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Abstract

Merengue is the countrywide music and dance of the Dominican Republic. Both vacationers and residents enjoy movies to the audio of the merengue inside the bars and outside in the streets. Two major conventions with a merengue theme will be celebrated in a given time.

This describes the merengue as a essential part of the lives of the Dominicans. Merengue was even in a position to reach out international and be recognized by different countries like the USA and Puerto Rico.

However , merengue had gone by using a lot of trial offers before this got their distinction. It absolutely was initially rejected by the Dominicans because of its hyperlink to African music and because of its chocarrero lyrics and taboo subjects. Widespread popularity occurred only when the Americans came to become a social threat and when the master Rafael Trujillo declared the merengue while the national symbol. After that, armed with their traditional musical instruments, the merengue became the soundtrack in the lives in the Dominicans.

Merengue: The Dominican Republic’s Appearance

I. Launch

II. Merengue Background

III. Merengue Instruments

IV. Merengue Music

V. Merengue Boogie

VI. Conclusion

Merengue: The Dominican Republic’s Expression

People say that music is the common language of mankind. However , in the case of those of the Dominican Republic, it is not necessarily just a dialect, it is an appearance and a way of life. Strolling through all their streets, you are likely to notice that music coming from residences, vehicles, shops and eating places serves as the country’s soundtrack. And immediately after sunset, mid-air would be filled with life from the pulsing sounds from the night clubs that attracts both residents and tourists to their party floors. Pertaining to the Dominicans, dancing can be described as practiced fine art and it is a pleasure to allow them to share their particular native dances to those happy to learn (Dominican Republic, 2005 and Hispaniola, 2008).

Merengue is Dominican Republic’s the majority of popular music and dance and is regarded as the country’s national dance. The sound of the merengue can be described as combination of Western european, African and Eastern Cuban elements. It has a signature conquer pattern that easily identifies it and the dancers to swing their hips in speedy but fluid motion (Hispaniola, 2008). The Dominicans commemorate two merengue festivals, specifically, the Santo Domingo Merengue Festival the seaside music festival plus the Puerto Plata Merengue Festival which is a celebration in outdoor bars in addition to streets (Dominican Republic, 2005).

The entrance of the merengue to the American soils was attributed to the Dominican immigrants to the nation. And merengue became an international phenomenon as a result of increasing quantity of countries acknowledging it. It was even able to outsell jugo in the Latin America. This is why I chose to publish on the topic, I want to check out merengue to be aware of why it has become a worldwide tendency.

Merengue Background

The roots of merengue are quite not clear and several theories are proposed. One theory is that a soldier, Tomas Torres, developed the music following your Dominican’s win at the Talanquera battle. Another theory is the fact it originate from upa, a Cuban music, wherein one particular part was called merengue (Tambora y Güira, 1995). Even the origins of the name are still unclear. Some say that the brand came from the Haitian mereng, which developed from the music of the African slaves.

Incidents where say that it came from the fact that merengue was danced, in a way that the swirling and speedy crisscrossing measures reminded these people of the conquering of the eggs in making the meringue delicacy (Highbeam Exploration, Inc., 2008). Wherever merengue came from, something is sure, that this evolved from something and became an integral part of the lives of the Dominicans.

Merengue choose to go through various problems before it was generally accepted because the national dance with the Dominican Republic. During the early on 1900’s, people was reluctant to accept that because of its character, it has close links to African music and the lyrics were inspired on sex encounters and other socially taboo issues. It had been only acknowledged by the people after two important events. The initially was through the American soldiers’ stay with the country via 1916 to 1924, the Dominicans somewhat reduced the merengue’s tempo to allow the visitors to keep-up with the party while maintaining their cultural identification.

The second celebration was the previous president Rafael Trujillo’s popularity of merengue as the national symbol. This was because Trujillo was developed of a poor family and was prohibited coming from attending upper-class clubs, therefore making merengue the position symbol of their class (Dominican Republic, 2006 and Salsa and Merengue Society, 1999). However , the vulgarity and sexual explicitness of the lyrics still made oppositions until composer Luis Alberti could write a merengue with very good lyrics eligible Compadre Pedro Juan which became referred to as the merengue’s archetype. After that, merengue has moved overseas through radio contacts and music recordings (Highbeam Research, Inc., 2008).

Merengue Instruments

The standard merengue is composed of a three-piece band which includes a melodeon, an accordion-like instrument, a guira, a scraped cheese grater-looking percussion, and a tambora, a double-headed drum (Dominican Republic, 2005). The tambora is enjoyed by placing it flat across the thighs and hitting the right end with a adhere and the still left end with an open palm (Highbeam Exploration, Inc., 2008). However , the melodeon is usually not your initial instrument used for the tranquility and melody, Dominican bandurrias, guitars, 3, cuatro and marimba, a wooden container with several to eight metal tongs that are plucked, are the ones initially utilized since they are the instruments held by the the general public (Tambora y Güira, 1995).

