Merengue music is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It is popular in the Dominican Republic and all over Latin America. Its name is Spanish, taken from the name of the meringue, a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar. It is unclear as to why this name became the name of the music; perhaps it can trace its meaning from the movement on the dance floor that could remind one of an egg beater in action.
Merengue was created by Nico Lora, a Dominican of Spanish descent, in the 1920s. In the Dominican Republic it was promoted by Rafael trujillo, the dictator from the 1930 to 1961, and became the country's national music and dance style, while in the United States it was popularized by Angel voliriaand his band Conjunto Típico Cibaeño. It was during the Trujillo era that the popular merengue song "Compadre Pedro Juan", by Luis Alberti, became an international hit.
Internationally known merengue singers and groups include Fernando Villalona, Juan Luis Guerra, Toño Rosario, Los Hermanos Rosario, Los Toros Band, Sergio Vargas, Wilfrido Vargas, Johnny Ventura, Bonny Cepeda, Miriam Cruz & Las Chicas Del Can, Joseito Mateo, the aforementioned Angel Viloria, El Ciego de Nagua, Kinito Mendez, Ravel, Jossie Esteban y la Patrulla 15, Pochy y su Cocoband, Cuco Valoy, The Freddie Kenton Orquestra, Ramon Orlando, Sandy Reyes, Rasputin, Peter Cruz, Alex Bueno, Aramis Camilo, Jochy Hernandez, El Zafiro, Dioni Fernandez, The New York Band, Anibal Bravo, Conjunto Quisqueya, Olga Tañon, Giselle. Milly Quezada is known as the Queen of Merengue. The popularity of Merengue is growing fast in Venezuela. Venezuelan merengueros include Roberto Antonio, Miguel Moly, Natusha, Los Melodicos. Merengue is also popular in the coastal city of Guayaquil in Ecuador. The merengue produced in New York has become very popular among the lovers of this rhythm. Some of the New Yorkers who produce this new merengue sound are Malafe, Henry Jimenez.
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, called a tambora, held on the lap, and a guira. A güira is a percussion instrument that sounds like a maraca. It is a sheet of metal with small bumps on it (created with hammer and 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 that generally mark the 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.
Instruments used in this type of music are: