Bachata

The expected stars are all here: Juan Luis Guerra and his sophisticated take on bachata mystique. The new wave of hyper-romantic bachateros such as Aventura and Monchy & Alexandra. We also meet the delightfully nasal vocalizing of veteran crooner Luis Segura. No wonder they call him El Papá de la Bachata.

The highly sentimental nature of bachata lyrics demand a specific type of vocalist, poignant and mellifluous. Listen to Zacarías Ferreira's "Dime Qué Faltó" and you will understand why he is known as La Voz de la Ternura (The Voice of Tenderness).

With its bilingual lyrics and smooth production values, Xtreme represents the new sound of bachata - check out the instantly hummable chorus of "Adónde Se Fue?" Recorded in the Dominican Republic, the romantic "Galleticas De Avena" finds singer/songwriter Enrique Féliz exploring the more poetic aspects of Dominican culture.

Long before it was called bachata, the most soulful music ever to come out of the Dominican Republic was rightfully known as música del amargue: music of bitterness, meant to be enjoyed in seedy cafés, drunk on the stupor of unrequited love. The criminally underrated bachata overflows with spiraling guitar lines, soft bongó beats and impassioned singing. Its lyrics are lyrics of love. Its rhythm beckons you to dance. Resistance is futile.