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MERENGUE: DOMINICAN ROOTS AND
LATIN PRIDE
Merengue, like other Latin music, is the result of
complex historical and social evolution and fusions
of multi-cultural influences.
Developed in the middle of the 1800s, the typical
merengue ensemble includes the accordion
(European influence), the güira (Tainos native
influence) and the tambora (African influence) which
represents perfectly the synthesis of the three
cultures that made up the specificity of Dominican
culture.
The rhythm and dance were originated from the
slaves working in sugar beet fields, connected to one
another by a chain strapped to their ankles and had
to walk in such a manner as to drag one leg.
Merengue was inscribed on November 30, 2016 as
Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO
