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The Dominican Republic is known primarily for Merengue, though Bachata and other forms are also popular. Dominican music has always been closely intertwined with that of its neighbor, Haiti.

Merengue
is a musical genre native to the Dominican Republic. The word
“merengue” literally means whipped egg whites and sugar, although it is
uncertain how this word came to be associated with this type of music
and dance. Swift beats from guira or maracas percussion accordion or saxophone box bass, tambora drum guyano. The rhythm
dominates the music, and is the most characteristic feature of the
genre. It is unsyncopated and includes an aggressive beat on 1 and 3.
While overwhelmingly Dominican in origin, it has also been historically
linked to the music of Haiti, which shares a border with the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola. Traditional, acoustic merengue is best-represented by the earliest recorded musicians, like Angel Viloria and Francisco Ulloa. More modern merengue incorporate electric instruments and influences from salsa, rock and roll and hip hop. Choruses are usually in groups of three and are often used in a call and response pattern. Live, wild dancing has long been commonplace, and is a staple of many of the genre’s biggest stars. Lyrically, irony and oblique references to issues of sexuality and politics. sections, and wild accompaniment are characteristic. Other instruments frequently include a sax, or

The origins of merengue are disputed. It may be related to Haitian méringue (mereng), which is very similar except in its guitar-based sound, while merengue is dominated by the accordion. Another cousin could be UPA, a Cuban form that includes a section called a merengue and arrived in Santo Domingo in the mid-1800s, imported from Puerto Rico. European contradanza
was another major influence. Other scholars have claimed that merengue
is a distinctively Dominican form, developed after the Dominican
victory at Talanquera by soldier named Tomas Torres who deserted, falsely predicting a loss, and that it is a fusion of Spanish decima with African plena music. A final seminal influence was contact with a major trading partner, Germany,
through which the accordion was introduced to Dominican society. At the
time of its development, merengue was attacked by newspapers and the
upper-class, who preferred an older form of dance music called tumba. It was called vulgar and obscene, as have many forms of folk music.

Merengue continued to be limited in popularity to the lower-classes, especially in the Cibao area, in the early 20th century. Artists like Juan F. García, Juan Espínola and Julio Alberto Hernandez
tried to move merengue into the mainstream, but failed, largely due to
risque lyrics. Some success occurred after the original form (then
called merengue típico cibaeño) was slowed down to accommodate American soldiers (who occupied the country from 1916–1924) and couldn’t dance the difficult steps of the merengue; this mid-tempo version was called pambiche. Major mainstream acceptance started with the rise of Rafael Trujillo in the early 1930s.

Rafael Trujillo, who seized the presidency of the Dominican Republic
in 1930, helped merengue to become a national symbol of the island up
until his assassination in 1961. Being that he was of humble origins,
he had been barred from elite social clubs. He therefore resented these elite sophisticates
and began promoting the Cibao-style merengue as the populist symbol.
The text of merengue songs covers an array of topics, including
politics. This is evidenced by the hundreds of songs that were made,
which were focused on political aspects of Trujillo’s dictatorship,
praising certain guidelines and actions of his party. Trujillo even
made it mandatory for urban dance bands to include merengue in their
routines. Also, piano and brass instruments were added in large merengue orchestras. On the other hand, merengue that continued to use an accordion became known as perico ripiao (ripped parrot). It was because of all this that merengue became and still is the Dominican Republic’s national music and dance.

In the 1960s, a new group of artists (most famously Johnny Ventura) incorporated American R&B and rock and roll influences, along with Cuban salsa music. The instrumentation changed, with accordion replaced with electric guitars or synthesizers, or occasionally sampled,
and the saxophone’s role totally redefined. In spite of the changes,
merengue remained the most popular form of music in the Dominican
Republic. Ventura, for example, was so adulated that he became a
massively popular and influential politician on his return from a time
in the United States, and was seen as a national symbol.

The 1980s saw increasing Dominican emigration to Europe and the United States, especially to New York City and Miami. Merengue came with them, bringing images of glitzy pop singers and idols. At the same time, Juan Luis Guerra
slowed down the merengue rhythm, and added more lyrical depth and
entrenched social commentary. He also incorporated bachata and Western
musical influences with albums like 1990‘s critically-acclaimed Bachata Rosa.

Merengue Hip Hop

In the 1990s, some Dominican bands mixed merengue with house, hip hop, and rap elements, creating the merenhouse and merenrap styles. Notable bands with this style include Proyecto Uno Fulanito ("La novela", "Guallando") and Los Ilegales ("Fiesta caliente", "Morena"). ("Latinos", "Mueve la cadera"),

Reggaeton

Even though Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic was the third country in Latin America Reggaeton has been introduced to. It has had a long history of reggaeton music, more closely associated with Puerto Rican music. Dominican reggaeton is a mixture of American hip hop music with reggae, along with elements of Dominican bachata, merengue and the Bomba Luny Tunes, who are one of the biggest and most popular producers in the genre, and have produced big hit reggaeton songs such as Daddy Yankee‘s smash hit "Impacto", among other chart toppers. Other Dominican reggaeton artists include Noztra, Don Miguelo, Santo Nova, OG Black (who was part of Master Joe & OG Black), Ingco Crew, Michalle Pie, Mojiganga, La Fabrica, Gem Star and Big Mato, El Lapiz Consiente, and Vakero. Some reggaeton artists claim to have some Dominican in their blood, or by association like Nicky Jam, who was originally born in the Dominican Republic, and Tego Calderon who has claimed he’s lived in the Dominican Republic, which is why he is known to have a Dominican accent. rhythm. Some artists in reggaeton include

Dominican Rap

Also know as Rap Local is a movement that been getting bigger since late 90s. There many artist such as Lapiz (Top Dollars), Yo Yais, Vakero , Toxic Crow (Complot Records) .

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