Free Essay About Cross Cultural Awareness Paper: Merengue Dance

Merengue dance is categorized in the fast-paced dance genre that is identified by its distinguishing beat and associated dance. Although the origin of the Merengue dance is not clear, it is believed to be part of the syncretistic process of the Afro-European-Caribbean syncretistic or transcultural process (Bailey 570). It is claimed that the dance was as a result of celebrating victory by the Dominicans after winning the independence war against Haiti in 1844. The dance later spread into Antilles region and was witnessed in Curacao, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Santo Domingo, Colombia, Haiti, and Panama. However, it can be noticed that the rhythmic pattern among these regions is different from the Dominican pattern.
Although in the 19th-century merengue was recognized as Caribbean dance, it is currently considered as the sole expression of the Dominican Republic’s cultural identity. Over the years, the dance has maintained the use of the instrument, style, regional diversity, and lyrical content until Rafael Trujillo took over the presidential seat in 1931 (Gill 6). During the administration of Trujillo, the cultural aspect of the dance was protected by providing artists with the little exposed to the external culture. The dance became established in symphonies, bands, and musical academies and was later announced as a symbol and national music of Dominican Republic. However, the protective measures faded away after the assassination of Trujillo allowing mass influence of other music and dance such as Latin American Music (Gill 6) .
The Dominicans tend to use the Merengue dance as a tool to preserve their cultural identity from the cultural identity erosion, mainly caused by immigrant population. Therefore, in the Dominican culture, the merengue is not just dance and music, but an ethnic and nostalgic reminder of the cultural values and history. The merengue dance expresses the themes of belonging, homeland, origin and locality of the Dominicans culture (Gill 21). In addition, the modern merengue dance is typically animated and lively and presents a variation of major themes within the community. For instance, the dance has a happy tone and theme that is contrary to other dances, which contains unhappy themes such as dictator oppression, family separation, and broken hearts.
There are several themes that can be derived from the merengue dance and songs. However, the themes can be categorized into two major groups that remind the Dominicans about their origin and what they have achieved today. The first group represents the narrative of the migrants’ lives, which involves the representation of United States as the destination for exploitation and hardship (Bailey 573). The second theme represents the home perception, which is represented by the beauty of the land and the people in sentimental recollections. The merengue songs have a specialized application of the Spanish language, which integrates the Dominican slang. Significantly, the music also portrays the notion of the shared identity by people living abroad based on the land of the mutual origins or “Tierra” (Gill 12). The prospect of higher living standards and material wealth are expressed by the expectations that are transmitted through the musical and lyrical styles of merengue.

Similarities and differences

Merengue and Salsa are both popular Latin dances, and they include similarities and differences. The dance styles are common in the Latin clubs because they are considered to be intimate dances (Cortez). Merengue and Salsa dances are described as exotic, hot, erotic and sensual. Interestingly, both dances include a lot of hip motion!
The Salsa dance is believed to have originated in the New York during the 1970s whereas the Merengue dance emerged from the Dominican Republic as a traditional folk dance. Musicians from the Dominican Republic inflicted their cultural music into the American way of life. Cha-cha and Mambo are the main Latin dance styles that influenced the Salsa dance. Moreover, the Salsa dance is also rooted in other swig dance styles, and this makes it a blend of various dance styles. Recently, it has spread across the universe, and most people refer to it as the King of Latin dances.
Salsa music is in 4/4 times whereas the Merengue dance is in 2/4 time (1-2-1-2). Salsa dance is more sophisticated than Merengue because of it is unique and has a modified rhythm referred to as the “Clave” rhythm. On the other hand, Merengue rhythm constitutes of a marching style and movement. According to Swewai, Hip-Hop and R & B seems to have influenced the dance in the contemporary world.
Salsa dance comprises of 3 steps, i.e. 2 quicks and 1 slow/pause. The first step is made after the first beat. The LA style and the NY style are two styles associated with the Salsa dance. Contrariwise, the Merengue dance style comprises of a simple and basic marching dance style (Swewai). Dancers are expected to hold their knees slightly bent and at the same time ensure that their feet are in contact with the floor. It offers dances with the opportunity to rehearse the Cuban motion, and this makes it a magnificent dance. In conclusion, the primary Physiognomies refers to Salsa as sophisticated music, fast-paced, high-pitched and exhilarating turns whereas Merengue is considered Carefree, festive, unpremeditated, social and with a hip motion.

Works Cited

Bailey, Benjamin. "Language and negotiation of ethnic/racial identity among Dominican Americans." Language in Society 29.04 (2000): 555-582.
Cortez, Cheryl. "How to Differentiate Salsa Dancing Vs. Merengue." Arthur Murray Dance Classes and Lessons | Arthur Murray DC. ARTHURMURRAYDC.COM, 31 May 2012. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.
Gill, H. E. "Querido Emigrante: Musical Perspectives of Dominican Migration." WPTC-02-12 (n.d.): n. pag. Web. <http://www.transcomm.ox.ac.uk/working%20papers/gill.pdf>.
Lee, Swewai. "DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SALSA, BACHATA, CHA CHA AND MERENGUE." Duet Dance Studio. N.p., 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 2 Feb. 2015. <duetdancestudio.com/blog-dance-lessons-chicago/differences-between-salsa-bachata-cha-cha-and-merengue>.