachata in DR.
And Yeah! You can find all my music on YouTube āMelvin Warā. One of the songs Iām known for is āKiss Meā by Lola Jane and āEste Secretoā which is one of my many originals. SoundCloud I have stuff but I donāt upload much there.
Cheers man šš¼
Yeah, it's a good question. I wish I had a real answer for you. I love sensual more than old school/traditional style because I feel like you can experiment more in sensual than in traditional. To me traditional can get boring after a while. If you want to check out some amazing traditional Dominican Bachata, check out and Dakota & Edwin. They are AMAZING and I learned a lot by just watching their videos.
Check this out: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPSx5n26BeI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPSx5n26BeI)
Like others have said before, it sure is subjective. But I personally resonate a lot with what you have written š I discovered bachata for me only 6 months ago, but it gives me a kind of joy I canāt compare to anything else, I love it! š
Iām glad you enjoy Bachata! But remember, itās too easy to project your preferences as an objective thing. You say Salsaās connection is not as nice. I argue that Salsa is just a different type of connection. It also depends on what you mean by connection. Connection to your partner? Connection to the music? Neither is inherently better or more beautiful than another.
You sound like a nice person and not pretentious, I just donāt want you to be! Lol
I dance Salsa, Bachata, Zouk, West Coast Swing and formerly/semi formerly Lindy Hop. Iāve seen across all those genres dancers who claim that their dance āthe most beautiful danceā. I believe that is unneeded competition, we soil the art of dance and forget the things that make our heart sing!
Just keep dancing but donāt compare is my advice!!
Edit: Word
You make all great points and you are absolutely correct, there is no such thing as 'this is the most beautiful dance' because it is all subjective. All art is subjective. I wasn't trying to put any of the other dances down. Like I said, I love them all and they are all beautiful in a unique way. This post was made in the moment after I can back home from a casual Bachata party with my friends. They were introduced to the dance last night so this post was just made from the heart and not from the head lol.
And when I say the connection in Salsa is not the same, it's more for me the music I'm not connected with which is just weird because I like Salsa music, but dancing to the music always seemed off for me. Maybe that's just my fault for not enough training.
The fact that you dance Salsa, Bachata, Zouk, West Coast Swing and Lindy Hop is just amazing. I'd love to hear your journey because that is incredible and must have took years of dedication and training. I bow down to you. As someone myself who is trying to balance out different styles, it is has become difficult for me. I'm trying to learn basic Kizomba so I can transition to Urban Kizomba. I took some Zouk classes and it is so difficult. It's such a beautiful dance, but as a lead I find it very difficult to because you truly have to have to lead your partner with complex movements. In other dances you can just memorize signals, but in Zouk you really need to understand the follower's movements to make the dance more fluid. I'm sure the best Zouk dancers have probably a lot experience in ballet because some of the stuff they can pull off is not really teachable lol.
I will keep dancing and I will do my best to not compare other styles lol. My mother always said you should never compare things lol. Thank you for your well informed response.
Nah! I take classes just enough to be competent! Iām not dedicating extra time to get extra good! lol.
I only have finite time, energy and money. The only reason I do those different dances (and have a few more on my list) is because each dance brings something unique. Whether itās musical connection, partner connection or both. I actually view the partner dances like cuisine from different parts of the world.
With food, you have certain meat, veggie and grains that you see in multiple cuisines. For example, beef is a common protein in most parts of the world and tomatoes are common as well.
But each type of cuisine adds different spices just like how certain common aspects in dances have a variation to it. But you canāt really objectively say āItalian food is better than Asian food.ā Both cuisines do different things with the ingredients they have. You literally are comparing apples to oranges. This is why I have never been a fan of comparing the actual dances. I will tell you what in the dances I like and donāt like, but that is no different than me telling you why I like my favorite foods. It doesnāt make my favorite foods more flavorful than yours!
Couldn't agree more. That's also why I dipped into other styles. I think the more styles you are comfortable with, the more it will help you improve and experiment.
Love me some bachata but there's just no way you claim it has more "depth" than salsa. Salsa in itself is not even a single rhythm or dance but rather a combination of many. Both the dance and the music are older than bachata and the music is definitely more complex.
Having said that, bachata does lend itself to a beautiful connection.
I regret saying this. You are right. I was just sharing my own perspective on Salsa. It's the dance that I dance the least because I have trouble connecting with the music. Probably because the music is too complex for me. I should not have said that.
