Bachata A Social History of a Dominican Popular Music [Paperback]

Deborah Pacini Hernandez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 1995

Like rap in the United States, bachata began as a music of the poor and dispossessed. Originating in the shantytowns of the Dominican Republic, it reflects the social and economic dislocation of the poorest Dominicans. Derived from the Latin American tradition of guitar music, bachata emerged in the 1960s only to be denigrated by the media, mainstream musicians, and middle- and upper-class Dominicans, mainly because the lyrics often about hard drinking, women troubles, illicit sex, and male bravado were considered vulgar and worthless. While popular radio filled the air waves with merengue and salsa, bachata musicians were forced to develop their own system of producing and distributing their music. Not until Juan Luis Guerra won a Grammy in 1992 for his album "Bachata Rosa" did bachata gain legitimacy and international recognition. Deborah Pacini Hernandez traces the impact of political upheaval and rural migrations on the development of bachata and the Dominican music industry. Her multi-disciplinary study analyzes the changing attitudes about bachata and its principal musical competitor, merengue. She considers issues of sex and gender as perceived and expressed by bachata's mostly male musicians, especially in the context of changing patterns of marriage. Exploring how bachata like rap became respectable and even fashionable, Pacini Hernandez offers a unique perspective of five decades of social, economic, and political change in the Dominican Republic. Deborah Pacini Hernandez is Assistant Professor and Associate Director at the Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[A]n important work on many levels. [Hernandez'] writings trace the impact of political upheaval and rural migration on the development of bachata and Dominican music in general [and analyze] issues of sex and gender as expressed by bachata's mostly male interpreters." --New York Latino "Deep in the shadow of the glamorous merengue, the Dominican Republic has nurtured a music called bachata whose history parallels the blues'. With consummate skill, Deborah Pacini Hernandez sorts out the many forces that have shaped this style from the bottom up. This book is an explanatory wonder that integrates music, politics, geography, history, media, global and local culture." --Charles Keil, State University of New York at Buffalo, author of Urban Blues and Polka Happiness "This is a profound contribution to the understanding of contemporary Latin American and Caribbean culture. Pacini uses her study of a dynamic and increasingly popular form of Dominican music to draw a remarkable portrait of a society in transition. Combining the best in modern cultural theory with an intimate familiarity with grassroots culture, Pacini's book provides unique and richly nuanced perspectives on the vicissitudes of modernization and urbanization." --Peter Manuel, City University of New York, author of Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae

From the Publisher

Tracing bachata's rise to popularity and the implications of its development

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 381 pages
• Publisher: Temple University Press (June 6, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566393000
• ISBN-13: 978-1566393003
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #245,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > History > Americas > Caribbean & West Indies > Dominican Republic

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Detailed and well researched, but dated, June 25, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Bachata A Social History of a Dominican Popular Music (Paperback)

I'm glad to have gotten this book, but the cover photo of Raulin Rodriguez is somewhat misleading. I'm a huge fan of Raulin and I was hoping to read more about his impact on the popularity of the Bachata in the DR. There is still a lot of stigma attached to the Bachata as music suited for bothels and shantytowns and the emergence of Raulin and Antony Santos has done much to make this form of music legit in the public view. The bachata of today is very different than the political songs described in the book. It also seems to me that most of the research took place in the Santo Domingo area rather than on the north coast where the Bachata is far more popular. Just as you wouldn't research country music in NYC, it seems odd to research the Bachata in the DR's largest city. A full follow-up book on the Bachata of today would be great that includes the Americanization of the form by such groups as Aventura and the current complexity of the music's guitar form.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZINGLY DETAILED HISTORY OF BACHATA MUSIC, December 19, 2001

By 

Sam E. Sage (NYC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bachata A Social History of a Dominican Popular Music (Paperback)

Deborah Pacini Hernandez offers an excellently researched, intelligently written, and amazingly detailed history of the Dominican Republic's Bachata music. Be forewarned ... this is not an easy book to read; this is not a glib magazine article with a superficial history of Bachata. On the contrary, Ms. Hernandez analyzes the growth of Bachata from a socio-economic / political and cultural point of view and her discussions and overall presentation often read like a doctoral dissertation.

Despite the book's academic tone, it is a wonderfully rich, engrossing study of Bachata and I highly recommend it. The book covers the birth of Bachata (circa the early 1960's) and traces its growth up until the early 1990's. I would like Ms. Hernandez to write another book that covers the explosive growth and popularity of Bachata from the mid 1990's up to the present. Ms. Hernandez is to be commended on her extraordinary research and intelligent presentation. I rate this book: A+.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect book of Dominican culture, February 24, 1998

By 

Art Vandelay "Art" (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bachata A Social History of a Dominican Popular Music (Paperback)

This book not only has a detailed history of Bachata, it also has some of the most insightful information about race and class and how the music of the Dominican Republic reflects the times. It also has some great history of the Merengue. I lived in the DR for two and a half years, and i feel this book captures Dominican culture perfectly.