Bachata music finds its official origin in 1961, according to David Wayne, with José Manuel Calderón. He is crediting with recording the first Bachata single.
National Geographic World Music reports that the word bachata is a reference to raucous parties that were held in poverty stricken neighborhoods.
Bachata music principally focuses on themes like love or, alternately, deception. However, the music has been known to focus on poverty and other themes related to human unhappiness.
There are a number of distinctive types of Bachata. David Wayne notes the following: bachata-bolero, cabaret bachata, sexual double entendre bachata, tecno-bachata, frontier bachata, romantic bachata, the New York School and vallenato and bachata.
National Geographic World Music reports that the resurgence in Bachata popularity centers on Bachata from the New York scene being produced by local Dominicans. Aventura is one example of a popular New York bachata group.