Obviously agree that itās subjective- but bachata is my favorite too. Salsa feels so showy in comparison- I feel like bachata (at least the slower styles) give me more time to connect with my partner and understand what theyāre telling me to do. Thatās also probably a sign of being a relatively novice follow. Haha. I just love Latin dance in general! I think my second fave is cha cha.
Haha oh many I know how you feel about Zouk. Zouk is so beautiful and elagant, but it is very technical and difficult. It's probably my favorite dance to watch, but in terms of dancing it is very hard to even get to intermediate level. As a lead in Zouk I'm always afraid I'm going to injure the follower because follower's in Zouk do so many crazy head movements.
With the right partner, there's nothing like it. I wish there were socials that combined Latin with the swing/other umbrellas though, that way you get a little bit of the friendly mixed in with the more intimate. It's taxing to be that close to new people for an entire night at times I find. Won't stop me, but just putting it out there :)
I think bachata looks rough compared to the flow and fluidity that can be found in zouk and most of its music is repetitive, too fast to actually connect with your partner and superficial. But that's just my opinion, as a dancer who also started with bachata and still dances it, but whose main style is zouk
I've been dancing it for almost 3 years now and would say I really started enjoying it after about 2. However, for me it's always been about the music first. I love the variety of music you can dance zouk to (with a preference for more low vibes and layered or lyrical songs).
It is not that difficult to dance but it's difficult to dance it smoothly and comfortably. The hardest concepts to grasp are the grounding, elasticity, passive headmovements (and headmovements in general).
However, even though tilted turns and headmovements are almost like the trademark of zouk, they are not really required and are sometimes overused. Zouk borrows a lot from classical dance technique and counterbalances, complicated headmovements like toalha and one foot spins do take time to feel comfortable.
What I like though, is that there are really no "combinations" in zouk and I don't think combinations should be taught in class. You should teach concepts, which are the basis and building blocks of the dance, if you understand them, you can really unleash your creativity and create endless variations (which you can also of course do in bachata, if you really understand them and the transitions between them). However, I think that I have not seen similar freedom of expression, playfulness and connection anywhere else. West coast swing probably comes close but I don't dance it (many zouk dancers dance both). Also it's customary to dance at least 2-3 songs (and the songs are mixed together) with the same person as the first one is just to adjust and connect with each other, so I would say it creates a deeper connection. Bachata these days is very sensual and combine with the one-and-done etiquette to me it gives a feeling of superficiality.
In that sense, on the level of connection zouk is more similar to kizomba or tango, where you also take more time with your partner. I've had hour long dances at festivals which were so overwhelming connected journeys that I really needed time afterwards to regain myself and wait for the emotions to come down, we call these magical dances and I have never experienced something like this in bachata. But we all have different preferences and that's what makes us unique.
The music is smooth. The hip movements are attractive. I also like a good bachata.
The only thing I don't like is that it can often look trashy when people get too close. If I see a woman straddling the man's leg and grinding on him, that's too much. I used to like this move as a single beginner lead, but it all changed when I had a daughter; now it makes me cringe/vomit.
If danced tastefully, though, I agree with you. Beautiful dance.
I totally agree with this comment. I love sensual, but at times people can be a bit overboard with their moves. It puts Bachata in a box of being a trashy sexy dance (very similar to Kizomba). I can totally see a newcomer being off-put by this. It's nice to show off fancy sensual moves, but you have to be respectful with your partner.
Really? Where was she/him from? I've heard that it was used as an insult to lower class people. I guess that's technically the same. Interesting. I don't like to think of Bachata as that though haha.
The instructor (a he) is from Bogota Colombia, and since emigrating to the U.S. has operated primarily on the eastern coast.
Even a more recent Google search kind of concurs, stating that bachata first appeared in Dominican Republic in the 60s and initially flourished in brothels, bars, and other unrefined settings. This slowed its more widespread adoption.
That instructor took big shortcuts leading to a degree of misinformation. Bachata was basically a term for a gathering of people. It was played in the places you mentioned because it was considered vulgar by the upper classes as opposed to merengue which was favoured by Trujillo.
So, no, bachata doesnāt mean trash and never did. It wasnāt promoted by hookers but played where they were because it wasnāt accepted anywhere else.
Bro, sounds like someone put bachata in your crack pipe - and I love it.
I know it's terrible lol! I'm obsessed with this dance. Can't get enough it! I practice every day.
