Antony Santos

Antony Santos a.k.a. El Mayimbe, now Anthony Santos, (born 5 May 1967) is a Dominican musician and singer. He is one of the top-selling Bachata artists of all time. He is known as one of the pioneers of modern Bachata in the early 1990s with his role in redefining the genre to include romantic lyrics, poppy guitar licks, and implementation of new instruments such as the piano and saxophone. He became the first rural bachatero to reach a mainstream audience with his hit single. "Voy Pa'lla". He has had success with other hits like "Por Mi Timidez", "No Te Puedo Olvidar", "Me Quiero Morir", "Lloro", "Solo Te Amo", "Se Acabó El Abuso" among others.[1] Today, Santos is considered the greatest bachata artist of all time. He is known as El Mayimbe of Bachata. He is also known as El Bachatú, which is the nickname he originally started with.

For the footballer, see Antony (footballer, born 2000).
Not to be confused with Anthony "Romeo" Santos, lead singer of Aventura, another bachata artist.
Antony Santos
Santos performing live
Santos performing live
Background information
Birth nameDomingo Antonio Santos Muñoz
Also known as
  • El Mayimbe
  • El Bachatú
Born (1967-05-05) 5 May 1967
Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic
GenresBachata
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1990–present
LabelsPlatano Records, Premium Latin Music, Sony Music Latin

Early life

Santos was born in 1967 in Clavellinas, Las Matas de Santa Cruz in the Monte Cristi province. He grew up extremely poor in a little house on a farm land. His father worked many meaningless jobs for basically nothing, and the family would go without food due to having little to no income.[2]

Career

Early career and 1990s

Santos entered onto the bachata scene in the early 1990s, beginning his career as the guira player for fellow bachatero Luis Vargas, only to leave the group and maintain a very public feud with Vargas. Raulín Rodríguez also started his music career with Antony as a guira player.

In 1991, Santos would make his debut the release of his first single titled "Voy Pa'llá". It is also the first single for his first album. The song became a huge hit, thus making him the first rural bachatero to reach a mainstream audience. In the same year, he released his debut album, La Chupadera. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Tropical Album chart. The album also included songs like "La Parcela" and "Te Vas Amor", which is a bachata cover of the song "Tu Carcel", a song by Mexican group Los Bukis.

In 1992, he released his second studio album titled La Batalla. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Tropical Album chart. It included the merengues like "El Baile Del Perrito" and "Yo Me Muero Por Ti", and bachata songs "Florecita Blanca", Vengo De Alla, "Antologia De Caricias", a cover of a Altamira Banda Show song, and Ay Mujer, which is a cover of Juan Luis Guerra's song.

In 1993, he released his third album titled Corazón Bonito. It included hits like "Si Tu Cariño No Está", "Dónde Estará", "Por Mi Timidez", which peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart. He once performed this song live with American bachata singer Romeo Santos live together. In 2019, Romeo would perform this song live at MetLife Stadium in front of a sold out crowd as an homage to Antony. It is part of Romeo's second live album Utopía Live from MetLife Stadium.

From 1994 to 1998, he released more album with more successful single like "Corazón Culpable", "No Te Vayas", "Si Me Olvidaste", "Consejo De Padre", "Durmiendo Solo", "Soñe Con Ella", "Ay! No Te Vayas", Me Voy Mañana and Ya No Me Quieres Querer.

In 1999, he released his first live album El Mayimbe: En Vivo . Later on that same year, album Enamorado. It featured the singles like "Si Quieres Volver", Ay Querida, and "Pégame Tu Vicio". It also the smash hit "No Te Puedo Olvidar". The intro of the song was used as a sample for Bad Bunny's 2022 single Tití Me Preguntó.

2000s

In 2001, Santos released his tenth studio album El Balazo. It peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Tropical Albums chart. It featured the single "Si Volvieras", "Cuanto Lamento", "Me Quiero Morir", which peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart. The following year, he released his second live album El Mayimbe, Vol. 2 (En Vivo). In the same year he released his eleventh studio album Juego de Amor, It included singles like, "Juego De Amor", "Brindo Por Tu Cumpleaños", Dosis De Amor and "Hay De Mi, Hay De Ti". which peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart and was the first time the voice of his female background singer, Susy was heard on her own in a few lines of the song.

