Cristhian Cristhian is a Dominican bachata and bolero singer, guitarist, composer and arranger whose recording career began in 1997. He is remembered above all as the first singer to record «Tú Eres Ajena», the song by Alejandro Montero that later became a major hit for Frank Reyes and Eddy Herrera, and he has returned to recording in recent years with new bachata.

A family of musicians

By his own account he grew up in a family of musicians. His late father, a guitarist, taught many of the bachata singers of the time, and the family's neighbours included Edilio Paredes. Cristhian says he sang boleros and romantic music before bachata and describes himself as a bachatero and a bolerista at heart. In his early years he was in a group called «Happy Friends» with Zacarías Ferreira, who later joined the «Orquesta Brugal» and signed to «Discomanía», and who sang backing vocals on Cristhian's first production as a favour between friends.

Albums

His first album, «Cristhian Cristhian» (1997), was followed by «Te Amo» (1999), whose tracks include «Quiero Que Me Quieras», «Vuelve», «Tú Eres Ajena» and the bolero «Brujería». In 2005 he released «Rompecorazones», with «Espero Tu Regreso», «No He Podido Ser Feliz», «Última Noche» and the title track. Songs such as «La Cama» and «No Le Digan» were later gathered onto bachata compilations.

«Tú Eres Ajena»

Cristhian says he recorded «Tú Eres Ajena» in 1997, almost two years before Frank Reyes and Eddy Herrera, and that a promotional CD was made, but the launch never took place: he had an accident, there was a dispute with his manager, and the label owner Nelson Estévez halted the promotion. The song reached listeners on «Te Amo» in 1999. Frank Reyes recorded it in 2000 and Eddy Herrera made his merengue version in 2001. Cristhian says the arrangement used for Reyes was the same one made for his own recording.

Contract years and return

He says a contract left him unable to record for about ten years, a period he describes as one in which a large project collapsed. In 2023 he re-recorded «Tú Eres Ajena» in a renewed version with the guitarist Robinson Hernández, keeping the original arrangement, and released the single «El Llorón» with his brother Juan Pablo, the group's second singer. He has also recorded a completed production of new songs, including «Me Duele a Morir» and «Amor de una Noche», and plans a set of boleros and medleys of songs by Luis Vargas and Raulín Rodríguez.

Legacy

Cristhian Cristhian's place in Dominican music rests on the first recording of «Tú Eres Ajena» and on three albums of romantic bachata and bolero from 1997 to 2005.