Time to Say Goodbye

New York City’s Aventura is the undisputed king of bachata, the Dominican ballad style that mixes romanticism with gritty realism. So why does the group plan to stop singing bachata? Especially since the bandmates, who formed Aventura in the DR in the mid-’90s, successfully resisted all attempts by label heads...

By P. Scott Cunningham

December 17, 2009

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New York City’s Aventura is the undisputed king of bachata, the Dominican ballad style that mixes romanticism with gritty realism. So why does the group plan to stop singing bachata? Especially since the bandmates, who formed Aventura in the DR in the mid-’90s, successfully resisted all attempts by label heads to turn them into a Latin Backstreet Boys and stayed true to their street roots? Their most recent album was titled The Last, fueling rumors they were breaking up, but the name actually refers to the band’s contract with its label, Premium Latin. Lest fans worry too much, though, the group hasn’t made an official announcement, and even if, as rumored, lead singer Anthony “Romeo” Santos goes solo in pursuit of Shakira-like crossover success, you can bet he’ll bring the bachata influence with him. Still, it’s probably best to see Aventura while you still can, this Saturday at 8 p.m. at the American Airlines Arena. Many of the dates in other cities are already sold-out, so go to ticketmaster.com now and decide how close you want to be to the Bronx bombers. Prices range from $42 to $253.
Sat., Dec. 19, 8 p.m., 2009

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