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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