We Broke the Rules

We Broke the Rules
Studio album by Aventura
Released	July 2, 2002 (2002-07-02)
Recorded	2001-2002
Genre	Bachata
Length	45:42[1]
Label	Premium Latin Music
Aventura chronology
Generation Next (2000)Generation Next2000 We Broke the Rules (2002) Love & Hate (2003)Love & Hate2003
Singles from We Broke the Rules
"Obsesión" Released: 2002

We Broke the Rules is the second studio album by the Dominican-American band Aventura, released on July 2, 2002, by Premium Latin music. In We Broke the Rules, Aventura pioneered the incorporation of elements of urban music like Pop, Hip-hop, and R&B, giving Bachata a new flavor and extending its appeal to those who preferred urban music styles. This new recipe used in We Broke the Rules gave birth to a new style of Bachata, “The NewYork School”^[2] or “Urban Bachata,”^[3] which is characterized by the inclusion of electric guitars instead of acoustic, and lyrics in Spanish and English instead of just Spanish. In addition, the singing style takes after R&B melodies. Part of this album’s success was because Aventura’s new style sounded smoother and more modern than previous Bachata groups’. We Broke the Rules was the beginning of Aventura’s success and the final step in solidifying Bachata as a relevant music genre, internationally speaking. The biggest hit of the album was a song called "Obsesión" featuring Judy Santos. According to the article called, Aventura’s Adventure, “Obsesion, was the very first bachata act to land a No. 1 single, in Spanish, in virtually every European territory.”^[3] The song did more than just attract a Dominican or Spanish-speaking audience. Proof of its success is that the album sold around 1.5 million units internationally and remained in the number one position in the European charts in countries like Italy, France, Germany, and Norway for several weeks.^[3] For example, Obsession remained in the number one position in the French top 100 singles charts for seven weeks.^[4] Due to its sales, the song Obsession became the 442nd best selling in France’s music history. It was number one in the Italian top 50 singles for 16 weeks.^[4] The album’s themes mainly included heartbreak and melancholy, although it also included social themes like in “Amor de Madre,” or “Mother’s Love,” which is a song describing the lifelong struggle of a prostitute and her son. With its innovation and unique sound, We Broke the Rules opened the gates for a new era of Bachata, an era in which bachateros would not be considered third class musicians, but instead would be socially accepted, acclaimed, and respected.

Cultural influence

Bachata music developed in the Dominican Republic during the 1960s and 1970s.^[5] It was a regional music primarily performed and heard by lower class males. The style is traditionally performed using acoustic guitars, bongos, and maracas. In the article review published in January 2005 called “Bachata: Music of the People,” there is an important observation of the similarities between Bachata and the Blues. The article reads, “Some have described Bachata music as the Dominican equivalent of blues music in the U.S. Both styles of music came out of struggling communities and gradually gained acceptance among middle and even upper classes."^[6] The album Bachata Rosa released on December 11, 1990 by Juan Luis Guerra, marked the beginning of a new acceptance of Bachata among the middle and high socio-economical classes.^[7] Almost ten years later, with the album We Broke the Rules, Aventura finally accomplished Juan Luis Guerra’s goal. With the release of We Broke the Rules, Bachata became as internationally famous as Merengue and even Salsa. Despite Guerra’s efforts, before Aventura was on the music map, most Dominicans still thought of Bachata as music for illiterate, poor people from the rural areas of the Dominican Republic.^[8] Bachata also carried the stigma of being the preferred music in brothels, colmados, and cabarets, a connotation that kept Bachata in the lowest level of all music genres in the Dominican Republic.^[9] In “Bachata,” Deborah Pacini Hernandez describes Bachata uniquely, stating, “Bachata was the blacksheep of the country’s music business.”^[10] As amazing as it might sound, it took Bachata nearly 40 years to finally get rid of the stigma it carried since the beginning of its existence. The reason for the general change in opinion about Bachata may be that Aventura, as young and hip New Yorkers, did not fit the stereotype of bachateros but they embraced the genre and identified themselves with it anyway. Along with Monchy & Alexandra, Aventura put a fresh face on the genre and revitalized it. Besides revolutionizing Bachata’s sound, Aventura also revolutionized its look. The way they presented themselves, through their hair, clothes, and style, impressed fans—women wanted to be with them and men wanted to be like them. Aventura did not just inspire fans, but also inspired a new generation of urban bachateros, such as Prince Royce, Toby love, Xtreme, and Carlos y Alejandra, who sing, dress, and play in a similar style as Aventura.

Band members

Aventura has four band members, Anthony "Romeo" Santos (lead singer/composer/producer), Henry Santos Jeter (singer/composer), Lenny Santos (guitarist/arranger/producer), and Max Santos (bassist). Romeo Santos and Henry Santos are cousins and Lenny and Max Santos are brothers, but the two Santos families (Romeo/Henry and Lenny/Mikey) are not related to one another.^[11]

Other credits

The other contributors to the album We Broke the Rules include: Musicians Miguel Echavarria (tambora, bongo drum, and Sammy Puntiel (guira); Audio Mixer Monchy Jiminez; and Photographer Manuel Sierra.^[12]

Track listing

Charts

References

External links

• Aventura official site