merengue

The word “Merengue” is very similar to the spelling and sound of the word given to the sweet pastry “Meringue.” It is believed that the Merengue dance may have gotten its name from the dessert made of egg whites and sugar because of the dances light and frothy character and because of the short, precise and rhythmical ...

Merengue is a style rooted in Africa that came to life in the Dominican Republic (particularly in the city of Santiago) and is based on a repeating five-beat rhythmic pattern called a quintillo. With its African and Spanish influences, merengue is a new world musical style rooted in old-world traditions.

Merengue is characterized by its marching rhythms and Cuban motion – strong side to side motion and 'dragged leg' with emphasis on counts 1 and 5. The Merengue frame is the same as the Rhythm frame.

Major Differences Between Merengue and Salsa Another major difference between these types of Latin music is in the way that they are structured. Salsa is six bars of four beats while merengue is two bars of eight beats. In other words, salsa songs have 32 beats while a merengue song has 64.

merengue, French mérengue, couple dance originating in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, strongly influenced by Venezuelan and Afro-Cuban musical practices and by dances throughout Latin America. Originally, and still, a rural folk dance and later a ballroom dance, the merengue is at its freest away from the ballroom.

Juan Luis Guerra, Santo Domingo, 2012. Guerra is one of the most internationally recognized Latin artists of recent decades. His popular style of merengue and Latin fusion has garnered him considerable success throughout Latin America.

The merengue is considered part of the national identity of the Dominican community. It plays an active role in various aspects of people's daily lives – from their education to social gatherings and celebrations, even political campaigning.

Merengue was developed in the middle of the 1800s, originally played with European stringed instruments (bandurria and guitar). Years later, the stringed instruments were replaced by the accordion, thus conforming, together with the güira and the tambora, the instrumental structure of the typical merengue ensemble.

The Instruments that are used are the accordion, bass guitar, güira, conga, and tambora (drum). Merengue tipico band playing in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

the Dominican Republic Merengue festivals are held in cities in the Dominican Republic like Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata every year. Danced in pairs, flirtatious gestures are used as participants move in circles to the rhythm of music played on instruments such as the accordion, drum and saxophone.

Perico Ripiao; typical merengue This musical style is played with three main instruments: the güira, the tambora drum and the accordion.

The güira and the tambora drum, the two main percussion instruments, have been part of the typical merengue ensemble since the music's inception, and are so important that they are often considered to be symbolic of the country.