Bachata Music Hernandez: A Brief Summary

Deborah Pacini Hernandez is Associate Professor of Anthropology, Director American Studies and Latino Studies Programs at Tufts University. Hernandez traces the impact of political upheaval and rural migrations on the development of bachata and the Dominican music industry. Her multi-disciplinary study analyzes the changing attitudes about bachata and its principal musical competitor, merengue. She considers issues of sex and gender as perceived and expressed by bachata 's mostly male musicians, especially in the context of changing patterns of marriage.

The book informs the reader very well about the history of Bachata and the growth that it has had in the few past decades. Hernandez gives us information on the instruments that are used in Bachata. In Bachata music Hernandez gives informs us that the genre consists of five instruments: lead guitar, rhythm guitar, electric bass guitar, bongos and güira. She explains every instrument with detail and the sound that they contribute to Bachata. The rhythm guitar is known as a segunda and serves the purpose of adding syncopation to the music. A guitar based trio, shares with its audience a raunchy barrio sentimentality marked by bawdy humor that connects eating with sexuality, an

I find ethnographic to be a great way to collect information but there are limitations of ethnographic research that can be found. Participants during the observation might present an ideal behavior or tell the researcher what they think the researcher would like to hear which I found at some point with Hernandez research. Although this limitation can affect the attempt to provide an accurate description, this limitation usually occurs at the initial stage of the research. Hernandez suggests the researchers not to accept too readily the validity of initial impression. Another way to avoid this problem is by treating the participants not as research subject. Researchers must interact with the participants in natural and non-threatening