In 2003, he released his twelfth studio album Sin Ti (album). It peaked as number 20 on the Billboard Tropical Albums chart. It included the singles "Ahora", "La Jaula De Oro", and "Sin Ti", which featured the Santos' female background voice singer, Susy. She would also be featured in other songs like like the 2004 song, "Ay Amor", which was a part of the 2004 album Vuelve Amor. This album was recoded live in a studio. In the same year, he released the live album Concierto, En Vivo: United Palace. It is based on a sold out concert at the United Palace in New York City.

In 2005 he released the album Lloro. It included the single titled the same name as the album and peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart. In the same year, he collaborated with American bachata group Aventura in the song "Ciego De Amor. It is included in Aventura's 2005 album God's Project. In 2007 the they performed the song live at Madison Square Garden. The performance was included in the group's 2007 live album Kings of Bachata: Sold Out at Madison Square Garden. It is also included in Antony's 2009 album Un Muerto Vivo. The group's lead singer Romeo Santos would make more singles with Antony. Also, around this time period, Antony would start using the letter "H" in his name, thus going under the name Anthony Santos since the mid or late-2000s. In 2008, he released one of his most famous songs,"Muchos Cambios En El Mundo" (Many Changes in the World), it is a bachata cover of the song Algo Grande Viene a la Tierra by the evangelical pastor Stanislao Marino.[3] It was part of his 2008 album that was named after the song.

2010s, Collaborations, and selling out Madison Square Garden

Santos continued to released hits in the 2010s and started to collaborate with different artist. During the first two decades he rarely did collaborations, especially since collaborations was rare for most bachata artists.

In 2010, Santos released Mensaje. It included the hits like "Perdóname" and "La Tristeza De Mi Carta". It also featured his son Yordi Santos, who now goes under the name Yordi Saints, in the song "Ven Amor". In 2011, he released Vuelve. It included the singles like "Pequeño Huracan" and "Golpes En El Corazón". In the same year, he was featured along with Luis Vargas and Raulín Rodríguez in Romeo Santos' song Debate de 4 as part of Romeo's first solo album Formula, Vol. 1. This was considered a historic collaboration for its time as Romeo united 3 musicians who are considered the 3 greatest in the bachata genre. Even though at this time Anthony had personal issues with Vargas and Rodríguez, he was willing to join in the song. Romeo explained that when he wasn't sure if Anthony would want to be part of the song based on the circumstances. To Romeo's suprised, Anthony agreed because he felt like he couldn't say no to Romeo and new how important it was to make this song. [4] On July 31, 2014, he released a live album based on the MSG show titled En Vivo - Sold out at Madison Square Garden.[5]

In 2013, santos released five singles online. On May 21, he released "Yo Quiero". Then on May 23, he released "Tranquilo" and "Creíste". The day after, he released "Me Enamoro". On September 13, he released "Bazucaso de Amor", which featured Dominican bachata musician Joe Veras. These singles would be added to Santos' 2014 album.

On January 29, 2014, he released the single "Tu Estaras". This was a bachata cover of a Manolo Galván song. Santos made this cover as a tribute to Galván.

In the same year, he released his 2014 studio album Creíste. The album featured collaborations with Joe Veras, Miriam Cruz, and Vakero.

On March 1, 2014, Santos would celebrate 25 years if his career in front of a sold-out crowd in at Madison Square Garden in New York City. While a few traditional bachata artists have performed at MSG before, Santos was the first and only traditional bachata artist to have his own concert.[6] While Aventura were the first bachata act in general to have a concert at the venue, they aren't traditional artist of the genre, thus making Anthony the first to do so. The concert featured El Mayor Classico, Alex Matos, Miriam Cruz, Toño Rosario, and Luis Vargas.[7]

On June 16, 2014, he released the single "Solo Te Amo". The song was a huge success as it peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart. This became Santos' first number 1 song on the chart.

Santos would released a few more albums and many more singles. He has performed with various artist and continued to release more singles with Romeo Santos with the singles"Masoquismo",[8][9] and "Bellas", which is included in Antony's album La Historia De Mi Vida: El Final, Vol. 1 (2018), and Romeo's album Utopía (2019). He has also sang alongside Prince Royce with the song Que Cosas Tiene El Amor. He also as collaborated with Tito El Bambino and Ozuna.

