At the same time, bajata continued to evolve until the 21st century, when the urban bajata sub-genre gained international success, establishing this style along with salsa and merengue in all Latin dance halls. There is a name that is now synonymous with modern Latin dance: bajata, which, along with salsa and merengue, is one of the most important representatives of Latin pop in the world. In the 1990s, the instrumentation of the bajata changed from the Spanish nylon guitar and maracas of the traditional bajata to the steel and guaira electric strings of the modern version. Names such as Monchi and Alexandra, Romeo Santos, Aventura and Princes Royce are the main artists bearing the Bachata name on the international scene. Where does bachata come from? It originated in the first half of the 20th century in the interior of the Dominican Republic as a genre that mixed boleros with certain African instruments and rhythms. In this sense, bachata did not enjoy the same privileges as merengue during the three decades of military regime of dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. Despite unofficial censorship, bachata remained very popular, while orchestral merengue continued to enjoy great publicity in the country. From its early years, bachata was rejected by the local upper classes as a version of bolero closely associated with rural life and slumming. Calderón’s debut was followed by other recordings by artists such as Rodobaldo Duartes, Rafael Encarnacion, Ramoncito Cabrera, Cory Perro, Antonio Gómez Sácero, Luis Segura, Luis Luizides, Eladio Romero Santos, Ramón Cordero and many others. In the 1980s, the bachata was still considered a primitive instrument and not sophisticated enough to deserve a place on television or radio. Bachata was hardly ever played on radio and was virtually ignored by the media. After Trujillo’s death in 1961, bachata had a golden opportunity to flourish. I am a lover of culture and languages and a great lover of food. I am very happy to share with all of you my language and culture and, why not, some recipes for our traditional dishes. Needless to say, the Bachatores, too, were not allowed to perform in high places: they were practically forced to perform in the poorest neighborhoods of the country.