About the Academia de Bachata
Our School
The world’s only school for bachata music, Academia de Bachata supports more than 500 boys and girls with a free, intensive program for traditional Latin American and Caribbean music. The Academia was established in 2013 with a focus on bachata, a popular Dominican tradition which lacks educational resourcing. Martires de Leon, guitarist and arranger for bachata star Romeo Santos, helped to craft the Academia’s curriculum and to mentor many of its students.
Our School
Academia de Bachata is the only music program in the world to focus on teaching...
Our Values
We emphasize collaborative learning through band practice, performances, and group exercises...
Our Teachers
Academia de Bachata has some of the best talent in the local and international music scenes...
Based in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, the Academia starts with children as young as three years old and nurtures their musical development through to young adulthood. Many alumni pursue careers in music: working with bachata stars, pursuing higher studies in the DR and abroad, and in some cases returning to the Academia as teachers.
The Academia is operated by iASO Cultural Foundation, a US 501c3 and Dominican Foundation. In 2025, iASO Foundation launched Konpa Akademi, to provide free classes in Haitian Konpa music to children in Cap Haitien.
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Our Impact
500+
Students enrolled
100,000+
Hours of instruction per year
​24
Students in teacher training
7
Graduates in university music programs
Our Opportunity
The two national musics of the Dominican Republic are Bachata and Merengue. They have been recognized by UNESCO and are enjoyed worldwide.
Despite its success, Dominican music is rarely taught in schools. We are one of the few music programs available for Dominican children, and the only one to offer comprehensive studies in bachata, merengue, and other regional genres.
Our Solution
We engage youth through culturally-rooted music programs that support:
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Artistic expression
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Personal growth
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Professionalism
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Teamwork​
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Students who study music develop discipline, confidence, and stronger academic skills. And thanks to bachata’s worldwide success, our graduates have real opportunities to build meaningful careers in music.
Our Values
COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
We emphasize collaborative learning through band practice, performances, and group exercises.
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QUALITY AND INTENSITY OF MUSIC EDUCATION
The intensity and quality of musical immersion are critical to a student's progress. We offer frequent classes with accomplished musician teachers who develop enthusiasm among students.
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TEACHING LOCAL
Our Suzuki for folk music approach engages children by teaching through local traditions. Children are enthusiastic and better prepared to learn a musical tradition that is popular in their community.
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CAPACITY BUILDING
We are preparing the next generation of teachers. Our advanced students train as teaching assistants. TAs play an important role in expanding access to our curriculum.
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CULTURAL PRESERVATION
We seek to empower communities to preserve and develop their musical culture. A community that takes pride in its culture is strong and has much to offer to humanity.
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INCLUSION OF ALL PEOPLE
Academia de Bachata welcomes children of all backgrounds. We seek to empower underrepresented voices through music.