Merengue is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic, popular all over Latin America. Its name is Spanish from meringue, a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar, probably from the movement on the dance floor that reminiscent of an egg beater in action.
This style of music was created by Ñico Lora, a Dominican of Spanish descent, in the 1920s, and promoted by Rafael Trujillo, the Dominican Republic dictator from the 1930s through the early 1960s, becoming the country’s national music and dance style. It was popularized in the United States by Angel Viloria and his band Conjunto Típico Cibaeño.
Merengues are fast arrangements with a 2/4 beat. The traditional instrumentation for a conjunto típico (traditional band), the usual performing group of folk merengue, is a diatonic accordion, a two sided drum held on the lap called a tambora, and a güira (a percussion instrument, sounding like a maraca, which is a sheet of metal perforated with a nail, shaped into a cylinder, and played with a stiff brush). The güira is brushed steadily on the downbeat with a "and-a" thrown in at certain points, or played in more complex patterns to mark time. "Caballito" rhythm, or a quarter and two eighths, is also common. The double headed drum is played on one side with a stick syncopation, and on the other side with the palm of the hand. The traditional (some say fundamental) signature rhythm figure of merengue is the quintillo, a syncopated motif whose pattern is broken by five successive drum head hits at the transition between every second and third beat, alternating between the hand and the stick. To purists, quintillo is essential to merengue, a viewpoint that has gradually fallen into disuse, as alternate figures have gained popularity (particularly "jaleo," also known as "merengue bomba").
There are three primary types of merengue in the Dominican Republic:
(1) Perico ripiao ("ripped parrot," said to be the name of a brothel where the music was originally played), usually called merengue tipico, is the oldest style commonly played. Típico groups play a variety of rhythms, but the most common, aside from merengue, is pambiche. In the 1930s-50s, the marimba, a bass instrument, was often used, a large box-shaped thumb piano with 3-6 metal keys, resembling the Cuban marimbula. In more urban settings, it is played with all manner of instrumentation, but the tambora and the güira are signatures. In modern merengue típico, a saxophone is an addition to the accordion, along with electric bass guitar.
(2) Merengue de orquesta (big band merengue) is currently 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.
(3) Merengue de guitarra (guitar merengue).
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Texas Latin Dance’s Merengue Company performs at TLD’s Spring Show in 2008! In case you know me and actually care, I’m the guy on the far right in the front row (so the last couple on the front row).
Mix guapachoso.
This is a crash course on merengue styles that you can use for any Corito that has this rythm. This mini dvd is packed with great insights and tips to getting that style you want. You can purchase it now at my site www.mrpiano.org and go to the store page and buy it there!!
Merengue #1, Demo by Rhoda Lai & her Line Dance Class on July 28th, 2007