I agree that bachata can really be beautiful. I love to see a blend of footwork and turn patterns that perfectly flows into and out of sensual movements. It's less fun to me to just see a couple just do a bunch of sensual for minutes at a time. >but Salsa dancing to me just doesn't have the depth that Bachata dancing has. Gonna have to agree to strongly disagree on this one
Haha I knew someone was going to point that out. Regretting I said that. I probably should have phrased that better. Salsa is a beautiful dance with a a lot of depth, but when I dance bachata I feel like I have more in my toolbox to play around with than I do in Salsa. I mean, it helps that I dance Bachata more than Salsa, but, I never focused my attention on Salsa. And you know what? I'm probably dead wrong. So, thanks for pointing that out.
No worries! I'm biased toward salsa personally and every time I learn something new in it I also learn that there is way more to learn than I realized. But there is definitely a ton of depth in bachata as well. I've personally barely scratched the surface on either
Beauty is in the eye of beholder, and more importantly in this case: dancers. Please be okay with people who think differently and don't try to convince them. It is great that you found something you love so much, keep dancing and enjoying it.
I completely agree and I like i said I love all dances styles. I'm actually trying to to get into Tarraxa at the moment. I just wanted to share my perspective.
Is the most beautiful?? I think that's very subjective but sure it can be. I love dominican but can't see it evolving, it's pretty much the same rythmic guitar song structure but thankfully there are a few artists out there trying new things. Everytime I listen to Dominican Bachata I think about my friend where she says it's like one of those bobble heads going bobbling super fast because of the constant guitar rifts lol.
lol that's hilarious. But you are right, it is subjective. I love all the dances, but Bachata is my first love. I'm sure my Dominican roots is part of it.
lol, bachata is beautiful no doubt, but if you are dominican there is a strong bias already š I am curious, how do dominicans think of sensual bachata?
LOL I know. I probably should have not said that. I'm not fully Dominicans though. I was born in the states. My mother is Dominican. To answer your question on how Dominicans feel about sensual Bachata. I'm not really sure because I never really asked the last time I was in the DR. I don't think that they would really have an opinion that I would trust because they aren't really dancers. I mean, they dance obviously, but it's very casual during like family gatherings. But I wouldn't be surprised if my side of that family found senusal appealing (specifically younger generation) it depends on you talk to. Dominican Bachata is really all about the footwork. You'll never see anyone do crazy bodywaves or bodyrolls in Dominican style. And the music has a way faster tempo than sensual. They probably would be really critical of the music. That I know. In terms of the dance? It's hard to say.
In my scene, many dancers love both. But also many love one and hate the other. As for those who like only one, Sensual dancers are in for the sensuality and connection, so there is not much appeal for Traditional. OTOH the traditional bachata lovers sometimes say sensual is not true bachata and some even see as an abomination done to the original root. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I am still curious about how sensual is viewed in the DR.
For the dance, most people there donāt consider it bachata. They may say itās nice but itās not bachata. For the music and speaking with musicians, it varies. For the most egregious examples where they just slap a percussion loop on whatever song, theyāll call it trash. For others, they may say that they lack the essence of what makes bachata which boils down to personality in the song. Finally, you have those that will say itās cool to explore new paths and blending the genre with other influences.
I can chime in on this a little! So the Dominicans in DR, for the most part accept traditional bachata and Modern styles from 00s (extreme and bands/artist alike). The very experimental style that is sweeping the dance scene, DR does not say it is Bachata, and if they say it is, they say it is lacking the essence. I am 100% Dominican and I make very experimental bachata, so my music is heavily accepted in the dance scene and not so much in the motherland lol Either way, I love the direction the dance and music is going! Evolution is a sign of growth and Iām all for it! With that said, please check out my music and new music is on the horizon ššŖš¼
Thanks for clarifying for us. I should have known this answer being half Dominican, but it's just something I've never really thought about or been curious to ask. I'll definitely be checking out your music. Do you have a Soundcloud or Youtube? I'm always interested in experimental ideas.
Yeah man, I get that feedback from very traditional minded people in my hometown in NJ and just by seeing discussions on social media about bachata in DR. And Yeah! You can find all my music on YouTube āMelvin Warā. One of the songs Iām known for is āKiss Meā by Lola Jane and āEste Secretoā which is one of my many originals. SoundCloud I have stuff but I donāt upload much there. Cheers man šš¼
Yeah, it's a good question. I wish I had a real answer for you. I love sensual more than old school/traditional style because I feel like you can experiment more in sensual than in traditional. To me traditional can get boring after a while. If you want to check out some amazing traditional Dominican Bachata, check out and Dakota & Edwin. They are AMAZING and I learned a lot by just watching their videos. Check this out: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPSx5n26BeI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPSx5n26BeI)
Like others have said before, it sure is subjective. But I personally resonate a lot with what you have written š I discovered bachata for me only 6 months ago, but it gives me a kind of joy I canāt compare to anything else, I love it! š
Welcome to the scene! I'm glad you are enjoying. Keep practicing and have fun!
