Bachata is a beloved Latin music and dance style, but this hasn't always been the case. Early bachata was stigmatized because of its origins in the Dominican Republic's more rural, often poor areas with limited access to education. First called "belero campesino," or "commoners dance," this style of music was despised by Rafael Trujillo, the Dominican dictator at the time. During Trujillo's reign, music was monopolized by Trujio and his family.
