In 2012, noted bachata singer Zacarías Ferreira spoke out against such bias, saying the genre was still being discriminated against, and alleging that some social clubs asked him to do balada renditions of his hits. Born in the Dominican Republic in 1960s, bachata was a genre that gave working class people a voice to release their sorrows, yet the ruling class was quick to dismiss its contributions to the country’s cultural makeup. Much like the Puerto Rican-Panamanian hybrid genre reggaetón, bachata and its Afro-diasporic working-class origins were once derided by the nation’s elite. While Santos could have tapped the likes of Ozuna, Daddy Yankee or other international acts like he did on Golden, in Utopia he opted to pay respects to the very legends within a genre where artists had to fight for that very recognition. “What do you think, my son?” Anthony asks, before Santos confesses that he’ll spend a fortune making women’s dreams of having the moon come true. Meanwhile, Romeo defers to the veteran Antony Santos in “Bellas,” a duet of monumental proportions. Yet while Aventura stole the press cycle, slow tracks like the Joe Veras-featured “Amor Enterrado” (“Buried Love”), or “Los Últimos” (“The Last Ones”) with Luis Vargas, are ripe with the deeply heartfelt songwriting that have made the genre timeless. Placing it at the very end of the album is a statement of sorts: “It’s like we never left,” Romeo says. “Nothing destroys it.”)įrom the emotional lyricism that will likely trigger countless drunk texts between ex-lovers, to Lenny Santos’ infectious guitar riffs, “Inmortal” is not just a ballad to a lady, but to bachata: describing an infatuation that cannot be escaped. (“Nobody understands how this love works,” Santos sings. The song opens with a soft-melody on guitar strings, before Santos reminds us “Tu grupo favorito” (“your favorite group”) before going on to describe a poignant romance. With their surprise comeback single, “Inmortal,” Aventura makes their agenda clear: to inspire tears and romance stubborn hearts. Seeing as the entire album is a nod to his own musical genesis, it was only fitting that Santos brought back Aventura 10 years since their separation. Yet most exciting of all is the reunion of Aventura, the band of heartthrobs that helped launch Santos’ career, and most importantly made bachata’s mark on the global pop mainstream during the 2000s. All of these are the very artists Dominicans hold dear. (Not that it ever left to begin with.)Īn unapologetic tribute to the genre’s roots, Santos’ new album features collaborations with some of bachata’s biggest names, from genre godfather Antony “El Mayimbe” Santos, to male-female duo Monchy y Alexandra. Utopia feels like the moment where his unrelenting loyalty to bachata reaches a new peak, as he heralds it in into the world in its purest, classic form.įrom the album’s onset, Santos begins with a rendition of the merengue classic, “Dominicano Soy” (“I Am Dominican”), reminding fans that while reggaetón may have the spotlight on the international stage, bachata is here to stay. As he landed features with Drake, Usher and Marc Anthony, he turned them to bachata before ever switching his own style-they adapt to him. Santos rose through the ranks and defied expectations, all while sticking to a genre far from pop, or the more traditionally accepted salsa. That he dedicated his latest album to his country, and the music that birthed him, bachata, makes Utopia cathartic in a world where folkloric genres often become sterilized by the pop music machine. To the general public, Santos is a sensation, often labeled a “Casanova” for wooing listeners with his romancing ways, sprinkling catchphrases like “let me find out” or “tú Romeo mami” (“your Romeo mami” ) throughout his songs.īut to his fellow Dominicans, he is a beloved figure, a hero of sorts who made the small nation and its diaspora feel seen across the world. Utopia imagines a world where perfection exists in the arms of a loved one, dancing closely to a rhythm that has pulled at the heartstrings of millions of his fans. “Maldito sentimiento” (“Damned feelings”) he sings, both as a sorrow and an affirmation in the 13-track ode to bachata. The bitterness of love recognized as amargue cannot escape Romeo Santos in his newest album Utopia. Album cover art from Romeo Santos’ Utopia.
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