Merengue típico
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Merengue típico (also known as merengue cibaeño or colloquially as perico ripiao) is a musical genre of the Dominican Republic, and the oldest style of merengue. Merengue típico is the term preferred by most musicians as it is more respectful and emphasizes the music's traditional nature. The Instruments that are used are the accordion, bass guitar, güira, conga, and tambora (drum).[1][2]
Merengue típico is the oldest style of merengue still performed today (usually in the
Early origins
Merengue first appears in the Caribbean in the 1850s. The earliest documented evidence of merengue in the Dominican Republic are newspaper articles complaining about this "lascivious" dance displacement of the earlier tumba.
Early merengue was played on stringed instruments, but the
Up until the 1930s, the music was considered immoral. Its more descriptive and colorful name, perico ripiao (literally "ripped parrot" in Spanish) is said to have been the name of a bordello in Santiago where the music was played. Moralists tried to ban the music and the provocative dance that accompanied it, but with little success. Dictator
Possible Origins
The origins of Merengue dance are unclear, to say the least but the city of Navarrete is believed to be the exact place of origin of merengue tipico;.[4] The musician Nico Lora, a native of that town, perfected it and is the author of many well known merengue themes as old as 100 years .[5][citation needed] Official versions promote the three-cultures origin, using the European accordion together with the African tambora and Taino guira.
Changes, Fusions, and innovations
1970–1980s
After Trujillo's assassination, Dominican society changed rapidly as processes of
The popularity of merengue overseas in New York during the 1980s caused a shift in the production of the genre in the Dominican Republic. The lyrics utilized less slang and language specific to Dominican dialects of Spanish to be understood by non-Dominican listeners. A shift to a faster rhythm for merengue performers also occurred, sparking a debate amongst Dominicans on whether the changes occurring should be considered merengue or another genre. Many feared too much international influence would change the style for the worse, losing the roots that made merengue popular to begin with.[7]
1990s–present
In the 1990s a new generation of musicians added a
Rhythms
Today merengue tipico actually consists of several different rhythms. Merengue derecho, or straight-ahead merengue, is the kind of fast-paced, march-like merengue Americans are most used to hearing.
Merengue terminology
In merengue, various slang is used to signify instruments, quality, the act of playing, etc. Below are a list of terms.
- Botao - slang for a solo. Usually on tambora, güira, accordion, or conga.
- Guayo - means "grater", another word for the güira instrument.
- Mambo - not to be confused with the Cuban music style of the same name, "Mambo" in a merengue context can be either merengue de orquesta or merengue tipico, but a style of playing that involves heavy emphasis on Aguakate, and El Prodigio.
- Golpe - a rhythm for güira, tambora, or conga.
- Cuero - generally means cowhide in Spanish, but in merengue refers most of the time to a tambora skin.
- Chivo - means goat, but refers to a goatskin for tambora.
- Merengue derecho - "straight" merengue, the kind which most are familiar with. A simplified version is played in the first part of a two-part merengue.
- Maco - borrowed from orquesta merengue, this tambora rhythm is essentially rim-slap-rim-open. Can be played the fastest.
- Pambiche - is another dance similar to merengue, with a more syncopated tambora rhythm for which many variations exist.
References
- ^ "Merengue la Protesta - la invasión del 16 - Rafelito Román, David David y Lupe Valerio - YouTube". YouTube.
- ^ Hutchinson, Sydney (2006). Merengue Típico in Santiago and New York: Transnational Regionalism in a Neo-Traditional Dominican Music. Ethnomusicology. pp. 37–47.
- ^ History of Merengue típico, http://merenguetipico.org
- ^ "The Origins of Merengue Dance - FloDance".
- ^ "Historia y obra de Ñico Lora en un Encuentro con la Memoria | Centro Cultural Eduardo León Jimenes". Archived from the original on 2021-06-20. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
- ^ Hutchinson, Sydney. 2008. Merengue típico in transnational Dominican communities: Gender, geography, migration and memory in traditional music. Ph.D. dissertation, New York University.
- ^ “New Immigrants, New Layerings Tradition and Transnationalism in U.S. Dominican Popular Music.” Oye Como Va! Hybridity and Identity in Latino Popular Music, by Deborah Pacini Hernandez, Temple University Press, 2010, pp. 77–105.
- ^ "Ricardo Gutierrez | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". Myspace.
- ^ "History of Merengue tipico at merengue-ripiao.com".
External links
- History of merengue tipico with music & video clips
- Live Bachata & Merengue music Stream / Música Dominicana, en Vivo Archived 2020-08-03 at the Wayback Machine
- Smithsonian Folkways CD with liner notes by Sydney Hutchinson (much of the text in this entry is copied from here)[clarification needed]