Song of the Day: Antony Santos “Corazón Culpable”

The music of Antony Santos will forever remind me of meeting and falling in love with my incredible Bachata dancing wife. His 1994 song, “Corazón Culpable” (released on Platano Records), along with his many other enduring classics, will always get us out on the dance floor. Prior to meeting my wife, I’d always loved Bachata music, but I had to seriously step up my dance game when I saw how serious hers was. The Dominican Republic’s Antony Santos is affectionately known as “El Mayimbe” and “El Bachatú,” which basically means that he is the big boss of Bachata. He is indeed the artist most associated with creating the modern Bachata sound, beginning in the early 90’s with his iconic cassette-only releases. His guitar work is masterful, his voice comes straight from the heart and his groups are stripped down, tight and powerful. Enjoy!

This pioneering and relentless musical artist was born Domingo Antonio Santos Muñoz on May 5 of 1967 on the northern Dominican border with Haiti in Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Montecristi, Dominican Republic. He initially launched his musical career as a percussionist, playing the güira with fellow Bachatero Luis Vargas‘ group. After having developed his songwriting, guitar and vocal abilities to a high level, he publicly split with the band leader in what became a long lasting feud and emerged as a solo artist in his own right. His first release, 1991’s La Chupadera, showed him as a force to be reckoned with. His releases within the next few years established him as the most commercially successful Bachata artist within the D.R., eclipsing his predecessors and contemporaries. Although he is not solely responsible for modernizing Bachata, he is certainly the one most widely credited for this feat. He is still going strong!