It is only if the Germans began to trade their accordions with the Dominicans’ tobacco that the accordion became an integral part of the merengue (IASO Data, Inc., 2008). It combined naturally with the merengue music and was helpful in making the sound cope up with the increasing audience size. Nevertheless, the one-row accordions of the Germans were afterwards replaced by the saxophone as a result of former’s failure to play enough major keys. The accordion was just able to revisit when the two-row accordions were introduced (Salsa and Merengue Society, 1999). Up to the present, the music continue to be evolve and adapt to the alterations. Different tools like trumpets, violin, flute, piano, electric and bass guitars, and bass piles are being used simply by different merengue musicians (Dominican Republic, 2005).

Merengue Music

There are several kinds of merengue music formed in the Dominican Republic and they fluctuate only in their instrumentation. The most famous of which may be the Merengue Cibaeño, also known as Tardo Ripiao and Merengue Tipico. It came from the Este Cibao area of the region where merengue was first accepted and it is right now considered as the “The support of merengue (IASO Data, Inc., 2008). The identity Perico Ripiao, which literally means ‘ripped parrot’, was derived from the crazy country get-togethers wherein, inside the absence of different poultry wild birds, the parrot serves as the primary dish. The local musicians who also play at the said celebrations named their very own music following the dish (Grupofantasia).

Merengue Cibaeño’s musical composition has possibly two beats (2/4) or perhaps four sounds (4/4) for the bar and uses the three traditional musical instruments in a manner wherein the tambora phone calls and the additional two responds. This gives the merengue it is signature and characteristic travel (Salsa and Merengue World, 1999). The songs are typically composed in two areas. The initial part is to use a simple tempo used to present the song’s lyrical and melodic content wherein the verses are merely sung and improvisations happen to be heard merely at the end in the song lines. The second portion is composed primarily of tool improvisations wherein they play catchy riffs that help inspire and excite the dancers.

Rhythms of the tipico merengue are the merengue vertical or the straight-ahead merengue which is the fast-paced merengue. The 2nd rhythm is the pambiche or merengue apambichao which is sluggish and seen as a the dual strike beat of the tambora. The third tempo is the guinchao which is a combination of the initially two (IASO Records, Incorporation, 2008).

Merengue Dance

The merengue is a very easy dance and any individual, even with tiny training, may instantly party it considering that the steps are meant to be less complicated for newcomers. Couples grooving the merengue vary from staying too close such that only simple steps are carried out to getting far apart such that there is space pertaining to turning blends. It was stated that the Dominicans prefer dance further separate since they like to brag all their fancy footwork. In addition , close body get in touch with, for the Dominicans, are believed as pornographic and ordinario dance thus, making them prefer grooving with a range (Salsa and Merengue Contemporary society, 1999).

The merengue dance is divided into three areas. The first is the paseo or perhaps promenade where couples walk slowly and talk with one another or with nearby lovers. The second is the merengue which can be first danceable part and it is comprised of 18 or thirty-two repeated procedures. The last is definitely the jaleo which includes four of eight actions and includes a refrain that may be repeated a large number of tines. Also this is the last danceable part of the music (Highbeam Exploration, Inc., 2008).

Conclusion

Merengue has been an integral part of the lives of the Dominicans. This could be caused by the challenges of the merengue before it absolutely was fully accepted by the persons. This made merengue much more than their national dance, although also a method of expressing themselves. This frame of mind towards merengue made it appealing to other countries and allowed it being accepted by them an additional form of music and party. The addiction with merengue was caught by other countries making merengue an international phenomenon.

Sources

Dominican Republic. (2005, October). Dominican Republic Music and Dance. Recovered April 25, 2008

Grupofantasia. Merengue. Retrieved April 25, 2008

Highbeam Research, Incorporation. (2008). The infectious merengue. (history and influences of merengue music and dance). Retrieved April 25, 08

Hispaniola. (2008). Music and Dance in the Dominican Republic. Retrieved 04 25, 08, from http://www.hispaniola.com/dominican_republic/info/society_music.php

IASO Data, Inc. (2008). Merengue: Well-liked Music from the Dominican Republic. Retrieved 04 25, 08, from http://www.iasorecords.com/merengue.cfm

National Geographic Society. (2008). Dominican Republic. Retrieved Apr 25, 08

Salsa and Merengue World. (1999). Merengue: The Party. Retrieved April 25, 08, from http://www.salsa-merengue.co.uk/revealit/dancemer.html

Salsa and Merengue World. (1999). Merengue: The Music. Recovered April 25, 2008, coming from http://www.salsa-merengue.co.uk/revealit/musicmer.html

Tambora y Güira. (1995, 06 ). Merengue History. Gathered April 25, 2008, coming from http://www.mindspring.com/~adiascar/musica/merhst-e.htm