Carlos y Alejandra may be on an impossible mission: to take bachata to "every corner of the world." They're off to a good start.

The Boston-based Carlos Vargas Franco, Jr. (24) and Bianca Alejandra Felíz (22) have already visited the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and México, spreading the word and music of bachata with hits like Explicame and Perdóname. Not bad, considering the Dominican-American Carlos and the Dominican-Puerto Rican Alejandra have only been performing together for three years.

Before they were paired together by their record label Romance Records in 2006, Carlos was just another kid from the Bronx who fell in love with music after getting a guiro for his 10th birthday. Alejandra, a former beauty queen and TV host, has been singing since her quinceañera.

The release of their debut, La Introduccíon, has brought out the inevitable comparisons to the more urban Aventura as well as the more traditional Monchy y Alexandra. They've also been the subject of much gossip. Carlos was rumored as the top choice to take over for Aventura frontman Anthony "Romeo" Santos. "It's an honor but we want to make it clear that we have our own style," says Franco.

Carlos y Alejandra's latest single, Cuanto Duele is currently on heavy rotation on mun2.

Is Aventura really calling it quits? If the rumors are true, the group that made bachata mainstream could be splitting up by the end of the year.

Founded in 1994 by cousins Anthony and Henry Santos, along with siblings Max and Lenny Santos (no relation to Anthony and Henry), Aventura broke the rules of traditional bachata by singing in Spanglish, incorporating R&B and reggaetón into their music and collaborating with acts like Tego Calderón, Don Omar and Ludacris. Over the course of six studio albums, the Bronx, New York quartet went from being bachata's answer to The Backstreet Boys to adopting a more street sound.

After producing massive hits like Obsesión, Los Infieles and Mi Corazoncito, the group became the genre's biggest act, winning multiple Billboard Latin Music Awards and selling out Madison Square Garden in 2007. Romeo: "Bachata was mainly one guy singing with a guitar who definitely didn't dress 'urban'… [We did] everything no one dared to do before."

Although no official confirmation has been made, it appears Aventura will end its 15-year career on the heels of its latest release, The Last. The album with a foreboding title has already spawned some of their biggest hits: El Desprecio, Por Un Segundo and All Up 2 You, the latter being an auto-tuned R&B jam that features Akon and Wisin y Yandel. But why would the most popular act in urban bachata quit now?

The decision might be lead singer's Anthony "Romeo" Santos, who is reportedly itching to begin his solo career. Romeo says he's not the only one: "[M]y partners also want to develop and do their solo projects and I find myself in the same situation." Carlos Vargas, vocalist of bachata duo Carlos y Alejandra, is rumored to be a possible replacement for Romeo if Aventura decides to continue without its most recognizable face.

Don Omar says Marcy Place are the future of bachata – and he's putting his money where his mouth is.

Earlier this year, 28-year old Juan Carlos Cabrera and brothers Billy (26) and Joel Pabón (20) met Don Omar during a recording session in Aventura's studio – located on Marcy Place in the Bronx. Don Omar was impressed, but not by what he heard on his headphones. The reggaetonero says he was struck by the Dominican-American trio's enthusiasm and strong work ethic, which reminded him of his early struggles in Puerto Rico. Don Omar christened the group Marcy Place and signed them to his Orfanato imprint.

The group's debut album, B From Marcy Place, was released earlier this month and features collaborations with Aventura's Lenny Santos, Don Omar and Wisin y Yandel. Driven by slinky guitars and slithering bass, lead single Todo Lo Que Soy finds Marcy Place proclaiming: "I wish I could give you more than love." On the Spanglish R&B ballad "Unfaithful," the NYC outfit is hearbroken: "You don't know que es el amor, te llevaste mi corazón."

Marcy Place are currently promoting their album across the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

See: myspace.com/marcyplacemusic

Last year, New York duo Xtreme rode their hit track “Shorty, Shorty” to the top of the Latin charts. This year, Steve Styles and Danny D are set to drop more bilingual bachata jams with their follow-up, Chapter Dos.

We got a hold of the cornrowed crooners before they got on a plane and talked to them about their new album, their influences and their love for the shorties.

What's up with your new album?

Steve Styles: We are proud that we’re about to release Chapter Dos. We worked really hard on this album to give it our feeling and sound, ese sonido urbano de Xtreme. We feel it’s the next chapter of many more Xtreme albums to come.

Danny D: En este disco tenemos muchas canciones para las “shorties” que siempre nos apoyan cuando estamos sobre la tarima en los conciertos, comprando nuestros discos o con sus mensajes en MySpace y en Facebook.

