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City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2-2015 Performing Blackness in a Mulatto Society: Negotiating Racial Identity through Music in the Dominican Republic Angelina Maria Tallaj-García Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/629 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] Performing Blackness in a Mulatto Society: Negotiating Racial Identity through Music in the Dominican Republic By Angelina Tallaj-García A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2015 ii 2015 Angelina Tallaj-García All Rights Reserved iii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Music in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Angelina Tallaj-García Prof. Antoni Pizà 10/15/2014 ___________________________ Chair of Examining Committee Prof. Norman Carey 10/15/2014 ______________________________ Executive Officer Prof. Peter Manuel Prof. Jane Sugarman Prof. Antoni Pizà Prof. Paul Austerlitz Prof. Carlos Decena Supervisory Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iv Abstract Performing Blackness in a Mulatto Society: Negotiating Racial Identity Through Music in the Dominican Republic By Angelina Tallaj-García Advisor: Professor Peter Manuel My dissertation analyzes Dominican racial and ethnic identity through an examination of music and music cultures. Previous studies of Dominican identity have focused primarily on the racialized invention of the Dominican nation as white, or non-black, often centering on the building of Dominican identity in (sometimes violent) opposition to the Haitian nation and to Haitian racial identity. I argue that although Dominicans have not developed an explicit verbal discourse of black affirmation, blackness (albeit a contextually contingent articulation) is embedded in popular conceptions of dominicanidad (“Dominicanness”) and is enacted through music. My dissertation explores ways in which popular notions of dominicanidad are negotiated and ways in which they align with or diverge from official elite notions of national identity, particularly in relation to blackness. By analyzing the evolution of Afro-Dominican genres of music in the last half of the twentieth century and by studying urban pro-black social movements, I reveal a more complex Dominican identity than has generally been acknowledged. For example, I explore the movement of previously marginalized Afro- Dominican music (e.g., the music of Vudú) from strictly rural and ceremonial settings to more urban locations and even into dance clubs as a form of popular music, in the process changing the practice of defining ethnic and religious identities. Other chapters explore recent urban music influenced by hip-hop and Jamaican dancehall, which has vindicated an emerging—if still somewhat controversial—positive Dominican attitude towards blackness. v Acknowledgements There are so many people to thank for making this dissertation and the completion of my Ph.D. possible! First of all, thanks to my advisor and mentor Peter Manuel, who believed in me from day one when he advocated for the funding that made my graduate education even possible. You were a great role model for me, and made me feel so welcomed and warm when you spoke Spanish to me. I will never forget the way you comforted me when my father passed away right in the middle of my graduate studies. Your peaceful, nurturing, and calming nature was often just what I needed when things were really hard, and your trust in me kept me going when I doubted myself. Also thanks to Prof. Jane Sugarman, who taught me the value of a theoretical mind and took so much of her time to read and help me with this project and my exams. I deeply admire you. Jane, you are the real deal! Thanks to Prof. Paul Austerlitz, who met with me numerous times and convinced me of how crucial it was for this research to be conducted. You also so generously opened doors to many rich opportunities in the field. I also thank Prof. Antoni Pizà for reading this manuscript and agreeing to be the chair of my dissertation committee, showing a lot of flexibility and care. Crucial to me envisioning myself as a professor was my class on Iberian Music with you, where I started imagining myself like you, a non-native English-speaking professor. I am especially grateful to Prof. Carlos Decena whose enthusiasm, good humor, and theoretical mind motivated me to finish this project. As a Dominican scholar, he always helped me see the importance of music in examining Dominican identity. As an outside reader, he was helpful and supportive beyond what was required. As a friend, he graciously opened his comfy conference room vi to me and many other graduate students when we did not have funding. Carlos, you are the best! This dissertation could not have been written without the people that taught