well, ladronaso, we agree on at least two things . firstly, the everyday bachata tends to be lacking in creativity. but then again, you could be right about my lack of understanding because i am not latin. but then again, i am not afro american, and i can definitively say that funk is not repetitive and lacking in creativity. nobody is going to confuse earth . wind and fire with james brown, or the ohio players. every bachata song i have ever heard has the same plunking guitar riff. and the chord progressions are very elementary major key sequences. the potential is there, but innovation is lacking. on the topic of old school salsa...give me Fania, Gran Combo, Willie Colon, Tito Puente, Marvin Santiago before all other latin music. and send Marc Antony and his ilk to a gulag, for chrissake!

I think the lack of creativity is attributed to insecurity and a view to "stick to what you know and what is working". When your are intrepid at heart you will go beyond your comfort zone, explore and create new rhythms, styles etc. Dominicans tend to let others do the exploring and then following (copying), as I like to say . Because of social uncertainty this has been embedded in Dominican psyche.

This is why Salsa was/is called Salsa, Because of its creativity.

ladronaso as usual, your insights are brilliant. i remember once visiting a village called yasica, and two young men were practicising on their guitars. they told me that their dream was to become bachata musicians, and i congratulated them for it. but they were practising the very same guitar riff that i heard in every bachata i listen to. why is it that they could not have been creating something new, unique to them, in order to make their own statement? because they saw the succes of another song with the same sounds, and they wanted to play it safe. well, playing it safe is what degrades music. Miles Davis did not play it safe.James Brown did not, either. music is an expression which comes from creative souls, and copying something you already heard leads to sterility. all my expatriate friends have the exact same opinion of bachata as i do: listening to more than one in sequence leads to boredom. we do not mind dancing to it after a few cold presidentes, but it is not the type of music to sit down to for a listening session.

As a matter of fact I think I have visited Yasica. If I'm correct it sits between Santiago Mao and Montecristi.

Dominicans are risk adverse and don't venture beyond their solar system. Many of the Bachata players have rather good vocal tecnques/ability but rather than experimenting with new ideas and going beyond, breaking barriers they don't.

One thing that really would really urk me about Dominican Musicians was the way they would always have to promote the name of the band in the song. I think this was really tacky and reduced the image, quality of the artist.

I think we have a long way before Dominican music can be taken serious and as creative cultural music..

"Dominicans tend to let others do the exploring and then following (copying), as I like to say . Because of social uncertainty this has been embedded in Dominican psyche."

Are you serious?????

yes, ny4life, he is serious, unless you can provide evidence to the contrary. my principal hobby is stereo systems, and every speaker i have seen which is made in this country looks exactly like every other one. all the electronicas sell the same components, the cabinets are all made the same way, and nobody knows any more about the subject than the next guy. because there is a set formula, and everybody follows it. consequently, they all sound equally atrocious, because the mistakes are repeated and reinforced. as to Ladronaso; would you be talking about Amalfis, La Banda Gorda, Oro Solido, and such types who remind us after every chorus who they are?

to follow up on what you said, ladronaso, have you ever thought about the extent of the damage Juan Luis Guerra would do to his career if he kept repeating his name every thirty seconds in all his songs?

Yes I am.

Yes I am!

If one opens up a business venture in Dom Rep he would have be very careful in how much information he makes available i.e suppliers, contacts, contracts, methods, ideas etc. Because sure enough others will be waiting for the opportunity to copy the same business model. I have friends who constantly tell me how they have to protect corporate information because the constant threat of espionage.

Now, I know that many are mustering the troops and ammo ready to fire at me for all my criticisms but If we as a people as a Dominican People were such great leaders, innovators; if we were ingenious; if we were so virtuous, educated,intelligent, and forthright in all that we do then why the hell is our country in such a decrepit state and and operating like feudalistic society?

Why ? Because we have a peasantry mentality! And not until we wake and smell the freaking coffee, and take responsibility for our actions and begin to run DR like a country with prospect, potential, and promise we will just lay on the side lines drinking Presidente and dancing the same dance to the same music.

We Dominicans really need to stop talking up everything Dominican and face the reality of what we are, what we are not, and where the hell we are going.

He would have been thrown in the pot with the others.

But this is the difference. Juan Luis Guerra is not a back-yard musician. I believe he has several degrees in music. Second, he understands basic marketing principles i.e. 4 P's differentiation, and branding. This is why his music is universal. Appealing to a wide spectrum of listeners. Many Dominicans may not see the real value in his versions of perico ripiao and bachata and may even dismiss it as lacking authenticity. But again this why he can organize a concert and ask 80-100$, and get it.

I bet La Banda Gorda Oro Solido and others couldn't do the same.