
Merengue típico (also known as merengue cibaeño or colloquially as perico ripiao) is a musical genre of the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
, 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
Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
,
bass guitar
The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...
,
güira
The güira () is a percussion instrument from the Dominican Republic used in merengue, bachata, and to a lesser extent, other genres such as cumbia. It is made of a metal sheet (commonly steel) and played with a stiff brush, thus being similar ...
,
conga
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...
, and
tambora (drum).
''Merengue típico'' is the oldest style of merengue still performed today (usually in the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
and the United States), its origins dating back to the 1850s. It originated in the rural city of Navarrete (villa bisono), northern valley region around the city of Santiago called the Cibao, resulting in the term "merengue cibaeño". Originally played on the metal scraper called
güira
The güira () is a percussion instrument from the Dominican Republic used in merengue, bachata, and to a lesser extent, other genres such as cumbia. It is made of a metal sheet (commonly steel) and played with a stiff brush, thus being similar ...
, the
tambora, and a stringed instrument (usually a
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
or a variant such as the
tres
Tres may refer to:
* Tres (instrument), a Cuban musical instrument
* Tres, Trentino, municipality in Italy
* ''Tres'' (2014 film), a Filipino anthology drama film based on short stories
* "Tres" (song) by Juanes
*"Tres", a song by Líbido from thei ...
). Stringed instruments were replaced with two-row diatonic button accordions when Germans began to travel to the island in the 1880s as part of the tobacco trade. Later, the ''
marímbula
The marímbula () is a plucked box musical instrument of the Caribbean. In Cuba it is common in the changüí genre, as well as old styles of son. In Mexico, where it is known as marimbol is played in son jarocho; in the Dominican Republic, ...
'', a bass
lamellophone
A lamellophone (also lamellaphone or linguaphone) is a member of the family of musical instruments that makes its sound by a thin vibrating plate called a lamella or tongue, which is fixed at one end and has the other end free. When the musician ...
related to the African ''
mbira
Mbira ( ; ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal Tine (structural), tines, played by holding the instrument ...
'', was added to fill out the sound. "Merengue tipico" is very popular not only in the Dominican Republic but has migrated to the United States and many other countries.
Early origins
Merengue first appears in the
Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
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
accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
came to the island in the 1880s, introduced by
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
traders, and quickly became the primary instrument in merengue.
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
Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina ( ; ; 24 October 1891 – 30 May 1961), nicknamed ''El Jefe'' (; "the boss"), was a Dominican military officer and dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic from August 1930 until his assassination in May 1961 ...
brought accordionists with him on the campaign trail, and once he took power, he ensured that merengue was embraced as a national music by all classes of Dominicans.
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;. 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. 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
urbanization
Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...
and migration accelerated. Merengue tipico changed too. Through the efforts of artists like
El Cieguito de Nagua
EL, El or el may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Fictional entities
* El, a character from the manga series ''Shugo Chara!'' by Peach-Pit
* Eleven (''Stranger Things'') (El), a fictional character in the TV series ''Stranger Things''
* El, fami ...
, and particularly
Tatico Henriquez, the music became faster and more technically demanding, while incorporating new instruments. They replaced marimba with
electric bass
The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an electric but with a longer neck and scale leng ...
, and added
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...
and
conga
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...
s.
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.
1990s–present
In the 1990s a new generation of musicians added a
bass drum
The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter usually greater than its depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. The head ...
, played with a foot pedal by the "Guirero", and timbales, played by the "Tamborero" for fills. Agapito Pascual is credited with creating the new style termed "merengue con mambo" in 1987 with his recording, "La Vieja y su Pipa." Merengue con mambo refers to a merengue with a second section based on hard driving rhythms and riffs played by the accordion and
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...
together. This is the dominant style today that has been further explored by artists like
Ricardo Gutierrez ()
El Prodigio,
Geovanny Polanco, Raul Roman (son of accordion legend
Rafaelito Roman), and Kerubanda.
