“We studied, but it wasn’t even about studying. “I mean, it would sound cool to tell you we were scientists with our shit,” Santos says. To Santos, their approach was simply a reflection of the musical influences around the band as they grew up. Immediately, they drew attention for taking bachata - a genre that’s been historically ostracized and vilified since blooming among the Dominican Republic’s working class - and blending it with sleek R&B and hip-hop. The foursome originally called themselves Los Tinellers, but after changing their name, they released their debut as Aventura in 1999.

The band came together in the Bronx in the Nineties Santos was just a teenager and became the lead singer. Stretching the limits of bachata is something Santos has been doing since his Aventura days. “To see now, a decade later, that some of the biggest records in this industry have that essence of Latin music, I feel like I was part of that.” 1, a head-turning debut that featured massive names like Usher, who performed on the song “Promise.” “I was one of the first to really be like, ‘No, no, nah, I want these artists to sing in my Latin rhythm,’ ” Santos says in a recent Zoom call from Miami, where he lives. He launched a solo career in 2011 with Formula Vol.

Santos got his start singing in New York in the legendary boy band Aventura, which brought the traditional Dominican genre of bachata to the mainstream. But years before either artist came along, it was Romeo Santos - the dimpled bachata heartthrob known for his sky-grazing falsetto - who helped pave the way by refusing to give into the industry machine. Major acts, such as Bad Bunny and Maluma, debunked that idea by becoming undeniable stars without changing their sound or style to fit into the Anglo pop world.

For many years, the music business seemed to think that Latin artists needed to follow a stereotypical crossover path to get global attention.

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