Search - Victor Victor :: Bachata Entre Amigos

Worthy contribution by the Great Víctor Víctor on the lines

Jose Artiles-Gil | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | 08/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Long before Juan Luis Guerra was blessed by international fame due to his excellent album "Bachata Rosa", -which precisely contained the Batacha styled song that gave the title to the album and became a huge hit-, presenting then to the world a bit of the new popular musical Dominican genre, Bachata, Victor Víctor had been working on the Bachata genre since the seventies of the past century, making it listenable to the more general audience in the Dominican Republic. Víctor Víctor is older than Juan Luis Guerra, and the latter shaped his style of singing following Victor Víctor's. This has been recognized by the very Juan Luis Guerra, and that is why he has invited Víctor Víctor to accompany him in many of his international tours, as a recognition to Víctor Víctor's contribution to his own style.

Víctor Víctor is a very important and well recognized Dominican singer songwriter who has been making music since the 60s. He was first influenced by the Cuban "Nueva Trova", he even befriended the major representatives of this movement, like Silvio Rodríguez and Pablo Milanés, both of whom appear in this disc, "Bachata entre Amigos" (Bachata among friends). I guess that it was this relationship with Cuban singer songwriters that moved him to appreciate Son, the major Cuban popular music genre, which he explored and adapted, as other Dominican musicians did, to Dominican music. From that moment on, Víctor Víctor became his "own man", and began to carve his own style. The production of Víctor Víctor is full of explorations of Bolero, Son, and Bachata, among other genres and rythms of popular Dominican music, and many of his compositions are already considered as classics of the Dominican music heritage. Along with other talented musician, Luis Días, he began to work on Bachata, which is a sort of low popular romantic style of rythmic bolero, very much associated with the tastes of the Dominican popular classes, and of course, derided by the upper classes. As such, it is very simple in terms of musical structure (it reminds a little old American blues), the main instrument is the guitar, accompanied with percussion.

Thanks to the work made by Víctor Víctor and Luis Días, among others, -like the actual interpreters of Bachata, as Luis Vargas, Anthony Santos, Raulín, etc.- the Bachata genre has grown in terms of structure and rythm, to the extent that it can adapt many other styles of songs and ballads, as well as genres.

"Bachata entre Amigos" is based on this predicament. Víctor Víctor has invited some of the most important singer songwriters of Latin America and Spain, like Silvio Rodríguez, Fito Páez, Joan Manuel Serrat, Carlos Varela, Joaquín Sabina, and others, to sing one of their songs with Bachata musical arrangements.

Of course, there are some songs that sound better than others, but the experiment as a whole is worthwhile. For me the highlights of the album are: "Lucía", by Serrat, "Graffiti de Amor", by Carlos Varela, "Un vestido y un amor", by Fito Páez, "Por Amor", by Dominican songwriter Rafael Solano, and the hit by the own Víctor Víctor, "Solo Bachata". Fine experiment of fusion, fine albums and fine artists. All of this is present in this disc."

Un Albul de Mucha calidad musical

Alex Andino | 06/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Un gran trabajo el que ha hecho Victor Victor con este material. Ha reunido grandes cantautores como Joaquín Sabina, Fito Páez, Milanés, entre otros.



Les recomiendo uno de los mejores temas, Un Vestido y un amor, que es una obra maestra de Fito Páez."

ITS...DIFFERENT.

E. Teran | APO, AE United States | 11/20/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I originaly bought this album for theyre version of Tony Vegas "Por Amor" song witch is quite nice, and victor victor voice reminds me of a young Juan Luis Guerra... I enjoy bachata very much but this isnt your average bachata album... Its simple but "nice" not a great album but unlike most bachata albums talking about some of the wall topic the lirical content was heartfelt i really enjoyed hearing the lyrics and once you listen to the lyrics it makes the song that much more enjoyable. That being said if you want a diff. bachata album with songs that have romantic feel to it buy it, victor victors voice is very soothing like i said before it reminds me of Juan Luis Guerra."