For many in the Salsa and Latin dance scene, Bachata is not as well known as the other Latin dances. Indeed, when it comes to this native Dominican dance many of us know very little about the influences that formed what we understand today as bachata. Fortunately, others have extensively studied the history of bachata dance and compiled their findings.
I recently was sent an email about one such resource in the form of a book called “Bachata: A Social History of a Dominican Popular Music” by Deborah Pacini Hernandez. I’ve included a synopsis from Google Book Search for you all to review.
An interesting aspect about Deborah’s book is the comparison that she makes between the development of Bachata and Rap music. She identifies that both genres share a parallel history in the way both became more main stream and respectable.
Check out the book and share your thoughts about it by leaving a comment. Enjoy!