They just might be expanding the repertoire a little bit.

"We've come to realize that we can be successful bringing in other types of music,'' said Aventura member Henry Santos Jeter. "We're all happy, but we have separate talents that we want to explore. We're not going to run away from bachata, that's what really made us. The next album will be 60 percent bachata and 40 percent all the other things.''

The Bronx-born Aventura made its name by merging bachata … a type of
Dominican folk music … with an urban flair, bringing it to unforeseen heights.

However, the future of the band had been called into question. Aventura's latest album was called "The Last,'' and the cover art featured the four members walking away on a deserted city street.

While the street on the cover of "The Last'' might be empty, the band has been filling seats of arenas around the world. Aventura played two shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City last week and are set for two more, Monday and Tuesday.

They also made it to the White House in October as part of a Latin culture summit, performing "Su Veneno.''

"We took pictures with (President Obama) and we had a little time to talk
with him and the whole family,'' Santos Jeter said. "It was an amazing experience. This guy has such an aura of peace, of calm … he's a very likable person.''

Aventura has a habit of showing up in unexpected places. In fall 2007, they
played Cafe Imperial in Bound Brook after playing Madison Square Garden. The
guys did it as a thank you to their Central Jersey fans.

"Two places that really supported us from the begining, one was Boston
and the other Jersey,'' Santos Jeter said. "We used to be in Jersey a lot.''

"We are one of few lucky artists who still have the same fans from the beginning, and they've grown in crazy numbers. We have the most loyal fans an artist ever had.''

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