Antony Santos
Anthony Santos better known as "El Mayimbe" (April 25, 1967) is a Dominican singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. He is one of the greatest exponents of all time in the Bachata genre. He is known for being a pioneer in modern Bachata, since at the beginning of the 90s, he had an important role in redefining the genre to include romantic lyrics, poppy guitar licks and the implementation of new instruments such as the piano, timpani and saxophone.
Santos was born in 1967 in Clavellinas, Las Matas de Santa Cruz in the Province of Monte Cristi. He grew up in an extremely poor home in a house on a dirt farm. His father had a lot of work. He worked mindlessly for basically nothing, and the family would go without food due to little income of money.
Santos introduced bachata to the scene in the early 90s, starting his career as the güirero for his friend Luis Vargas, also a bachata player, only to leave the group and have a very public fight with Vargas. Raulín Rodríguez also began his music career with Antony as a güirero. Although Blas Durán is considered 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.2 He did this. through his use of a guitar, Alvarez 5084N with a humbucker mounted on the guitar's fretboard, and an Ibanez PT4 pedal. He is also credited with being the first to use Yamaha APX type guitars.