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The music of the Dominican Republic is surprisingly diverse and varied. There are many different types of
merengue, for example, including merengue cibaeno, perico ripiao and pambiche. The music style most often associated with the Dominican Republic is merengue, an energetic dance rhythm that is popular throughout the Americas. "Republica Dominicana" is the latest music CD release from Putumayo World Music.
Traditional merengue instrumentation includes a barrel-shaped, double headed drum called the tambora, a diatonic accordion and a guira, a cylindrical metal scraper. The alto saxophone is a common wind instrument in traditional merengue, although the most popular form of merengue is played with a large ensemble that includes multiple saxophones and trumpets, keyboards, bass, and an entourage of peppy singers with crisp choreography. Visitors to the Dominican Republic or Dominican neighborhoods in the United States may be surprised to discover that merengue is not the only local music form. Indeed, the music which most commonly blares out of car stereos, bars and storefronts today is a unique and largely undiscovered style called bachata. An enchanting genre that is reminiscent of Cuban son or Mexican ranchera, bachata has long been part of Dominican daily life, but has only recently been embraced as an important and unique cultural expression. Bachata's instrumentation is distinct from traditional merengue, although bachata ensembles regularly include merengues in their repertoire. The guitar, or its smaller, tinny sounding cousin the requinto, is the most prominent instrument in bachata, as opposed to the accordion in merengue. The strong plucking technique and sharp intonation of the bachata guitar makes it instantly recognizable. In many ways the history of bachata is similar to that of American blues. Originally a rural, guitar-based form, bachata was the music of the poor and uneducated. The lyrics often contained raw double-entendres and bawdy sexual innuendoes. While most Dominicans listened to bachata, it was not considered an important musical form. However, once you hear the music on this collection a new world will be opened to you. Use this album as a starting point for further exploration of the Dominican Republic's rich musical expression. The "Republica Dominicana" CD is available in music and book stores. Image credit: Putumayo World Music. |