Bachata is a genre of music that originated in the countryside and the rural neighborhoods of the Dominican Republic. Its subjects are often romantical; especially prevalent are tales of heartbreak and sadness. In fact, the original term used to name the genre was amargue ("bitterness," or "bitter music"), until the rather ambiguous (and mood-neutral) term bachata became popular. The form of dance, Bachata, also developed with the music.

Bachata originates from the Dominican Republic and is a guitar based music which recently evolved from bolero. During much of its history Bachata music was denigrated by Dominican society and associated with rural backwardness and delinquency. In the 1990s, bachata's instrumentation changed from acoustic Spanish guitar to electric steel string. The new electric bachata soon became an international phenomenon, and today bachata is as popular as salsa and merengue in Latin American dancehalls

The typical bachata group consists of five instruments: Requinto (or lead guitar), rhythm guitar, electric bass guitar, bongos and güira. Bachata groups mostly play an evolved style of bolero, but when they instead play merengue based bachata, the percussionist will switch from bongo to a tambora drum. In the 1960s and 70s, maracas were used instead of guira. The change in the 1980s from maracas to the more versatile guira was made as bachata was becoming more dance oriented.^[1]

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