Growing up with Bollywood and Hollywood films, music and dance have always seemed like an integral aspect of our lives. But due to the nature of the musical sequences in those movies, those songs and choreographies have always been used to celebrate something or the other in real life. Sure, we’ve had narratives centered around dance where someone has broken the shackles of poverty or mediocrity by becoming proficient in that art form, e.g., Step Up. We’ve had stories about a skilled artist using their expertise to save their dance school or rejuvenate the spirit of their hometown, e.g., Aaja Nachle. And there have also been tales about using dance to induce horror, e.g., Suspiria and Climax. However, very rarely have we come across films where dance has been used to cherish the genre it stems from while also preserving the history and culture that’s associated with it. B is for Bachata is a short film on this topic and it highlights how music and dance should never be homogenized.
Ricky Rosario’s B Is For Bachata tells the story of Yonathan and his cousins, Manny and Beatris, who are attending a barbeque party to celebrate Yonathan’s graduation. The place is full of Dominicans who are dancing the bachata while listening to music originating from the Dominican Republic. Yonathan jokes about the dance form by saying that it’s overhyped, that it’s easy, and that anyone can do it. But when Manny and Beatris tell Yonathan to show them his moves, he makes a fool of himself, thereby proving that one should only open their mouth if they’re knowledgeable enough. Refusing to back down, Yonathan begins an argument about whether Drake (this reference aged like milk), Akon, or Usher is responsible for trying to make bachata mainstream. Yonathan also tries to show that bachata is something that can simply be learned from the internet. To put this back and forth to an end, Yonathan’s mother, Maria, steps in and puts the limelight on Luis Arturo Marti to teach the kids how all of them are linked to him and bachata.
Although B Is For Bachata is centered around one single dance form, its observation about how the detachment of the younger generations from their roots is leading to the decay of the culture that helped their community survive is universal in nature. Much like Yonathan, there are probably many Dominicans out there who don’t know that they are disrespecting their own history by thinking that learning about their origins from the internet is more than enough. But the thing about “educating” oneself through the internet is that, since that information is so readily available, people always think that they can access it later. Hence, that “later” never comes, and the gap between a person and their foundation widens. I know that when you are young, things like these usually feel irrelevant because you’re busy exploring the world, meeting new people, and learning about every new form of entertainment. But as you grow older and you begin to notice that an integral part of your culture, something that helped your people survive through tough times, is fading into obscurity, you’ll understand the importance of celebrating artistic practices that are unique to your community. Hopefully, by then it’s not too late.
At the risk of sounding like an old man, nowadays, kids are so adamant about “keeping things apolitical” until they are hit with the realization that nothing in life is apolitical, especially music. Everything from blues to jazz, hip-hop, disco, rock, rap, and folk has been used to voice opinions against the establishment at the time. But due to ignorance or sheer stupidity, with every passing generation, people are becoming more and more hellbent on separating the art from its political context just because their personal politics don’t match with that of the artist they love. The best example of this is that iconic Reddit post where someone was offended that Rage Against The Machine (the band) had become too political even though their band is called “Rage Against The Machine.” Anyway, coming back to B Is For Bachata, Rosario does a great job of reminding young Dominicans how the genre of music in question was once banned by dictator Rafael Trujillo. He labeled it as something that was crass and in poor taste. So, people played bachata music in protest. And when he died, like dictators always do, the genre flourished, and so did the Dominican music industry. So, when someone is doing the bachata now, they are honoring the people who struggled to keep it alive during those dark times. If they aren’t, for reasons known only to them, they’re bringing dishonor to all those who stood up to the dictator via the bachata.
Ricky Rosario extracts decent performances from the cast of B Is For Bachata. Andresito Germosen De La Cruz is pretty effective in the role of Yonathan as he channels the nonchalant nature of every narcissistic Gen Z kid out there. But he eventually gets to set a nice precedent by showing that youth is not an excuse to avoid learning more about one’s origins. Franceli Chapman and Cesar Picardo are lowkey hilarious as Beatris and Manny, respectively. Their banter with Andresito reminded me of every elder sibling versus younger sibling spat that I have witnessed in real life. Glorelys Mora’s presence, in the role of Maria, has a rather calming effect on the heated conversation about such a passionate dance form. Nelson Estevez’s role is limited to flashback sequences where he performs for a small crowd, and yet his charisma and allure are palpable. The only real critique I have regarding this short film is that it is a short film. Bachata deserves to be celebrated through the feature-length format. People need to learn about its origins, how it survived the Trujillo era, and how not just Dominicans but the rest of the world can ensure that the bachata is never forgotten by the masses. By the way, if you have any anecdotes or memories about bachata, please feel free to share them through the comments section below.
