In late 2019, Dominican-American bachata group, Aventura, made headlines when it announced its reunion tour for 2020. Now, in a post-COVID world, Aventura finally resumed its unfinished tour and returned to the stage as if they never left, this past Sunday. The stop: LA’s Dodger Stadium.
The self-titled “Kings of Bachata” are recognized as one of the biggest Latin music groups in the world and have revolutionized bachata music for nearly two decades. It’s lead singer, Romeo Santos, with his one-of-a-kind soft singing voice, has also pursued a highly successful solo career after leaving the band in 2011. Now that they are reunited, it was no surprise to see the stands of Dodger Stadium full of screaming women, fangirling as if they were his Juliet.
The anticipation was high for this concert. Being a fan since I was a young girl, Aventura music not only captured memories of my childhood but inspired me to become a bachata and salsa dancer in college. It was a once-in-a-lifetime concert that I was not willing to miss and could not wait to dance to.
Santos started off the night full of energy, performing some of the band’s biggest hits such as “Por un Segundo,” “Infieles,” and “El Malo.” I remember a smile coming over my face as I saw fans around me immediately stand up from their seats, moving their hips to the iconic bachata step. As the concert progressed, I began to think about how crazy it was to share this common experience with the thousands in the crowd as we sang along and danced to the artists that brought this type of music to the mainstream.
In perhaps one of the most memorable and funny experiences from the night, Santos brought fans on stage to finish the lyrics. One fan, who said he was very nervous, was even offered a shot of Tequila from the lead singer to calm his nerves. Santos yelled “Que Viva Mexico!,” as he handed the bottle to the young man. I, along with the other LA natives in the crowd, joined in excitement to hear the Mexican “orgullo” or pride emitting from the Dominican singer. For a quick moment, it felt as if Santos was offering all of us to take a celebratory shot with him and we couldn’t be more ecstatic.
Mid-way into the concert, there was a change in scenery and mood. From an open space full of movement and energy, the stage transported the audience to a stormy-day in New York-like setting, which is home to the Bronx-based band. Aventura was lifted on a platform with projections of red-brick apartments, giving the illusion that the band was singing from a rooftop. Performing ballads such as “La Tormenta” and “Our Song,” the heartbreak in his lyrics radiated over the night as the crowd and I sat back to reminisce about past loves.
From heartbreak to promoting love, Santos then shifted the atmosphere of the stadium for his following song, when he raised his hands in a heart shape and asked the audience to join him as he sang “Mi Corazoncito.” Considering the hardships that came with the year 2020, it was refreshing and warming to feel the love and unity in the air. He continued the romantic streak with the love serenade, “Un Beso,” as he blew a kiss to all of the women in the audience. Rest assured, he made sure to ask the permission of the husbands and partners first, but it was a sweet and flattering touch for us ladies in the crowd.
To finish off the concert, the group performed their most anticipated song of the night: the chart-topping 2002 hit “Obsesion” that turned them into a household name. The song features the vocals of Judy Santos, who was not in attendance that night. However, in a surprising turn of events, a mysterious pop star with blue hair was brought up on stage to sing the duet with Romeo.
Who was it? None other than the reggaeton pop sensation, Karol G, to sing alongside the Kings of Bachata, who later described in an Instagram post was initially in attendance as a fan. When Santos heard word that she was in the crowd, he asked her to join him in performing the concluding song. As a mega-fan myself, I would be lying if I said that I didn’t shed a tear when I saw the Colombian singer up on stage. All in all, it was a fascinating experience to witness the entire stadium roar as the “Tusa” singer brought the concert to a thrilling close… or so we thought.
The band came out one last time for an encore to sing the headlining song of their tour, “Inmortal.” The young girl in me, along with many others’ that night, was crying on the inside (and at times outside) as we enjoyed the final song from the artists who defined our Latin upbringing. It was a perfect way to sum up the night, solidifying that Aventura and their impact on Latin music and culture will always be immortal.
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