The members of Aventura are typical of this generation, combining the influence of traditional bachata with the artistic and cultural diversity of life in the Dominican Republic. The group?s lead singer and songwriter, named (ironically) Anthony Santos, was born in the Bronx to a Dominican father and a Puerto Rican mother. His cousin, who also sings and writes songs for the band, Henry Santos Jeter, is the only member of Aventura who was born in the Dominican Republic; he moved to New York at the age of 14. Lenny Santos, the group?s lead guitarist and arranger, and his brother Mikey, who plays bass, are both Bronx natives of Dominican origin.

All of them grew up listening to the most popular bachateros of the era?singers like Blas Dur?n, Raul?n Rodr?guez, Teodoro Reyes, and Joe Veras?but the biggest influence on the group was Antony Santos. The first member of Aventura to try his hand at music was Lenny Santos, who produced and arranged the first two albums for bachatero Elvis Mart?nez, who would later be known as ?El Camar?n.?

At the same time, Santos started his own band with his brother Mikey. When they needed a singer, a friend told them about a kid from the neighborhood who sang, and Anthony joined the group, followed by his cousin Henry. Such an environment was hardly comparable to that of the members of Aventura when they began as los tinellers.

Rather than operate in the world of other bachata groups of the day, Aventura began their career playing for a specialized fan base of their friends and other local young people. This public was made up of the children of immigrants who, like the members of the group, had grown up in the US, spoke English as much or more than Spanish and shared a broader Latino-American culture rather than a strictly Dominican one. Signed to BMG, they released their debut -- with an outside producer. The material, however, was their own, and they resisted the attempt to turn them into a cookie-cutter boy band in the style of the Backstreet Boys or *NSYNC by ensuring the bachata element remained dominant, and released their first album Trampa de Amor. The group?s local success caught the attention of producer Julio Cesar of Premium Latin and he signed them to a long-term record deal and changed their name to Aventura.

In 1999, they released their first studio album Generation Next, which featured the hit single "Cuando Volver?s". The song introduced the group's style of singing in both English and Spanish. Although it would receive little promotion initially, the album would become big once their follow-up was released. In 2002, We Broke the Rules was released, featuring their hit single "Obsesi?n", which reached the top spot of various charts internationally. It would first receive constant airplay in New York City in the summer of 2002 on stations Latino Mix 105.9 and La Mega 97.9, which led the single to becoming an international hit.

In March 2003, New York stations started promoting their third album Love & Hate after the success of "Obsesion". The album gained notoriety after its lead single "Hermanita" was released in 2004; it reached a peak position of 33 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks. After months of promotion, Love & Hate was finally released later in November.

Aventura would return in early 2005 with their next single, "La Boda". In April 2005, God's Project was released. The album was praised during the course of 2005 and 2006 with the singles "Ella y Yo" and "Un Beso". On October 19, 2006, the single "Los Infieles" was released, which was featured two months later on Aventura's next album, K.O.B. Live. The second single "Mi Corazoncito" would become one of Aventura's most successful singles, as it peaked number one on the Hot Latin Tracks. The third single "El Perdedor" would also chart number one on various charts.

Promotion for their upcoming album The Last started in January 2009, with the release of the first single "Por un Segundo". It reached number one on the Hot Latin Tracks in late January 2009. On June 5th, 2009, they released their second single "All Up 2 You", which features Wisin & Yandel and Akon. The Last was released on June 9, 2009. On July 6, 2009, they released a Bolero version of their third single Su Veneno. On July 7th, 2009, they released a Bachata version of Su Veneno.

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