MEMPHIS, TN (MSCS) – Music and dance are one of the greatest expressions of Latin American culture. Both are essential expressions that Latin Americans identify with no matter where they are, as they convey their joy, strength, and passion.

Among the best-known dances and rhythms found in Latin America are merengue, salsa, bachata, cumbia, vallenato, reggaeton, tango, jarabe tapatío, pop, and Latin rock.

Merengue, in particular, is a dance and musical genre produced and enjoyed in many Latin American countries, but in the Dominican Republic, it is the national musical and dance genre. On November 26, 2005, a decree was issued by the Dominican Republic’s presidency to proclaim National Merengue Day. Years later, in 2016, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared this Dominican Republic rhythm an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for “fostering respect and coexistence among communities.”

The reason is that merengue began to take shape in rural areas of the Caribbean island, specifically in the Cibao region, in the mid-19th century. It is the product of a fusion of African rhythms, such as those that arrived from Puerto Rico with the Cuban upa, and the European contradanza. A legend says that the dance originated with slaves of African descent who worked in the sugar beet fields. Being tied up, yet connected by chains, they had to take small, shuffling steps, a practice that persists in the dance today.

Merengue is danced in pairs, accompanied by flirtatious gestures as participants move in circles to the beat of the music. Introduction to this dance, which attracts people from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, usually begins in early childhood. Knowledge and skills on the practice are transmitted through observation, participation and imitation. 

Initially, merengue was played with string instruments; however, with the arrival of German traders to the island, the accordion was incorporated along with the trumpet, and the saxophone, the güira, and the tambora (drum), which form the basis of this world-famous musical genre.

Among the most prominent Dominican merengue singers are Juan Luis Guerra, Johnny Ventura, Milly Quezada, Wilfrido Vargas, and Fernando Villalona. Other artists from previous generations include Joseíto Mateo and groups like Los Hermanos Rosario and Conjunto Quisqueya.

In the late 1980s, merengue consolidated its position in Puerto Rico, becoming a significant part of their local music.

Representing Puerto Rico, some of the most renowned merengue singers are Olga Tañón, Elvis Crespo, and Melina León. Although he is a reggaeton singer, Bad Bunny also has several merengue songs, like “Después de la playa” (After the Beach).

In addition to merengue, other typical dances from other countries, but not widely known around the world, include: milonga, from Argentina; carnavalito, from Bolivia; capoeira, from Brazil; cueca, from Chile; mambo, from Cuba; tambito, from Costa Rica; the Andean fox dance, from Ecuador; the jeu jeu, from El Salvador; son chapin, from Guatemala; punta, from Honduras; the old men’s dance from Michoacan, Mexico; zompopo, from Nicaragua; bullerengue, from Panama; the bottle dance, from Paraguay; the Peruvian polka, from Peru; plena, from Puerto Rico; and murgas, from Uruguay.

* Sources: UNESCO