On May 30th, 1962 José Manuel Calderón recorded, printed, and began selling his first album which included what is now considered the first Bachata song ever recorded. While at the time, this music did not have a clear name, and the name Bachata would not be used for a couple decades, “Qué Será de Mi (Condena)” was retrospectively pinpointed as the catalyst for change. In his autobiography that he co-wrote with Marivell Contreras, Calderón said he and his bandmates were simply trying to make Bolero sound less gloomy. (Though when I share the first version with my Bachata dance students, they often joke “that was less gloomy?” — Oh, how Bachata has changed in 60 years!)
Thanks to YouTube (and people’s ability to convert their original vinyl disks to mp3), I’ve been able to find the earliest version of the first Bachata song ever recorded. However, it’s still hard to know when these songs were originally recorded and released. Even without a clear timeline, though, I believe this series of re-released tracks allows us to hear the evolution of Bachata itself, as each version reflects the recording and playing trends of the era.
May 30th, 1962 - “Qué Será de Mi (Condena)” by José Manuel Calderón
Version 2 - Recording date unknown
You can hear the production & recording quality has improved in this version, yet it still distinctly has that old school Bachata feel.
(Please ignore the weird carrot pics interspersed throughout this video.. 😬)