El Duque de la Bachata (Iaso Records IAS-CD/DVD-005, 2010)
Joan Soriano is known as El Duque de la Bachata (The Duke of bachata). His latest recording is a double set titled El Duque de la Bachata which contains a music CD recorded live in a Santo Domingo studio and a documentary DVD.
Soriano is one of the leading figures in the rootsier version of the Dominican bachata, which is primarily acoustic. His style is characterized by melancholic and bittersweet love songs that feature percussion (bongos, guira, tambora and palos), bass, vocals and steel string guitars. The guitars are the essential element is Soriano’s sound. Soriano is a compelling vocalist and a virtuoso instrumentalist who weaves superb intricate melodies with his guitar.
El Duque de la Bachata was born in the rural countryside near Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Joan Soriano built his first guitar from a tin can and fishing line. At age 13 Joan hitchhiked to Santo Domingo and started working with some of the island’s greatest bachata stars.
The DVD is a documentary produced and directed by Adam Taub. El Duque de la Bachata follows the efforts of Joan Soriano, who is trying to record a hit CD and widespread recognition as a musician. Soriano is well known in the local community and locals are proud of his achievements. The documentary also focuses on Soriano’s large extended family living in the rural countryside of Monte Plata. The family hopes that musical success will provide better living conditions. The documentary includes scenes of the recording sessions carried out by producer Benjamin de Menil.
I contacted bachata music producer Benjamin de Menil with Iaso Records and he told me about an artist he was working with named Joan Soriano, The Duke of the Bachata. The Duke! That sounded interesting!
I got his number and flew to the Dominican Republic. My plan was to meet many musicians on the trip and then decide who I would like to work with on a doc. Joan was the first one I met and I never searched out any other musicians!
The first day, he took me to meet his large family in the countryside and we all got along very well. Joan played music and his dad and sisters danced. I filmed with Joan that trip and on two other trips over the course of a year to get the footage for this doc.”
El Duque de la Bachata is a fascinating musical portrait of a skilled young bachata musician. An excellent introduction to rural bachata.
Buy the album:
- In North America: El Duque de la Bachata
- In Europe: El Duque De La Bachata
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.
