In May 2024, I embarked on an exciting two-week adventure across Europe. My mission: to capture the sounds of Bachata across Europe for my project "BCHTA RISING." The journey began in Rome, Italy, where I had the privilege of recording a newcomer to the genre, Felix, and engaging in deep conversations with his producer, DJ Alexio. From there, I ventured to Cadiz, Spain, where I spent several days with the talented Mario Baro, collaborating on numerous songs at his home in Puerto Real. The adventure continued in Mallorca, where I had the unique opportunity to record Sebastian Garreta, a rising voice in the bachata world, at a studio housed in a 1700s-era home. Finally, I flew to Madrid to record Dama, a dynamic artist who left a lasting impression on me.
Two decades ago, when I first began producing bachata in the South Bronx, I never imagined that I would one day travel around Europe recording artists from Spain and Italy for a project. As I mentioned in my previous entry, modern bachata was not just music for us, sons and daughters of Dominican immigrants in New York. It was a cultural bridge, a way to find our place in the United States while discovering our roots in our parents' and grandparents' native land. The journey I'm about to share with you is a testament to the power of music to transcend borders and connect people from different cultures.
My travels first took me to Rome, the bustling capital city of Italy. An artist I produce, Pinto Picasso, was already in Italy on tour, and our schedules perfectly aligned for me to join him on stage, playing keyboards during one of his concerts. It was impressive to witness how music can break down language barriers. Italian natives, some of whom didn't speak Spanish, were singing along word-for-word to Pinto's Spanish language songs. Over dinner with Pinto, the promoter, and two other European bachata producersāDJ Alexio from Italy and DJ Trunky, who's originally from Albaniaāwe discussed the impact of our music. How something created in such an intimate setting can grow wings and, without any control of our own, find its way around the world to inspire other humans.
The next day, I headed to a recording studio near the ancient walls of Rome; the same walls that once protected the city from invaders now welcomed me in armed with a hard drive full of bongos and guiras. My session was with Felix, a Cuban-born artist now living in Torino, Italy, who, like me, was "ni de aquĆ, ni de allĆ”," trying to find his place among Europe's many cultures. Felix, influenced by a diverse range of artists, including Aventura, Romeo Santos, Prince Royce, and Toby Love, had been shaped by the seeds we planted during our initial Europe tours 15 years before, unknowingly influencing a new generation of artists in a remote part of the world.
Rome is rich in culture and history, and you can feel the ancient energy in the air while walking around the small stone-paved roads near the Piazza della Rotonda. I sat at a small coffee shop overlooking the Pantheon, absorbing the residual energy from the numerous cultures that once breathed the same air. As I sipped on an espresso, listening to the song Felix and I completed the night before, I marveled at how this music, which once helped me find myself, was now becoming, if even in a small way, a part of this ancient culture.
My journey then took me to Cadiz, Spain, an area steeped in history and culture. As the oldest continuously inhabited city in Western Europe, it holds a special place in Spanish history. Walking through the cobblestone streets of Cadiz and Puerto Real, where I stayed with producer and artist Mario Baro, felt like stepping back in time. Mario, a Cadiz-born "Gaditano" with deep roots in the region's musical culture, immediately welcomed me into his world, further enriching my understanding of the cultural significance of bachata.
We began our sessions as soon as I arrived. Despite never meeting in person before, our shared passion for bachata and love for music and culture melted any initial awkwardness.
As we worked together, I began to realize that Mario was more than a bachateroāhe was a Gaditano expressing himself through bachata. I needed to know more, so we took some time to watch his father, a talented musician and carpenter, perform Sevillanos and Flamenco at a local bar. The performance, in preparation for the Feria de Cadiz, was life-changing. A three-piece group with a guitar, a Cajon, and a vocalist sang regional standards, with people of all ages singing and dancing. Later, Mario's father shared insights into the region's musical culture over some local wine, including the Carnaval de Cadiz, one of Spain's oldest and most important carnivals. Through my conversations with Mario, I learned about the multiple branches of flamenco, a vast genealogical tree of rhythms, melodies, and themes that have evolved over centuries. Understanding this changed how Mario and I created music from that point on. The "amargue" and rhythmic and melodic structures of flamenco and Sevillanas deepened my understanding of bachata's roots.
From Cadiz, I flew east to the Balearic island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea. Today, a bustling summer getaway, the island has a rich cultural history, perhaps due to the numerous civilizations that at some point occupied the land, including the Romans and Muslims. Adding to the rich culture, the island locals speak a mix of Spanish and a dialect of Catalan called "Mallorqui." In my 24 hours there, I met with Sebas Garreta, a native of Palma, and DJ Husky, a bachata producer from Sevilla with Puerto Rican and Chilean heritage (another "ni de aquĆ, ni de allĆ”"). We spoke about the genre's young history and key players, with them eager to hear stories from someone who was "in the room where it happened." Our session was in a recording studio in the island's mountainous region, housed in a historic home built in the 1700s. Despite its age, the house provided a modern setting to record bachata, a genre so young that many pioneers are still alive, yet whose roots led me to this ancient land.
In Madrid, my final stop, I found the city's energy similar to New York's. My Uber driver, a Dominican immigrant, and I shared a similar story; he grew up looking to find his place in a melting pot, with the main difference being that there was no language barrier in Spain. Arriving at my session with Dama, a brilliant artist from Sevilla, I was struck by her creative energy, passion for music, and drive. Dama's voice, seemingly influenced by R&B, Flamenco, Pop, and Bachata, was refreshing in a genre predominantly dominated by men. Watching her make traditional flamenco hand movements while recording R&B vocal lines in Spanish over the pulse of bachata bongos was a powerful fusion of cultures and influences. It was a moment that marked the end of my journey and symbolized the beginning of a new chapter in my musical career, one that is more passion-driven and connected to the world around me.
My mission at the start of this trip was to record vocals for my upcoming album, BCHTA RISING 2. I found much more. I discovered a group of talented artists I now call my colleagues and friends, all brought together by the invisible string of music. I uncovered roots extending deep into various cultures and sounds, converging to form a strong foundation. Bachata is a relatively new style of music. Still, its roots stretch back to the early influences of the Roman empire, where the Spanish language partially originated from, to the Flamenco and Sevillanas from Spain, the rhythms and soul of the African continent, and the powerful invisible energy that connects us all. This trip was an absolute life-changing moment if all I gained from this journey were friendships, cultural wealth, and the experience of the process.
I Invite you to join these talented artists in their individual musical journeys by following them on Instagram, you will not be disappointed.
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