What is Bachata?
Submitted by ssteph on Sat, 03/19/2011 - 19:58.
Bachata is from the Dominican Republic and has been in Toronto since at least 93, when I used to listen to DominiCanada at Berlin nightclub (now Six Degrees). It kind of died as the predominant Latino crowd from Berlin got scattered when Berlin closed. It made a strong reappearance in Australia, of all places, Sweden, Washington, San Fransisco, LA and now Toronto, thanks to our Toronto Bachata Festival! Zouk and Kizomba are also partnering with bachata festivals, giving the world a way to explore different kinds of Latin dances.
Bachata has 2 main dance styles: Dominican, which has more hip movement, footwork and closed holds, and Urban Bachata which has hip hop influences, shines, bigger body movement including body waves, and tricks.
Bachata can be traditional, with a predominant sound of guitar/tres, tambora and guira, or it can sound like urban soul music. It is romantic in nature, (usually the singer is lamenting a broken heart), and can vary in tempos (slow, faster).
Check out our monthly one-nighter competitions coming up May-September 2011, which will alternate with zouk, for cash prizes at the Sunday Salsa Social!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb5oKZExypo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLLVAa5ufUQ
Leslie & Jorge doing Dominican
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOtlRB8RQXI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbn7lYVgYxs
