Merengue

The rhythms of the merengue dance are ubiquitous around the Dominican Republic and there is almost no way to escape from them. In the Caribbean two-quarter tact, the locals celebrate their joy of everydays life. Singers such as Antonio Santos or Juan Luis Guerra are worshiped here in the Dominican Republic as Elvis Presley in rock’n’roll’s finest years.

Whether you are on the bus, in a restaurant or in the bar, throughout the Dominican Republic you can hear the rhythm of the merengue sounds, and you can see Dominicans following the rhythm and moving their hips. The upper body is relatively firmly held in contrary to the fluent movements of the hips. The basic steps of this dance are easy. The dancing couple moves two steps forward and two backward, knees are slightly bent.

The original form of Merengue dance, which is still danced mainly in rural areas, is called “perico ripiao”. A small group of musicians who virtually control their instruments plays typical sounds of merengue. Musicians play on accordion, guitar, double-sided little drum and “güira” (a musical instrument made mostly of tin metal). However nowadays,, the more modern version of merengue music is more common.