THE WORLD’S FIRST BACHATA SCHOOL
Academia de Bachata is the world’s only music school dedicated to bachata and merengue. Founded in 2013, the Academia provides free, intensive music education to 530 young people in the Dominican Republic. We empower underserved youth to grow as community leaders, to cultivate their artistry and to be global ambassadors of Latin music.
WHAT IS BACHATA?
Bachata is a Dominican guitar-based music whose bitter-sweet cadence and graceful dance have drawn international followings. A music of everyday people that was once censored in the Dominican Republic, bachata is performed by world-famous artists including Romeo Santos, Bad Bunny and Shakira. In 2019, UNESCO recognized bachata as a cultural patrimony of humanity.
OUR IMPACT
● 230 immersion students participate in 2+ hours of classes each day, 3-5 days/week
● 300 preschool students receive foundational music education classes each week
● In 2025, 29 dedicated instructors taught an estimated 27,000 hours in guitar, bass, voice,piano, sax, Latin percussion, drums, dance and music theory
● Despite low representation of women in bachata, over 50% of our students are girls
● 38 advanced students have undergone our teacher training program. Over 50% now teach
● 7 Academia alumni are completing undergraduate degrees in music
OUR APPROACH
We begin at preschool age and engage with immersive after-school programs that run through high school. Our 12 student ensembles present 50+ concerts each year across the Dominican Republic. Under the tutelage of a faculty that includes Grammy-nominated Abel Mendez, we are dedicated to building educational capacity in Latin and Caribbean music. We emphasize ear training, group learning, group performances and community engagement.
A GLOBAL INITIATIVE
Over the years, the Academia has partnered with numerous US institutions including Berklee College of Music, Jazz at Lincoln Center and Jazz House Kids on workshops and music exchanges. Our U.S. tours have reached more than 5,000 U.S. youth in person. We reach millions of online viewers across our social media channels. Agridulce (Bittersweet), a feature-length documentary following Academia de Bachata students, will be released internationally in the coming year.
