Playlist Central

At times, it's slow and sultry; at others, it's poignant or even cynical; and at still others, it's impossibly hip and hip-shaking. This guide to the best of bachata covers the genre in all its incarnations, from its early days as the politicized, socially denigrated medium of the working classes to its current status as one of the Dominican Republic's hottest exports, from Aventura to Zacarias Ferreira. Throw it on and imagine slow-dancing with your sweetie to that swaying bachata groove.