Canciones de arargue, or songs of bitterness – was the original name of the creolized form Bachata. Many closely associate Bachata with other Caribbean styles of the African diaspora such as merengue and son. In Intro to Music Cultures of the World we were given the task of attending a world music concert. I chose to attend a Bachata concert because I already had an interest in Caribbean music. The concert wasn't what I expected, but it was quite intriguing and really enjoyable. In this report I hope to analyze the roots of Bachata, report on its concert style, and compare it to another piece of the genre. Bachata is a creolized music, meaning there is both European and African influence. It is also a descendant of a few different musical forms from the Dominican Republic and Cuba: mainly son, but also merengue and ranchera. Son is the music of the African diaspora, commonly implicated in debates over the permanence of Africa. Elements of African music, such as call and response and the preference for polyrhythm, have survived the middle passage and are deeply rooted in Caribbean tradition. Stringed instruments are believed to have been part of the European influence on the area, as were harmonic patterns, verse-chorus structure, and prominent double meter. Modern bands consist of two electro-acoustic guitars, an electric bass, a guira (a percussion instrument from the Dominican Republic), and bongos (Hutchinson). Bachata is thought to have originated in rural areas, being the music of choice in rural friendly gatherings, similar to Son's roots. Bachata then migrated to the cities with the poor in search of work. With this move the music transformed into something completely different from its romantic, serene...... middle of paper......n... interesting; however, Bachata surprised me and sparked a revival in my interest in Caribbean music. I believe I have grown musically since I attended the concert and I hope to participate more in the future. All in all, Bachata is a precious repertoire full of references to multiple musical cultures from all over the world. Works Cited Hutchinson, Sydney. "Bullshit." Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, 2 June 2011. Web. 12 November 2013. Ross, Karl. “Bachata: The Other Dance Music – Once confined to girls' bars and brothels, Dominican Republic Bachata is making its way into the Latin music mainstream.” Billboard - The International Weekly of Music, Video and Home Entertainment, April 28, 2001: Sec Latin Music 6, Package: LM-36. ProQuest. Network. 15 November 2013. Various artists. El Molde. 2004. Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries. Network. November 15. 2013.