Best Merengue / Bachata Albums of 2007

The music of the Dominican Republic has certainly expanded beyond the small island's borders and infected the rest of the world. Merengue is probably the most popular music played in Latin dance clubs, while bachata is becoming an international favorite.

A few years ago there were lots of merengue albums to pick from and few bachata CDs. It looks like the tide has turned in 2007; on my list of the year's best, bachata came in ahead of merengue. But since both genres are so musically compelling, if there's a loser, it sure isn't the audience!