Documentary KING OF BACHATA now available on HBO MAX

KING OF BACHATA intertwines the story of bachata with the musical legacy of the genre’s biggest champion and superstar, Dominican singer-songwriter Romeo Santos.  The documentary traces the ascent of the disenfranchised genre from the oppressed countryside of the Dominican Republic to its unprecedented international recognition—culminating in a record-breaking concert starring Romeo Santos, alongside the legendary bachateros that paved the way before him

In addition to this exciting concert, which is already available on HBO Max under the title ROMEO SANTOS: UTOPIA LIVE FROM THE METLIFE STADIUM, the documentary KING OF BACHATA will be released today, August 6, for bachata fans to learn about the most important moments in the artist’s career and the movement that led this genre to be recognized worldwide.

KING OF BACHATA, directed by Charles Todd and Devin Amar, and produced by Sony Music Latin, Chimby Productions and Scheme Engine, combines the making of and best moments of this ambitious concert with the narration of Dominican TV personality Joel “The Kid Mero’’ Martinez, who travels to the Caribbean nation to find the soul of bachata. Romeo Santos, Artie Pabon and Ruben Leyva serve as executive producers. Mero’s journey takes us to the restaurants and bars of the countryside of the Dominican Republic, where the sound originated and retraces its rise to international recognition. We also get a behind-the-scenes look at Santos’ creative process, his inspirations, and his tireless work in the studio. Another highlight of the documentary is “La Gira del Pueblo,” a gift he gave back to his fans in small towns and villages throughout the Dominican Republic.

Romeo Santos broke records by performing the highest-grossing concert event for a single night at MetLife Stadium in 2019. He also made history as the first Latin artist to headline at the New Jersey location. “Utopia” was an 80,000-person sold-out event that became the first of its kind in celebrating the musical genre of bachata, originating in the Dominican Republic. Along with his biggest hits, Santos invited legendary bachateros to perform with him onstage, including El Chaval de la Bachata, Frank Reyes, and Luis Vargas, among many others.

This documentary film and concert is a love letter to the genre, inspired by Romeo’s Utopia album. Featuring surprise performances from Cardi B and Aventura, the concert is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of Latin culture and a defining moment in the history of Latin music.

Other HBO Latino concert specials available to stream on HBO Max include “Juan Luis Guerra 4.40: Entre Mar y Palmeras” (2021), “Piano y Mujer” (2021), “Havana Street Party Presents: Beatriz Luengo” (2021), “Diego Torres Sinfónico” (2020), “Shakira in Concert: El Dorado World Tour” (2020), as well as “Havana Street Party Presents: Orishas” (2019) and the “En Letra de Otro” series featuring Farruko (2019), Gente de Zona (2018), and Pedro Capó (2017).

About Romeo Santos

The singer, songwriter, mogul, actor, and producer rose from humble beginnings in the Bronx, NY to worldwide renown over the course of his unbelievable career. “The King of Bachata” fueled the success of Aventura as chief producer and songwriter before going solo. In addition to selling over 100 million singles and 40 million albums, he has won a stunning 17 Billboard Latin Music Awards, 8 Premio Lo Nuestro Awards, 2 Premios Juventud Awards, 4 ASCAP Awards, 1 BMI Award, and 1 MTV Award. Throughout the past decade, the likes of Drake, Usher, Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, Lil Wayne, and more have all jumped at the chance to collaborate. An accomplished visionary, he also acts as CEO of Roc Nation Latino in addition to appearing in films such as Furious 7 and Angry Birds. No other Latin artist has achieved these many number ones in the 21st century. There’s no one else like Romeo Santos.

About HBO Max

HBO Max™ is WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer platform, offering best in class quality entertainment. HBO Max features the greatest array of storytelling for all audiences from the iconic brands of HBO, Warner Bros., DC, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and much more. The platform launched in the United States in May 2020 and introduced a lower priced, advertising-supported tier in June 2021. HBO Max recently began its global rollout launching in 39 markets across Latin America and the Caribbean, and HBO Max will enter Europe later this year and into next as it begins replacing the HBO-branded streaming services.