Merengue Music
Merengue is the music of the Dominican Republic. While different branches of Merengue Music were also developed in Haiti, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Colombia, Dominican Republic is recognized as the crib of Merengue with the style’s history and origins closely tied to the eastern side of the Hispaniola island.
Dancing to Merengue Music in the Dominican Republic
The Merengue Music is composed in the 2/4 time style that sounds happy and festive. It’s a fast music style with tempo at about 120 to 160 beats per minute (BPM). The primary instrument used in Merengue Music is diatonic accordion. Other traditional instruments used are the guiro (a scraper with origins dating back to the Arawak Indians – the original inhabitants of the Hispaniola island), and African percussion, such as conga or tambora. More contemporary Merengue composers also use other instruments, including saxophone, electric guitars and synthesizers.
Needless to say – Merengue is very popular throughout Caribbean and Latin America, but its popularity is also widely spread throughout the United States, especially in cities like New York where communities of immigrants from the Dominican Republic are substantial. Being the national music of the Dominican Republic, a visitor to the island is bound to have bountiful encounters with this musical style.
But enough of written word. When speaking of music, there is no better way to understand it then by listening to a song. Video below is a good example of Modern Merengue Tipico. I present to you El Hombre Mas Guapo:
Incoming search terms:
- merengue music
- dominican merengue dancers
- dominican merengue
- dominican republic music
- dominican republic history
- dominican dance
- merengue in dominican republic
- dominican music
- dominican republic music merengue
- merengue dominican