Negros

The Dominican Republic's celebrated bachata outfit Negros counts the standout composer Wason Brazobán among its core members. The ensemble first assembled in 2001 under the direction of producer Cholo Brenes and consists of Joel Silverio, Tommy Jiménez, and Kelvin Jiménez alongside Brazobán, who supplies the majority of the group's songs. Numerous performers have since interpreted Brazobán's material, among them Monchy & Alexandra, Domenic M, and Los Toros Band. The New York-based bachata imprint Premium Latin Music, also the home of Aventura and Elvis Martínez, signed Negros, whose self-titled full-length debut appeared in 2003. Both commercially successful and widely praised by critics, the album secured four Casandra Awards from the Dominican Association of Journalists for the group: Revelation of the Year, Best Album of the Year, Song of the Year for "Así Te Amo," and Songwriter of the Year awarded to Brazobán. Premium Latin Music next released the follow-up Sin Fecha de Vencimiento in 2005, then Armadura de Rosas in 2007, an album that spotlighted the hit single "Con las Manos Vacias."