What will we hear on Chapter Dos?

Danny: We've got thirteen songs on Chapter Dos and a bonus track that you can get if you the album buy online. Son canciones con batacha, sentimiento y mucho amor.

Steve: En nuestras canciones hablamos de como nos sentimos, de lo que nos pasa en nuestras vidas y también en nuestra carrera como cantantes. Hasta tenemos una canción dedicada a nuestras fans, se llama “Súper Fanática.” Lyrically, we mix our languages – Spanish and English – more this time around. Desde el titulo que es Chapter Dos y también lo van a escuchar en muchas caniones. Somos Dominicanos that grew up in the Bronx so what we sing is a reflection of our upbringing.

Growing up in The Bronx, why did you choose bachata instead of hip-hop or R&B?

Steve: Nosotros crecimos con la bachata y música Latina en nuestras casas con nuestras familias, esas son nuestras raíces musicales que nos conectan con lo que somos Latinos del Caribe. But we also grew up listening to R&B and hip hop so there’s that urban flavor in our sound and lyrics as well.

Danny: Nos encanta lo que hacen nuestros hermanos Aventura, Toby Love and Óptimo. We've got mad respect and love for them, we are all taking bachata to another level. Plus, we also look up to what Usher and Justin Timberlake do on their albums and onstage.

What's the difference between Chapter Dos and your last album, Haciendo Historia?

Danny: We are more mature as singers and performers. So when we went into the studio, Steve and I were more precise in what we wanted. We've had the opportunity to perform a ton since Haciendo Historia, so we know what our fans want. Así que grabamos canciones con nuestras fans en mente. Les queremos dar lo mejor de Xtreme.

Haciendo Historia went platinum. Do you feel any pressure to match that success?

Steve: At first we felt a little pressure, we can’t deny that. But as we kept working on the album, we realized how much fun is to be doing what we do: writing songs, recording them and performing them live for our fans, las shorties.

Danny: Para nosotros grabar un disco es como ir la escuela, es hacer la tarea para tener la recompensa después que es el recreo, el subir a la tarima a cantar y poder compartir nuestra música con nuestras fans.

Speaking of “the shorties,” there are videos on the Internet of you surprising your fans with phone calls. How did the idea come about?

Steve: Yeah! We try to stay in touch with las shorties, the girls, as much as we can. We check out MySpace messages and comments they send us. They can still do it the old-fashioned way, too, by calling our hotline. So one day, we decided to get their digits and call them. Those calls are for real, the fans didn’t know were calling them, it’s a way to show our love to them. We are going to keep calling them by surprise to watch out!

With so much screaming coming from the phone, do you ears hurt after those calls?

Danny: [Laughs.] Nah, the girls are super sweet. Besides, ellas necesitan guardar algunos gritos para los conciertos! [Laughter.]

Which song do you like performing most for your shorties?

Steve: That song would definitely be “Shorty, Shorty.” Esa fue la canción que nos dio a conocer. Con “Shorty, Shorty” hicimos historia. [Laughter.] It’s the song that gave us the opportunity to share our music with people all over the world.

Danny: We always sing it like it’s the first time we perform it. The girls all over know it’s their song and we can’t help but to try to make them happy, por las shorties hablamos hasta Francés.

Steve: We are already performing our next single, “Through That Window (Enamorado Estoy),” live, and we get the chills when we realize the girls already know the lyrics and the album isn’t even out yet!

When does the album drop?

Danny D: Chapter Dos comes out on November 25, 2008. So go buy it as soon as it drops!

Leny may be a new face to fans of Aventura, Xtreme and Toby Love, but the suave bachatero has a tropical music pedigree that goes back at least a decade.

The fresh-faced Dominican began his singing career as a 13-year-old salsero, alongside his father, Nenito, in the Pimentel family band. Two years later, Leny cut the cord and joined Sin Frontera, a slick merengue quartet that could turn melancholy ballads like Boyz II Men's No Dejemos Que Muera el Amor into club jams. In 2001, Vladimir Dotel of Ilegales recruited Leny to join his group, which, much like Proyecto Uno, blends merengue with house, R&B and hip hop.

Last year, after touring Latin America with Ilegales, Leny went solo and released the singles Carcel de Amor, Debil and "Stop." All three feature slippery guitar lines, rapid-fire hi-hats and baby-te-quiero vocals. His relationship with Ilegales? Just fine. Leny's forthcoming debut, One, is produced by Dotel.

see: myspace.com/lenypimentel

Long before Aventura, Monchy y Alejandra and Xtreme were tearing up the charts in the U.S. and Latin America, the Dominican-born Bachata was considered too ghetto – and too damn sad – to get radio play.

