Bachata (Dominican dance); Vitamin R (rum)

[Barnhart]

>From the future issue of The Barnhart DICTIONARY COMPANION:

bachata, ba CHA tah /ba’cha ta/, n. {W}  1.  a popular form of music from
Dominican Republic, characterized by bitter themes.  Compare tipico and
salsa and bamba.  Standard (used in contexts dealing especially with
entertainment; frequency?)

The “merengue tipico” (or “perico ripiao”) and the “bachata” derives from
the countryside of the Dominican Republic. The "tipico" has an infectious
party rhythm which, no matter where you're from, invites you to dance. The
“bachata” on the other hand can be compared to the “blues”, where its
melancholic sounds makes you yearn for a love long ago gone.  Spanish
Goodies.com,
<http://spanishgoodies.safeshopper.com/11/cat11.htm?984>

And it's not just the older generation that listens to the music of their
homeland. Many teens born in the United States are rabid fans of all
styles of Latin music, a direct influence of their parents. It is not
unusual to see low-slung cars booming to the intricate rhythms of
Merengue, Mambo, Salsa, or Bachata, where in other neighborhoods hip-hop
might be the choice.  Dylan M. Archilla, “Soul of a community: Latin music
binds UC, WNY communities,” The Union City Reporter.com, Jan. 19, 2003,
<http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=6731671&BRD=1295&PAG=461&dept_id=142205&rfi=6>

Dominican music comes in two forms: the exuberantly sensuous merengue and
something called “bachata.”  Bachata – which sounds like the Gypsy Kings
meet Paul Simon in Graceland – is devoted to hurtin’ love songs.  “I love
bachata,” says Santana. “When I listen to bachata, I cry.”  Laura Robin,
“Take sweet talk with grain of salt,” Edmonton Journal [Edmonton
Canada.com], Jan. 19, 2003,
<http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/story.asp?id=C40F6C4F-BE1E-459C-8505-49F562AF55DD>

For those who want to start the year with a little more snap, try the New
Year's Party Latino Style at the Chena River Convention Center. The
family-oriented dance will start at 9 p.m. and go until 2 a.m.   “We’ll
have a wide variety of Latino music: salsa, merengue, bachata, tejano,
ranchero,” said organizer Jose Martinez, owner of ATM Productions. The
cost is $10 a person, ages 12 and older. There will be door prizes,
including a grand prize of a patriotic leather jacket, Martinez said.
Diana Campbell, “New Year’s Eve Offers Variety of Events,” Fairbanks
[Alaska] News-Miner, Dec. 31, 2002,
<http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113%257E7247%257E1082357,00.html>

2. Attributive use.

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,
“Bachata; A Social History of a Dominican Popular Music,” Temple
University, 2003,
<http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/1135_reg.html>

Featuring performances and interviews with Bachata artists and
ethno-musicologists, the hour-long documentary was shot in New York and
Santo Domingo. It is the first in-depth exploration of this musical genre,
examining various influences from neighboring Caribbean countries and its
parallels with American Blues.  “Filmmaker presents documentary about
Bachata music,” News Release from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point,
Nov. 5, 2002,
<http://www.uwsp.edu/news/pr/scBachata.htm>

1991? (in English).  Loan word (borrowing): from Spanish bachata, meaning
“.”  Perhaps related to bacha, meaning “butt, stub,” or bache, meaning
“bad time.”


bachatera, bah cha TAIR uh, /ba t*a’ter a/, n. {W}  a woman who performs
bachata.  Standard (used in contexts dealing especially with entertainment
in general and music in particular; frequency?)

Many informal jam sessions on back porches and patios, the essence of
roots Bachata, were also documented. In addition to Luis Vargas, known as
the Supreme King of Bitterness, featured artists include Teodoro Reyes
(the wise little blind man), Raulín Rodríguez (the chieftain), Ramon
Cordero, Eladio Romero Santos, Joan Soriano, Luis Segura and Aridia
Ventura, the sole female bachatera in a sea of machismo. Scenes in poor
neighborhoods of Santo Domingo and other towns introduce supporting
characters to develop some of the themes of what is definitely a music of
the people.  “Santo Domingo Blues: ‘Notes on the Making of Santo Domingo
Blues’,” Mombo Media,
<http://www.santodomingoblues.com/themaking.html>

Loan word (borrowing): from Spanish bachatera.  Compare bachata.


bachatero, bah chuh TAIR oh /ba t*a’TER ou/, n.   a musician who plays or
sings bachata.    Compare bachatera.   Standard (used in contexts dealing
especially with entertainment in general and music in particular;
frequency?)

AW [Afropop Worldwide]: What artistic names have you used over the years?
LV [Luis Vargas]: First they called me the "Jefe Supremo de la Bachata"
[Supreme Boss of Bachata]. A friend of mine who was a radio disk jockey
baptized me with that one. His name is Salvador Díaz Alejo. In that area
of the northeast border line [with Haiti] I was the only bachatero. There
were no others. That's when they called me the "Jefe Supremo." Later when
I moved to Santiago de los Caballeros, they baptized me the "Rey Supremo
de la Bachata" [the Supreme King of Bachata]. These terms, these
qualifiers, don't have anything to do with trying to be superior to
anyone. It's just that these nicknames have become a tradition in Bachata.
I don't really feel like a king, but I like my nickname.
AW: What do you call te guitar you use now?
LV: The one I use now? Well, it's a normal guitar but we have adapted it
to carry a pickup microphone, as if it were electric. I was the first one
to make this modification.  Later other bachateros begin to do the same.
Alex Wolf, “Santo Domingo Blues” an interview with Luis Vargas for Afropop
Worldwide <http://www.afropop.org/multi/interview/ID/24>

1998?  Loan word (borrowing): from Spanish bachatero.  Compare bachata.

David K. Barnhart, Editor/Publisher
The Barnhart DICTIONARY COMPANION
Lexik at highlands.com