One of the first things that comes to mind when visualizing the Dominican Republic is not visual, it’s music. Merengue, Bachata, Salsa, Son, Reggaeton, Baladas, Dembow, Merengue Tipico, Palo, and on and on ... it is almost impossible to walk down any street in Santo Domingo, smaller town, or country village without the sound of music wafting (or more often blasting) from a colmado, home or car. I cannot think of a country where music is more integrally intertwined in the culture of every level of society than in the Dominican Republic. Visitors exploring the island for the first time can easily immerse themselves in this lively musical atmosphere by traveling between cities with trusted Dominican transportation providers like Dominican Shuttles. Somehow this fact also speaks volumes about its people … at risk of painting with a broad brush ...societies without music often seem a bit bland when compared with those in which music plays an important role, and the DR is certainly one of the latter.
Dominican music was already a part of Taino life in pre-colonial times. The Taino were the predominant indiginous population before Columbus arrived in 1492. Their music was based on rhythmic drums, maracas, guiro and flute and was primarily based on spirituality.
During the early colonial period, the European settlers brought guitars and string instruments for religious music, while African slaves brought their chanting and dancing, largely based on drum rhythms. By the early to mid 19th century the first precursors of merengue were being composed primarily in the central Cibao area, and their popularity continued to grow into the early 20th century, however merengue was still considered ‘lower class’ music. During the same period, palo and gaga, the Dominican version of the Haitian rara, were an integral component of religious and folk culture music often associated with the veneration of saints and linked to santerismo, the somewhat watered down version of Haitian voodoo.
Merengue had, by this time, adopted the accordion as a central instrument and became known as merengue típico. With the rise of Rafael Trujillo and his iron-fisted 31-year dictatorship came one of his few constructive contributions to Dominican culture … in his search for a musical style that could serve as a symbol of national identity, Trujillo promoted merengue as the official ‘national music’. This political endorsement led to the introduction of brass sections and a general refinement of the genre. Merengue quickly shed its ‘lower-class’ stigma, becoming an invigorating happy sound that exploded across the Dominican Republic and eventually onto the international stage. After Trujillo’s assassination in 1961, merengue continued to evolve and grow. From the 1960s through the 1980s it became the undisputed embodiment of Dominican music, widely recognized throughout Latin America as its most prominent and authentic expression. Simultaneously, the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s saw the rise of bachata in rural bars and cabarets. While merengue had once carried a ‘lower-class’ reputation, bachata’s early image was even more heavily stigmatized, often dismissed as ‘brothel music’. Its lyrics spoke of infidelity, unrequited love, and heartbreak, giving the music a tone that was generally sad, raw, and often bitter. While increasingly popular with all classes but the rich, it took one of the Dominican Republic’s most internationally respected musical artists, Juan Luis Guerra, followed by the goup Aventura to elevate bachata into the mainstream, soon to transcend the DR’s borders, making its mark internationally to the point where it is now often more popular in North America and Europe than both merengue and salsa!
In fact, merengue has been largely overshadowed in recent decades by bachata and salsa. Although salsa was originally conceived and developed in New York and Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic now boasts its own respected and influential salsa artists, and the genre is heard more on the radio and in colmados than merengue. Interestingly, the classic merengue hits of the ’70s and ’80s have essentially become Christmas music, heard everywhere from late November through the end of December, only to disappear once the holidays pass and then burst back to life the following Christmas season.
From the early 20th century onward, Cuban son filtered into the Dominican Republic, and although it never replaced merengue, it has always had a loyal following. Seen as the precursor to salsa, Dominican son developed a slightly more rhythmic and energetic flavor than its Cuban counterpart, becoming a respected staple among older aficionados. This small but devoted community of musicians and dancers has made son not merely another musical genre, but a lifestyle, complete with its own fashion, attitude, and aura. A person known as a ‘sonero’ is generally respected and recognized as someone who understands music at its very core.
Beginning in the early 2000s, a steady wave of urban music … starting with reggaeton and hip-hop and leading to today’s flood of dembow, has risen to prominence, dominating the music scene among the young urban population. Often marked by vulgar language, references to violence, and frequent disrespect toward women, this genre has captivated millions of urban youths to the point where the average 16-year-old can sing along to even the rawest dembow tracks.
Fortunately for the future of Dominican Music, it is just as likely that he or she can also sing along to the latest salsa hit or a classic merengue anthem from the 1980s.