ARTIST: The Bachata Legends
TITLE: The Bachata Legends
LABEL: iASO
REVIEW: Bachata is a guitar-based style from the Dominican Republic, related to bolero, merengue and son, that has long been popular at home – it’s the country music of the DR. Since 2007, iASO Records has been doing a great job of bringing it to the attention of the rest of the world. On this project, iASO has reunited the guitarist and four singers who toured as “Lunes De Amargue” in the early 80’s – each popular in his own right, they were kind of the Buena Vista Social Club or the Kekele of bachata, only two decades ahead of their time. Recorded in proper 21st century studio conditions (most of their original recordings were made on 2-track, frequently with a single microphone), these versions of popular bachatas capture the gorgeous, soulful quality that Dominicans call amargue (literally “bitterness,” a concept similar to American blues or Portguese saudade) for which the genre is famous. It’s also famous for great guitar playing, and on this recording Edilio Paredes provides an absolute clinic in how to play the requinto, the slightly undersized Spanish guitar that handles the lead part in bachata. TOP TRACKS: 1 7 8 9
ALSO RECOMMENDED: 4 11 14
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