Aventura

Formed in the Bronx in 1995, Aventura changed Latin pop by remaking bachata for the hip-hop era. Blending boy-band style and contemporary R&B’s smoothness with the snapping beats that define the guitar-forward, lovelorn Dominican genre, cousins Anthony “Romeo” Santos and Henry Santos and brothers Lenny and Max Santos declared themselves to be at the forefront of Generation Next with their 1999 debut. The title wound up being prophetic: 2002’s We Broke the Rules expanded further on their vision of modern bachata with the smouldering “Obsesión” and a cover of *NSYNC’s 2001 hit “Gone” that showcased lead singer Romeo Santos’ sweetly cool croon. Aventura’s output in the 2000s was defined as much by its unpredictability as its ability to please giant crowds; fuelled by Romeo’s charm and Lenny’s electrified take on bachata’s arpeggiated riffs, Aventura took the genre even further in the 21st century as they duetted with reggaetón superstar Don Omar and electro duo Nina Sky, and honoured their past by collaborating with giant Antony Santos. After selling out their hometown’s arena Madison Square Garden for four nights in 2010, breaking box-office records, Aventura went on hiatus in 2011, reuniting for a 2020 tour that cemented their legacy as the “Kings of Bachata”.