The Bachata, a guitar-based trio (guitar-bongo-maraca), from the Dominican Republic, shares with it's audience a country peasant barrio sentimentality marked by bawdy humor that connects the celebration of food, love and a macho delight in elaborating upon the ability of women to overpower men. It emerged mostly in male public spaces (colmados/corner grocers and bars) rather than family spaces,  thus explaining the gender distinctiveness of this musical form. It's sung by mostly male performers, crooning about love and the women who caused them pain and wronged them, often because of unrequited or relinquished love. Only recently admitted into mainstream Latin music(past 10 years) by the well-respected Dominican merenguero, Juan Luis Guerra, has the once black sheep of Dominican music been brought into the forefront so that all social and economic levels can now begin to enjoy the lilting Bachata.