Dominicans
Love To Dance!
Of all the musical styles and rhythms that enrich the country’ s folklore, Merengue is king and has been declared an Intangible Cultural Treasure of the Dominican Republic. As a popular musical form, it is very dynamic and varies from one generation to the next.
Generally sung in their vernacular, they love to move to the thump and beat of this music which, according to the lyrics of a carnival song, pulsates in our every being the urge to:“... dance in the street by day, dance in the street by night.” Merengue is the total sum of the harmonious interplay of the güira, the tambora( small drum), and the accordion.
Just as in the 19th century, Lanner and Strauss took the waltz from local taverns to the great dance halls and the imperial Austrian theaters, the Dominican merengue has been interpreted by national and foreign dance bands and symphonic orchestras, thanks to the works of important Dominican composers of yesterday and today: Julio Alberto Hernández, Juan Francisco García, José Dolores Cerón, Luis Alberti, Rafael Solano y Bienvenido Bustamante, among others, who have also cultivated the traditional musical forms. Others are: Enrique de Marchena, Luis
Mena, Francisco Ignacio, Ramón Díaz, Manuel Simó, Juan Luis Guerra, Michael Camilo and José Antonio Molina.
Dominicans love to dance. Father Labat, a French monk who arrived in the capital city in 1795 when Spain ceded the island to France by the Treaty of Basle, made the following profound observation:“ Dance is, in Santo Domingo, the favorite passion, and I don’ t believe that there is anywhere in the world where people are more drawn to musical vibrations.” Labat’ s observation is very apt. Singing is probably the only phenomenon which can rival dancing as food for the Dominican’ s soul.
To this day, it is customary to sing lullabies to infants before they fall asleep. The child is raised amidst musical games and the practice of singing before school continues today. Rural farmers in the countryside sing tunes and“ cantos de hacha”( axe songs) in the conuco( small farm). They chant their prayers and express their love with songs. No wonder serenading is so popular! And, when a child dies in rural areas, mourners sing dirges called the“ baquiní”.
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