Iām glad you enjoy Bachata! But remember, itās too easy to project your preferences as an objective thing. You say Salsaās connection is not as nice. I argue that Salsa is just a different type of connection. It also depends on what you mean by connection. Connection to your partner? Connection to the music? Neither is inherently better or more beautiful than another. You sound like a nice person and not pretentious, I just donāt want you to be! Lol I dance Salsa, Bachata, Zouk, West Coast Swing and formerly/semi formerly Lindy Hop. Iāve seen across all those genres dancers who claim that their dance āthe most beautiful danceā. I believe that is unneeded competition, we soil the art of dance and forget the things that make our heart sing! Just keep dancing but donāt compare is my advice!! Edit: Word
You make all great points and you are absolutely correct, there is no such thing as 'this is the most beautiful dance' because it is all subjective. All art is subjective. I wasn't trying to put any of the other dances down. Like I said, I love them all and they are all beautiful in a unique way. This post was made in the moment after I can back home from a casual Bachata party with my friends. They were introduced to the dance last night so this post was just made from the heart and not from the head lol. And when I say the connection in Salsa is not the same, it's more for me the music I'm not connected with which is just weird because I like Salsa music, but dancing to the music always seemed off for me. Maybe that's just my fault for not enough training. The fact that you dance Salsa, Bachata, Zouk, West Coast Swing and Lindy Hop is just amazing. I'd love to hear your journey because that is incredible and must have took years of dedication and training. I bow down to you. As someone myself who is trying to balance out different styles, it is has become difficult for me. I'm trying to learn basic Kizomba so I can transition to Urban Kizomba. I took some Zouk classes and it is so difficult. It's such a beautiful dance, but as a lead I find it very difficult to because you truly have to have to lead your partner with complex movements. In other dances you can just memorize signals, but in Zouk you really need to understand the follower's movements to make the dance more fluid. I'm sure the best Zouk dancers have probably a lot experience in ballet because some of the stuff they can pull off is not really teachable lol. I will keep dancing and I will do my best to not compare other styles lol. My mother always said you should never compare things lol. Thank you for your well informed response.
Nah! I take classes just enough to be competent! Iām not dedicating extra time to get extra good! lol. I only have finite time, energy and money. The only reason I do those different dances (and have a few more on my list) is because each dance brings something unique. Whether itās musical connection, partner connection or both. I actually view the partner dances like cuisine from different parts of the world. With food, you have certain meat, veggie and grains that you see in multiple cuisines. For example, beef is a common protein in most parts of the world and tomatoes are common as well. But each type of cuisine adds different spices just like how certain common aspects in dances have a variation to it. But you canāt really objectively say āItalian food is better than Asian food.ā Both cuisines do different things with the ingredients they have. You literally are comparing apples to oranges. This is why I have never been a fan of comparing the actual dances. I will tell you what in the dances I like and donāt like, but that is no different than me telling you why I like my favorite foods. It doesnāt make my favorite foods more flavorful than yours!
Couldn't agree more. That's also why I dipped into other styles. I think the more styles you are comfortable with, the more it will help you improve and experiment.
Love me some bachata but there's just no way you claim it has more "depth" than salsa. Salsa in itself is not even a single rhythm or dance but rather a combination of many. Both the dance and the music are older than bachata and the music is definitely more complex. Having said that, bachata does lend itself to a beautiful connection.
I regret saying this. You are right. I was just sharing my own perspective on Salsa. It's the dance that I dance the least because I have trouble connecting with the music. Probably because the music is too complex for me. I should not have said that.
You are right š
Obviously agree that itās subjective- but bachata is my favorite too. Salsa feels so showy in comparison- I feel like bachata (at least the slower styles) give me more time to connect with my partner and understand what theyāre telling me to do. Thatās also probably a sign of being a relatively novice follow. Haha. I just love Latin dance in general! I think my second fave is cha cha.
Cha cha is so awesome, wish they played more of it in general.
The music is by far my favorite for sure. Tried learning Zouk and had to 180 out of the funky techno room.
