The Bachata Legends (iASO Records iASCD7, 2011)
The iASO label continues its admirable traditional bachata rescue work with a new album titled The Bachata Legends. This oustanding collection brings together some of the best performers of the rootsier form of Dominican bachata, which is characterized by the use of the requinto (derived from the Spanish guitar), Afro-Dominican percussion and bittersweet love songs.
The Bachata Legends features Ramón Cordero, Ysidro Cabrera “El Chivo Sin Ley”, Leonardo Paniagua, Augusto Santos, and Edilio Paredes. The six musicians kept traditional bachata alive in the 1980s through a series of concerts called “Lunes de Amargue” (amargue translates loosely as the bitter-sweet feeling of unattained love). At the time, the series was very successful and led to copycat programs such as the ‘Noches de Amargue’ (bittersweet nights). Bachata began being referred to as “música de amargue”, a term still used today.
In 2008, the increasing interest in traditional bachata in the United States led to a series of concerts in North America under The Bachata Roja Legends. iASO Records organized recording sessions at New York’s Studio One East, where they recorded songs by Ramón Cordero, Ysidro Cabrera “El Chivo Sin Ley”, Leonardo Paniagua, Augusto Santos, and Edilio Paredes. The result is The Bachata Legends, a collection of high quality recordings by the now veteran musicians, who are keeping the venerable tradition alive.
The Bachata Legends brings together some of the finest traditional bachata singer-songwriters and performers of the Dominican requinto guitar.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