Artistry

Although Blas Durán is credited as the first bachatero to use an electric guitar, and Luis is credited as the first bachata guitarist to use guitar pedals, Anthony was the one who defined the sound of modern bachata. He did this through his use of an Alvarez 5084N guitar, with a humbucker mounted in the sound hole, and an Ibanez PT4 pedal. He is also credited as one of the first to use Yamaha APX series of guitars in bachata. He as also used bachata guitar sounds on Merengue and balada songs. Santos adoption of soft romantic lyrics was more socially accepted than the bawdy style common to bachata before him, and he shortly became the genre's leading artist, helping move bachata into the mainstream.

Santos was dubbed El Bachatú and El Mayimbe of Bachata. El Mayimbe is a word that comes from the Taíno tribe. It means the village chief. Today, it means big boss, big leader or the big dog. Fernando Villalona was the first one to use it has he was dubbed El Mayimbe of Merengue. So Dominican music currently has to Mayimbes.

Santos is not only one of the biggest names in bachata music, but has served as an inspiration to many bachata artists and musicians including American bachata group Aventura, especially Romeo Santos who considers him a father figure in the music industry.[10][11][12]

Discography

Studio albums
  • La Chupadera (1991)
  • La Batalla (1992)
  • Corazón Bonito (1993)
  • Cojelo Ahí (1994)
  • El Mayimbe... y Nada Más (1995)
  • Sabor Latino (1996)
  • Como Te Voy a Dejar (1997)
  • Me Muero de Amor (1998)
  • Enamorado (1999)
  • El Balazo (2001)
  • Juego de Amor (2002)
  • Sin Ti (2003)
  • Vuelve Amor (Grabado En Vivo) (2004)
  • Lloro (2005)
  • Ay! Ven (2006)
  • No Nos Vamos A Olvidar (2007)
  • Muchos Cambios En El Mundo (2008)
  • Vete (2008)
  • Un Muerto Vivo (2009)
  • Mensaje (2010)
  • Vuelve (2011)
  • Creíste (2014)
  • Tócame (2015)
  • La Historia De Mi Vida: El Final, Vol. 1 (2018)

Live albums
  • El Mayimbe: En Vivo (1999)
  • El Mayimbe, En Vivo: Vol. 2 (2002)
  • En Vivo, Vol. 3: Con Su Nuevo Estilo (2003)
  • Concierto, En Vivo: United Palace (2005)
  • Me Van A Matar Por Las Mujeres (2006)
  • En Vivo – Sold out at Madison Square Garden (2014)

Compilation albums
  • Grandes Éxitos (2000)
  • Greatest Hits (2001)
  • Todo Éxitos (2002)
  • Lo Nuevo y Lo Mejor (2005)
  • Siempre Romantico (2006)
  • El Diablo Soy Yo (2011)
  • 25 Grandes Éxitos (2014)

Films
  • Anthony Santos: Documentary by Frédéric Pelle (1996)[13]
  • Concierto, En Vivo: United Palace (Limited Edition) (2005)
  • El Mayimbe En Vivo (2006)

References
  1. David Wayne. "ANTHONY SANTOS BACHATA". iASO Records.
  2. "Anthony Santos Su historia 1". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
  3. Thornton, Brendan Jamal (2011). The Cultural Politics of Evangelical Christianity in the Dominican Republic (PDF). University of California, San Diego. p. 300. OCLC 733347283.
  4. Emelyn Baldera (14 November 2011). ""Estoy inmune a los incrédulos"" (in Spanish). Listín Diario. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  5. "Anthony Santos - En Vivo - Sold out at Madison Square Garden".
  6. Ramón Almánzar (3 March 2014). "Santos: entre lágrimas y aplausos" (in Spanish). Listín Diario. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  7. José Antonio Aybar F. (3 March 2014). "Anthony Santos celebra 25 años en la música entre lágrimas" (in Spanish). El Nacional. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  8. Joel Moya (30 October 2015). "Anthony and Romeo Santos Profess Their Love for Kink in Bachatarengue Banger "Masoquismo"". Remezcla.
  9. "Antony Santos, Credits". Allmusic.
  10. Muhammad Bourn (26 June 2021). "Romeo Santos: I Owe It To Anthony Santos". Amico Hoops. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  11. "Romeo Santos Quote". Brainy Quote. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  12. Mark C. Davis (15 November 2017). "Aventura's Lenny Santos". Guitar Player.
  13. "Antony Santos". Rene feret. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012.


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