Originally from the small country town of La Galana, near San Francisco de Macoris, Edilio Paredes is one of the most influential figures in the development of the Dominican music tradition of

bachata Bachata may refer to: * Bachata (music), a genre of Latin American music **Traditional bachata, a subgenre of bachata music * Bachata (dance), a dance style from the Dominican Republic * Bachatón, a hybrid bachata/reggaeton music style * "Bachata ...

. In a career now spanning over 40 years, Edilio has arranged and recorded lead guitar on well over a thousand tracks, accompanying some of bachata's most well known singers. His style helped influence the emergence of bachata from its predecessor:

bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

. Edilio picked up his first guitar at the age of three, and by the time he was eight had formed a group with his brother, Nelson, and childhood friend Ramón Cordero, playing the music of Odilio Gonzalez and

Julio Jaramillo Julio Alfredo Jaramillo Laurido (October 1, 1935 – February 9, 1978) was a notable Ecuadorian singer and recording artist who performed throughout Latin America, achieving great fame for his renditions of boleros, valses, pasillos, tangos, a ...

, amongst others. At thirteen, he moved to the capital,

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...

, and found work at a music store owned by singer

Cuco Valoy Cuco Valoy (born January 6, 1937, in Manoguayabo, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Dominican Republic singer, songwriter, percussionist and guitarist, who is versatile in salsa, son montuno, guaracha The guaracha () is a genre of musi ...

, who also owned a record label. Eventually, Edilio started recording for him, and soon became one of the most sought after guitarists to record bolero campesino, later known as bachata. After some time, he began recording for

Radhames Aracena Radhames Aracena (13 May 1930 – 11 December 1999), was a Dominican radio host, music producer and businessman who helped change the musical landscape of the Caribbean island during and after Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship. Aracena was able t ...

, the owner of

Radio Guarachita Radio Guarachita was a radio station based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. History Radio Guarachita was founded in 1964 in the Dominican Republic by bachata producer and impresario Radhames Aracena. After a year of test runs, Radio Guarach ...

, the only radio station in the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

featuring guitar music, all of which was recorded by Aracena's own labels. It was during the 1970s, at Radio Guarachita, that bachata was beginning to develop as its own musical genre. The

güira The güira () is a percussion instrument from the Dominican Republic used as a percussion instrument in merengue, bachata, and to a lesser extent, other genres such as cumbia. It is made of a metal sheet (commonly steel) and played with a stiff ...

replaced the

maracas A maraca (), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas (from Guaraní ), also known as tamaracas, were r ...

, and elements of merengue and

son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...

, which were more upbeat, began to be incorporated. Being the principal arranger and guitarist of bachata during this time, Edilio's influence was significant. Today, Paredes is a working musician; as a leading member of the groups Super Uba and Puerto Plata, he is bringing bachata to a whole new audience. He appears on a CD entitled Bachata Roja that was recently released. He was a part of the Bachata Roja tour with the likes of musicians El Chivo Sin Ley,

Leonardo Paniagua Leonardo Paniagua (born August 5, 1945) is one of the Dominican Republic's most popular bachata musicians. He emerged from obscurity to overnight stardom in the 1970s, when he recorded his first 45rpm record, "Amada, Amante" for Discos Guarachit ...

, an up-and-coming bachatero

Joan Soriano Joan Soriano (born February 23, 1972) is a Dominican bachata singer and guitarist from the Dominican Republic. His style is a blend of modern with traditional bachata. Since the 1980s, Joan's guitar and arrangements have graced many hit bachatas ...

External links

Edilio Paredes & The Birth of Bachata Guitar
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paredes, Edilio Bachata musicians Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century Dominican Republic male singers 21st-century Dominican Republic male singers