The educational role of the musical genre bachatanei bateyes of the Dominican Republic

Abstract

This article aims to show the specific educational role played by the bachata music genre in an institutionally weak context such as that of the Dominican bateyes, Afro-descendant communities of Haitian origin whose genesis harks back to the colonial history of the American plantation system. By retracing the historical origins that have marked the evolution of the bachata, today a planetary symbol of the Dominican national identity, as well as from 2019 Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, it will be highlighted how it not only mirrors the socio-eco-nomic and cultural transformations that have affected the Caribbean country, but also takes shape in the terms of an important expressive and educational tool, especially for the inhabitants of the bateyes who, due to their condition of social marginality, are often excluded from access to official sources of information and training.