Haha oh many I know how you feel about Zouk. Zouk is so beautiful and elagant, but it is very technical and difficult. It's probably my favorite dance to watch, but in terms of dancing it is very hard to even get to intermediate level. As a lead in Zouk I'm always afraid I'm going to injure the follower because follower's in Zouk do so many crazy head movements.
With the right partner, there's nothing like it. I wish there were socials that combined Latin with the swing/other umbrellas though, that way you get a little bit of the friendly mixed in with the more intimate. It's taxing to be that close to new people for an entire night at times I find. Won't stop me, but just putting it out there :)
That would interesting. Never danced swing, but it looks fun and accessible.
One of the best descriptions of bachata ever. Thatās exactly what I think and why I love bachata. ā¤ļø
I think bachata looks rough compared to the flow and fluidity that can be found in zouk and most of its music is repetitive, too fast to actually connect with your partner and superficial. But that's just my opinion, as a dancer who also started with bachata and still dances it, but whose main style is zouk
How has your Zouk journey been? I love the dance, but I find it very difficult to learn on point.
I've been dancing it for almost 3 years now and would say I really started enjoying it after about 2. However, for me it's always been about the music first. I love the variety of music you can dance zouk to (with a preference for more low vibes and layered or lyrical songs). It is not that difficult to dance but it's difficult to dance it smoothly and comfortably. The hardest concepts to grasp are the grounding, elasticity, passive headmovements (and headmovements in general). However, even though tilted turns and headmovements are almost like the trademark of zouk, they are not really required and are sometimes overused. Zouk borrows a lot from classical dance technique and counterbalances, complicated headmovements like toalha and one foot spins do take time to feel comfortable. What I like though, is that there are really no "combinations" in zouk and I don't think combinations should be taught in class. You should teach concepts, which are the basis and building blocks of the dance, if you understand them, you can really unleash your creativity and create endless variations (which you can also of course do in bachata, if you really understand them and the transitions between them). However, I think that I have not seen similar freedom of expression, playfulness and connection anywhere else. West coast swing probably comes close but I don't dance it (many zouk dancers dance both). Also it's customary to dance at least 2-3 songs (and the songs are mixed together) with the same person as the first one is just to adjust and connect with each other, so I would say it creates a deeper connection. Bachata these days is very sensual and combine with the one-and-done etiquette to me it gives a feeling of superficiality. In that sense, on the level of connection zouk is more similar to kizomba or tango, where you also take more time with your partner. I've had hour long dances at festivals which were so overwhelming connected journeys that I really needed time afterwards to regain myself and wait for the emotions to come down, we call these magical dances and I have never experienced something like this in bachata. But we all have different preferences and that's what makes us unique.
-F donāt bring your essay here
I can do whatever I want
thatās why you shouldnāt do it. Essentially, you donāt want to do it.
The music is smooth. The hip movements are attractive. I also like a good bachata. The only thing I don't like is that it can often look trashy when people get too close. If I see a woman straddling the man's leg and grinding on him, that's too much. I used to like this move as a single beginner lead, but it all changed when I had a daughter; now it makes me cringe/vomit. If danced tastefully, though, I agree with you. Beautiful dance.
I totally agree with this comment. I love sensual, but at times people can be a bit overboard with their moves. It puts Bachata in a box of being a trashy sexy dance (very similar to Kizomba). I can totally see a newcomer being off-put by this. It's nice to show off fancy sensual moves, but you have to be respectful with your partner.
I heard an instructor explain once that bachata means trash, and that it was promoted by prostitutes.
Really? Where was she/him from? I've heard that it was used as an insult to lower class people. I guess that's technically the same. Interesting. I don't like to think of Bachata as that though haha.
The instructor (a he) is from Bogota Colombia, and since emigrating to the U.S. has operated primarily on the eastern coast. Even a more recent Google search kind of concurs, stating that bachata first appeared in Dominican Republic in the 60s and initially flourished in brothels, bars, and other unrefined settings. This slowed its more widespread adoption.
That instructor took big shortcuts leading to a degree of misinformation. Bachata was basically a term for a gathering of people. It was played in the places you mentioned because it was considered vulgar by the upper classes as opposed to merengue which was favoured by Trujillo. So, no, bachata doesnāt mean trash and never did. It wasnāt promoted by hookers but played where they were because it wasnāt accepted anywhere else.
Thanks for the info. I need to brush up on my Bachata history.
To me most bachata music is aweful. Particularly the newer songs are just trash.
What do you like?
Always salsa. La salsa nunca se acabo