Often referred to as the “música de amargue” (the music of bitterness) old school Bachata told tragic stories of poverty, alcoholism and prostitution in the Dominican Republic. A natural progression of the bolero, merengue and salsa rhythms that took off in the late 1960s, Bachata was originally only available via pirated tapes of artists like Leonardo Paniagua and Luis Días – not unlike today's rap mix tapes.

It wasn't until the 1980's when artists like Luis Segura and Juan Luis Guerra began taking Bachata in a more romantic direction that the genre was granted both radio play and an aboveground avenue to commercial success. It wasn't long before its super sweet melodies, sweeping electric guitar arpeggios and bouncy güira and bongo rhythms made Bachata not just a national sensation, but an international hit.

In 1992, Guerra’s Bachata Rosa won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album, a clear sign that the genre had gone from “ashy to classy.” And as with other Latin styles, the accompanying dance also caught on, inspiring couples from Washington Heights to Buenos Aires to get close and, perhaps, a little dirty.

It also inspired Dominican Americans to leave their distinctly urban mark on this very traditional sound. With the backing of radio stations like New York City's La Kalle, urban Bachata, which adds R&B vocal stylings, bilingual lyrics and electronics to the mix, would eventually replace its antecedents.

Óptimo is a New York City-based Dominican Bachata trio comprised of Romántico (Roberto Sánchez), Neit (Starling López), and EMJ (Emmanuel Jiménez). They recently released their debut album Óptimo FDL (Foe Da Ladies), a cooler take on the more traditional sound of Bachata. In other words, Óptimo is what some call crunkchata.

While the trio's looks may be "hustle and flow," these bachateros are as sweet as this romantic genre can be. Their current single, Conéctate, is a plea to their girlfriends to get online and… chat.

We chatted with lead singer Romántico and asked him:

Bachata urbana, crunkchata or just plain bachata?

We like to call it bachata clásica!

Reggaetón vs. bachata, which will win in the long run?

Bachata will win because it's music with a lot of feeling and you can also dance to it.

Do you guys spend a lot of time online waiting for your honeys to get on? Why not just call them on their cell?

I call her at night 'cause cell phone minutes are cheaper and it's almost free if you talk to her online. LOL.

Is Óptimo just foe da ladies? What about da bros?

We do this for the ladies on behalf of our brothers with mad respect. Donde hay mujeres hay hombres. But, as thay say: ladies first. LOL.

Dominican baseball players are pretty well known in America. Who's your favorite?

I like Sammy Sosa for representing the DR in a big way and because he dedicates time to the poor people in the Dominican Republic.

How did the Bee Gees cover happen? Are you guys big disco fans?

The song was presented by Lorenzo – an executive from Sony. I'd heard the song before y pensé que it's a good way of showing our fans that we are versatile and wanted to bring back the old days so all our fans can feel good with our record.

Who would be your biggest musical influence?

Phill Collins, Juan Luis Guerra y Ricardo Montaner.

How are you guys keeping it real against Aventura, Xtreme and Toby Love?

We love all of them, we think that our fans deserve more. United we can make wonders. Mad love to all the new groups. Lets keep giving our people the best of bachata. Mad respect.

When Ramón Rijo, a.k.a. Monchy, hired Alexandra Cabrera in 1998, he didn't care if she lacked the "assets" of a supermodel – he just wanted a singing partner with pipes. For nearly a decade, the Dominican duo kept it real and under the radar as better-known groups like Aventura got fans hooked on urban Bachata. Now, Monchy & Alexandra have finally arrived.

Monchy & Alexandra's tracks are syrupy sagas of love, loss, jealousy and betrayal; it's no surprise that their videos play like telenovelas. For Alexandra, who directs each video with Monchy, music is all about positivity: “[I]f you are feeling down, a good song can lift your spirits up and make you look at life from a different point of view.”

Fans have snapped up more than half a million copies of the group's albums since the 2001 debut, Hoja En Blanco. The critics are not far behind. Monchy & Alexandra have been nominated for a Latin Grammy, and grabbed Tropical Song Of The Year at Univision's Premios Lo Nuestro in February. The duo’s collaboration with Ilegales, the dramatic don't-wanna-be-la-otra-mujer jam La Otra, has helped the veteran Bachateros continue to climb the charts.

But Monchy & Alexandra's hot streak may soon be interrupted: Alexandra is pregnant, and her maternity leave is set to start in August. In the meantime, the duo continues touring in Europe and parts of the U.S.