VENA

Originating in New York’s Bronx, the bachata ensemble Vena assembled when Lenny and Max Santos, both previously of Aventura, joined forces with Steve Styles, an alumnus of Xtreme. Rooted in the Dominican traditions that shape bachata urbana, the trio launched early tracks such as “Ya No” and “Por Mentiras,” which performed strongly on Latin charts throughout 2012. The next year brought the joint release “Corazón de Hierro,” pairing the group with established bachata figures Frank Reyes and Teodoro Reyes. After the concert recording It’s Vena (Live), Styles departed in 2015; vocalist Mike Stanley stepped in as his successor. Stanley debuted with the group on the 2016 track “El Final.” Throughout the following twelve months, Vena issued several team-ups, among them “Race of Time” with rapper Zyon and “Evergreen” featuring Jamari.