Bailes Latinos - Merengue

Merengue is a type of lively, joyful music and dance that comes from the Dominica Republic. It is popular in the Dominican Republic, and all over Latin America. Merengue means whipped egg whites and sugar in Spanish, similar to the English word meringue. It was made the official music and dance of the Dominican Republic by Rafael Trujillo. Partners hold each other in a closed position. The man holds the woman's waist with his right hand while keeping his left hand/her right hand at the woman's eye level.

Stylistic origins
Spanish  (Spain) contradanza, Spanish decima and African plena, or at Talanquera

Cultural origins
Dominican Republic

Typical instruments
Bass guitar,  tambora o diatonic accordion (a two sided drum held on the lap) Güiro (open ended hollow gourd with parallel notches cut into the side), Guitar, Saxophone, Trumpet, sometimes Trombone

Mainstream Popularity
Some in the early 20th century, continued pan-Latin popularity

 

Merengue

(Taken from the articles “Merengue” by Lori Heikkila on http://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/merengue.htm and “Merengue (dance)” on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merengue_%28dance%29 )

Reseña Histórica

The Merengue is the national dance of the

Dominican Republic

. There are two popular versions of the origin of the Merengue. One story alleges that the dance originated with slaves who were chained together and, of necessity, were forced to drag one leg as they cut sugar to the beat of drums. The second story alleges that a great hero was wounded in the leg during one of the many revolutions in the

Dominican   Republic

. A party of villagers welcomed him home with a victory celebration and, out of sympathy, everyone dancing felt obliged to limp and drag one foot.

Merengue has existed since the early years of the

Dominican   Republic

. It is possible the dance took its name from the confection made of sugar and egg whites because of the light and frothy character of the dance or because of its short, precise rhythms. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the Merengue was very popular in the

Dominican Republic

. Tempos vary a great deal and the Dominicans enjoy a sharp quickening in pace towards the latter part of the dance. Not only is it used on every dancing occasion in the Republic, but it is very popular throughout the Caribbean and

South America

, and is one of the standard Latin American dances. Ideally suited to the small, crowded dance floors, the Merengue is a dance that is easy to learn and essentially a "fun" dance.

Instrumentos

There is a lot of variety in Merengue music. The instrumentation for a conjunto típico (traditional band) is a diatonic accordion, a two sided drum held on the lap called a tambora, and a güira. A güira (Gwee-ra) is a percussion instrument that sounds like a maraca but is a cylindrical, grooved instrument that is played with a stick. In the 1930s-50s a bass instrument was also often used. Called marimba, it resembles the Cuban marimbula, and is a large box-shaped thumb piano with 3-6 metal keys. Today, orquesta, or big band, merengue is the most popular. It uses a large horn section with paired saxophones, piano, timbales, hi-hat, backup singers, and conga in addition to tambora, güira, and bass. In modern merengue típico a saxophone is an addition to the accordion, along with electric bass guitar.

Baile

Partners hold each other in a closed position. The man holds the woman's waist with his right hand while keeping his left hand/her right hand at the woman's eye level. The merengue is a two-step beat requiring both partners to bend their knees slightly left and right. This in turn makes the hips move left and right. When danced correctly, the hips of the man and woman will move in the same direction throughout the song. Partners may walk sideways or circle each other, in small steps. They can further switch to a double handhold position and do separate turns without letting go each other's hands or momentarily releasing one hand. During these turns they may twist and tie their handhold into intricate pretzels. Other choreography is possible. Although the tempo of the music may be frantic, the upper body is kept majestic and turns are slow, typically four beats/steps per complete turn.

Juan Luis Guerra Seijas (born June 7, 1957) is a Dominican singer, songwriter, and self-producer who has sold over fourteen million records worldwide and has won numerous awards, including ten Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, and two Latin Billboard Music Awards. He won 5 Latin Grammy awards in 2007 in the same night which ties him with Juanes to hold the record for most Latin Grammys won in one night. He was born in Santo Domingo and is the son of Olga Seijas and Gilberto Guerra, a baseball player. He is one of the most internationally recognized Dominican artists in decades past. His pop style of Merengue and Bolero and Afro-pop/Latin fusion have garnered him considerable success outside the Dominican Republic. Juan Luis Guerra is sometimes associated with the popular Dominican music called Bachata, and while this association is partially true, he actually uses the basics of Bachata rhythm with a more Bolero feel to the melodies in some of his songs. He does not limit himself to one style of music, instead, he incorporates diverse rhythms like merengue, Bolero-Bachata, Balada, Salsa, Rock & Roll, and Gospel. "Ojalá que llueva café" is one of his most critically acclaimed self-written and composed pieces. A remix of "Llave De Mi Corazón" with Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas is also an example of his fusing of different genres.