Origin Story
“We started with good intentions” is a phrase coined by DJ Thiencito that best describes how “Hello! Bachata” started.
The COVID pandemic of 2020-2021 left many dancers isolated from social dancing, with fear as the basis of conveying the message that social gatherings were unsafe. While indoor gatherings were prohibited, venues with outdoor seating were able to make due with the COVID restrictions put forth by the state of California.
Outdoor Bachata events were relatively absent around this time in or around San Francisco. We felt the Bachata community needed a boost in morale and an event to get people “back to dancing.”
Bachata by the Basin was created: A free outdoor event located at the Brooklyn Basin in Oakland.
300 people attended the event in May 2021. It created such a stir that an encore event was requested.
In July 2021, the second event drew in over 400 people.
300 people attended the event in May 2021. It created such a stir that an encore event was requested.
In July 2021, the second event drew in over 400 people.
The event was only meant to jumpstart the community back to dancing, it wasn’t meant to be more than just one event. As much as many asked us to do it again, we had to decline as running a free outdoor event puts us in financial challenges and at the mercy of weather conditions.
The people that came together to create BBTB didn’t know each other well prior but we came together “with good intentions” for the community.
With time, we started to miss the idea of coming together as a group, and waiting a whole year before we could come together was too long.
Bachata by the Basin was successful not only because the community came out to support, but through really good organization and marketing pieces. The call to challenge ourselves to create a highly organized and successful event kept ringing in our ears.
With time, we started to miss the idea of coming together as a group, and waiting a whole year before we could come together was too long.
Bachata by the Basin was successful not only because the community came out to support, but through really good organization and marketing pieces. The call to challenge ourselves to create a highly organized and successful event kept ringing in our ears.
Bachata by the Basin: July 18 2021 Recap
In under just two months, a new event was created, something with a name that tells people “this is a fun and welcoming event for all.” Hence, “Hello! Bachata” was born.
In October 2021 we started our first monthly event and although we had a great event with 194 paid attendees, the COVID surge in December 2021 caused our monthly attendance to drop to 134, but the community continued to come out and support us. They remembered what we did for them with Bachata by the Basin and they knew that Hello! Bachata was an event for the people.
Hello! Bachata (Monthly) Marketing Video
With time, the fear of COVID slowly diminished and the community for the most part, felt it was safe to return to dancing. The team stuck it out together while continuing to produce the best they could offer for the months in 2022. With each event meant ways to improve on the existing formula that was making Hello! Bachata one of the best events in the San Francisco bay area.
On October 2022, the anniversary month of Hello! Bachata and Hello! Kizomba, we drew in 418 people, a number so unheard of in the San Francisco area during COVID times. We made it a year and we knew then the community wanted us to stay.
With Bachata by the Basin, Hello! Bachata, and Hello! Kizomba being successful events under our belt, the team wanted a new challenge that we could bring to the community. San Francisco was missing a really well organized Bachata festival.
The opportunity became available where the team asked two organizers from a successful festival and made an offer: bring together our strive for perfection to collaborate on the best festival possible, using the already successful Hello! Bachata and Hello! Kizomba monthly events as a jumping board.
With Bachata by the Basin, Hello! Bachata, and Hello! Kizomba being successful events under our belt, the team wanted a new challenge that we could bring to the community. San Francisco was missing a really well organized Bachata festival.
The opportunity became available where the team asked two organizers from a successful festival and made an offer: bring together our strive for perfection to collaborate on the best festival possible, using the already successful Hello! Bachata and Hello! Kizomba monthly events as a jumping board.
Thus, the "San Francisco Bachata Festival Project" was started.
After months of planning the name "Hello! Bachata Fest" was decided as the name to represent quality, organization, and education with a mission to bring these three pillars to San Francisco in the form of a dance festival.
After months of planning the name "Hello! Bachata Fest" was decided as the name to represent quality, organization, and education with a mission to bring these three pillars to San Francisco in the form of a dance festival.
The event "Hello! Bachata" was already becoming world-known for quality marketing and event organization, so it was fitting to continue with that name for a dance festival. 2023 marks the year that the Hello! Bachata Fest pave the way for its first annual festival starting in July 2024.
We hope you enjoyed reading our origin story and hope that you have a better sense of how our humble roots started, and join us on our journey to bring quality, organization, and education to the dance community.
We hope you enjoyed reading our origin story and hope that you have a better sense of how our humble roots started, and join us on our journey to bring quality, organization, and education to the dance community.
Testimonial Interviews at Hello! Bachata and Hello! Kizomba
A Peak at dancing at Hello! Bachata (Monthly Event)
A Timeline of How the Team Formed
Here is a timeline of the people that became known as Hello! Bachata and Hello! Kizomba:
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2022 - 2024
JMP Entertainment Services, LLC