FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT
JOAN SORIANO

June 20, 2017 | by Ross Eustis

Joan Soriano

Joan Soriano is the embodiment of bachata, a music traditional from his native Dominican Republic. Here's five things to know about Soriano.

The seventh of fifteen children, Soriano was drawn to music early, fashioning his first guitar from fishing line and a discarded metal box.

1. He emerged on the scene in Santo Domingo at age 13, and made a name with the greatest artists on the island.
2. Soriano's universally called the "Duke of Bachata"—a gritty folkloric style innitially banned from high-society Dominican venues, made up of guitars, bongos and güiras.
3. He was featured in director Alex Wolfe’s documentary film Santo Domingo Blues and the subject of Adam Taub’s The Duke of Bachata.
4. He has released four albums on the iASO label including his latest, Me Decidí, which combines the bachata sound with an infectious, tropical danceability.