me about Afro-Dominican music, the informants and practitioners who opened their sacred spaces to me, and my Dominican friends, whom I bothered so many times with questions and concerns and who never said no to helping me out. Special thanks go to Jorge Suberví, Giovanni Savino, Frank Moya Pons, Josué Santana, Boni Raposo, Pedro Raposo, Joan Metz, Florentino Alvarez, Edis Sánchez, Juan Rodríguez, Ramón Vásquez (Monchy), José Duluc, Rossy Díaz, Iván Domínguez, Rafelito Mirabal, Julio Valdez, Pedro Osorio, Nina Paulino, Toné Vicioso, Irka Mateo, Xiomara Fortuna, Francia Reyes, Raymond Abad, Mendy Fortunato, Claudio Fortunato, Roldán Mármol, Raúl Sánchez, José Rodríguez, Rufino Santos, Víctor Ávila, and Luis Cordova. Your names, knowledge, and influence are all over this project. The Graduate Center provided me with many fellowships and substantial funding to make this project and Ph.D. possible; the Baisley Powell Elebash Grant, the IRADAC Fellowship, the Dean Harrison Award, the Writing Across the Curriculum Fellowship, the MAGNET Presidential Fellowship and Dissertation Fellowship, the Graduate Teaching Fellowship, the AGEP SBES Summer Research Award, the Doctoral Student Research Grant, the Franziska Dorner Fund for Musical Research, and other minor grants. I am so grateful to have been a part of such a special institution that empowers minority students. Special thanks to the staff in the Office of Educational Opportunity and Diversity and AGEP Alliance whose nurturing and funding were crucial for my studies. Thanks to Bruce MacIntyre at Brooklyn College for giving me the opportunity to vii teach wonderful students and being such an important part of the Western music education. Prof. Hector Carrasquillo, also from Brooklyn College, introduced me to Dominican Vudú while I was an undergraduate student, creating in me a curiosity that would later develop into this dissertation. I am also grateful to Andrea Fabrizio and Linda Hirsch in the Hostos Writing Across the Curriculum program for teaching me to be a better teacher and writer. In the Dominican Republic, the staff at Centro León and my colleagues at El Museo del hombre dominicano were also generous with their time. I thank my nieces and nephews (Beba, Tito, Laura, Juan Stefan, Quincy, and Nati) for keeping life in perspective and giving me their energy and time for play. My nephew Juan Stefan recommended many TV shows that kept me mentally refreshed and offered his views on current trends in Dominican popular music. My big brothers and sister have continued to spoil me, in many ways allowing me to remain the pampered little sister. My piano students and their families were flexible with me allowing me to change lesson times so I could attend conferences and make deadlines. So many of my best friends were made at the Graduate Center. I especially thank my friends and fellow students Elizabeth Martin, Marcy de Pina, and Cecilia Salvatierra for reminding me that academic conversations were a great way to spend the time. I thank my dissertation group, Ozan Aksoy and Ryan Bazinet—friends and scholars—who provided me the safe environment to work out my writing drafts and ideas. Their emotional support and writing advice were invaluable. I learned so much from my friend Janny Llanos who shared with me her papers, her anthropological materials, and her knowledge. On so many occasions she pointed me toward the perfect book or theorist that I needed to read. She helped me viii become a better scholar. Janny, more than anything, these ideas came out of talking with you! My deepest thanks go to my parents who taught me to value social justice, discipline, and ethics. My mom hosted and fed me during fieldwork times and received me with piles of newspapers articles that she had cut for me every time I came home from the United States. I also thank Ray and Lavina for their unconditional love and support. Lastly, thanks to Greg, who became my English mentor and stood with me through stress, busy times, and emotional absence. Greg coached me in reading and writing and took countless hours from his own work to help me. Sometimes I can’t believe your generosity! It makes me a better person! ix Table of Contents Introduction: Afro-Dominican Identity in a Third Space 1 Performing Race: Afro-Dominican Music and Identity 6 Literature Review and Methodology 18 Indigenous Paradigms 23 Chapter Overview 29 Chapter One: African Heritage, Music, and Identity in the Dominican Republic 35 Identity and Resistance 36 Dulce: A Vudú Priestess 47 Agency Through Diaspora 52 Indio and Color Blindness 55 From Color Blindness to Cultural Borders 60 The Thresholds of the Church: Hybridity and Borders 66 Chapter Two: In Search of the Production of Memory: Scholars, African Heritage, Music, and Black Consciousness 72 1.

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