Artists like
Krisspy and
Aguakate have pushed genre boundaries even further with more
mambo
Mambo most often refers to:
*Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form
*Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music
Mambo may also refer to:
Music
* Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particul ...
and fusions with other rhythms like
reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ) is a modern style of popular music, popular and electronic music that originated in Panamanian reggaetón, Panama during the late 1980s, and which rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s through a plethora of Puert ...
, and many artists like
Fulanito
Fulanito is an American musical group based in Washington Heights in New York City. The group combines traditional merengue with elements of other genres such as house, hip hop, and bachata among others. With over five million albums sold th ...
have fused merengue-style
accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
playing with
rap music
Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...
. A new crop of merengue musicians, notably
Limi-T 21, have attempted to create an
orchestra merengue and
perico ripiao fusion on songs like "Que Lo Bailen". The
bpm of the music has also transformed, originally between 130 and 140
empo but today is sometimes sped up from 160 to 190 tempo.
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.
Pambiche
Pambiche is a Dominican music genre and dance form derived from merengue típico, the traditional style of merengue. It has a slower tempo than standard merengue and its tambora rhythm is based on the cinquillo.
This style of merengue was orig ...
or merengue apambichao is said to have developed during the
American occupation of the Dominican Republic (1916–1924), taking its name from the "Palm Beach" fabric worn by American soldiers. Its tempo is usually slower than merengue derecho, and it can be recognized by the more syncopated rhythms in both bass and tambora. It is probably the rhythm most beloved by típico aficionados: dancing to it is said to require more skill since it is more complicated and syncopated than merengue derecho, and it helps to set the típico genre apart since it is used infrequently by orquesta groups. Guinchao is a third and more recently developed rhythm that is a combination of the other two. The once-common paseo, a slow introduction during which couples would promenade around the dance floor, is now common only in folkloric presentations. In the past, other dances like the
mangulina,
carabiné,
polka
Polka is a dance style and genre of dance music in originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though generally associated with Czech and Central European culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the ...
, guarapo, and
zarambo were also played on accordion, but are now generally heard only at folkloric presentations.
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
The güira () is a percussion instrument from the Dominican Republic used in merengue, bachata, and to a lesser extent, other genres such as cumbia. It is made of a metal sheet (commonly steel) and played with a stiff brush, thus being similar ...
,
accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
, or
conga
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...
.
*Guayo - means "grater", another word for the
güira
The güira () is a percussion instrument from the Dominican Republic used in merengue, bachata, and to a lesser extent, other genres such as cumbia. It is made of a metal sheet (commonly steel) and played with a stiff brush, thus being similar ...
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
conga
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...
,
tambora, and
cowbell
A cowbell (or cow bell) is a bell (instrument), bell worn around the neck of free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal via the sound of the bell when the animal is grazing out of view in hilly landscapes or vast plains. ...
riffs. Believed to be first popularized by accordionist Agapito Pascual, Merengue con Mambo sometimes involves solos, but is essentially a riff of saxophone or accordion repeating over a heavy rhythm. Most songs have a section within it dedicated to the Mambo, either nearing towards the end of the track or past the second verse of the song, but some songs are completely based on this style. Merengue con mambo is often played with a maco rhythm on the tambora, since it is can be played at a faster pace. The
Pambiche
Pambiche is a Dominican music genre and dance form derived from merengue típico, the traditional style of merengue. It has a slower tempo than standard merengue and its tambora rhythm is based on the cinquillo.
This style of merengue was orig ...
rhythm is rarely used in merengue con mambo. Also can be used to shout out in songs, popularized by the likes of
Geovanny Polanco,
Aguakate, and
El Prodigio.
*Golpe - a rhythm for
güira
The güira () is a percussion instrument from the Dominican Republic used in merengue, bachata, and to a lesser extent, other genres such as cumbia. It is made of a metal sheet (commonly steel) and played with a stiff brush, thus being similar ...
,
tambora, or
conga
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...
.
*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
External links
History of merengue tipico with music & video clipsLive Bachata & Merengue music Stream / Música Dominicana, en Vivo
*Smithsonian Folkways CD with liner notes by Sydney Hutchinson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merengue Tipico
Merengue music
Caribbean music genres
Dominican styles of music
Folklore of the Dominican Republic
Latin American folk music