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Merengue and Bachata: A study of two musical styIes in the Dominican Republic by Monica Nyvlt, B.AA4.A. A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fùlfillment of the requirements for the degree of (Master of Arts) Department of Sociology/Anthropology Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario January, 200 1 200 1, Monica Nyvlt National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington OttawaON KlAON4 Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada Your 1% Voue ré(ërenœ Our lue Notre refdrenca The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Li7rary of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or seIl reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts &om it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otheniise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract Music is an important part of socid life, and is an important aspect of expressive culture. This thesis explores the dynarnic relationship between popular music and society. Specifically. it highiights the role that music plays in understanding societies in transition through an examination of the social history of merengue and bachata music in the Dominican Republic- Both musical styles have played an important role in reflecting and contributing to social, economic, and political changes over time, though both have accomplished this in different ways, Music is an important vehicle through which cultural identities and social values are forrned, articulated, and negotiated. These are expressed through discussions about music and the value of music. Discussions regarding merengue and bachata music often reveai commonly held and contradictory social values. Both musical styles have developed alongside social changes and both have played an important role in highlighting the different and competing discourses of what is a valid expression of Dominican identity and culture. Merengue is heralded as a national syrnbol, while bachata music, once ostracized, has now emerged as an accepted form into mainstrearn Dorninican society. Both musical styles provide an understanding as to how popular music is evaluated and assigned meaning and value over time within the Dorninican Republic- The cornpletion ofthis thesis is due to the contribution of many people. I would like to thank my supervisor in Anthropology, Professor Charles Laughlin, for inspiring me to fiirther explore this field, and for his encouragement and input which helped me to stay focused throughout the challenges of this research; my supervisor in Music, Professor John Shepherd, for his constant help and constructive cnticisrn throughout the writing and revisions of this thesis, and for expanding my knowledge in the fieid of Popular Music; and William Echard for his very helpful comments. In a special way, 1 thank my brother Mark, who introduced me to the Dorninican Republic, and who encouraged me to expand rny horizons. 1am very gratefùl to my brother Cari, rny cousin Maya, my sisters-in-law Priscilla and Pila, and especially my mother and father for encouraging me to pursue my studies. 1 am very appreciative of the help of rny close friends Chantal, Anel, and Kristine for their support and for our nurnerous talks and exchange of ideas. Most importantly, I thank my fnends in the Dominican Republic and al1 those who participated in this research. Their hospitality during my stay in the country was unfailing. 1especially thank Karina, who provided me with a home in Puerto Plata; Cirilo, who, among others, shared with me his knowledge and love of music; and the radio broadcasters, promotion managers, and musicians, especially Luis Vargas and Raulin Rodriguez, for their generosity and willingness to be interviewed. Their help and contribution made this research possible, Table of Contents Introduction Introduction to the Dominican Republic Background to Dominican Popular Music Popular Music and Popdar Music Discourses Methodology Chapter One: Merengue What is Merengue? Origins of Merengue The Search for Dominican Identity Merengue and Marginality Merengue and Politics The Trujillo Era Merengue: Trujillo's national identity Trujillo and the Music Industry The Post-Trujillo Era Technological Changes Whose music?: Musicians defining merengue Chapter Two: Bachata The Origins of Bachata Bachata: The formative years Bachata: Social context, style and lyrics Bachata: Emergence in the nainstream The Value of Lyrics Bachata: Social status and musicians in social change Conclusions Survey Results s-ary Bibliography List of Illustrations Figure 2. Map of the Dominican Republic Figure 2, La fiesta del Centenario by Julio Senior, 1944 Figure 3, Graph - Survey Results Figure 4. Graph - Survey Results Figure 5, Graph - Survey Results List of A~~endices Appendix 1. Glossary of Musical Instruments Appendix 2. Survey vii Figure 1. -3 Introduction This thesis explores the relationship between popular music and society: the role that popuIar music piays in understanding societies in transition, as well as how music is an important vehicle through whic h issues regarding cultural identity are articulated. Specifically, it will look at the trajectories of merengue and bachata music in the Dominican Repblic, their social and cultural significance, and the role that each musical style plays in both reflecting and contributing to social, econornic, and political changes. In the Dominican Republic, merengue and bachata music are part of everyday life. Not only do they provide a culturd space in which social relations and culturai modes are expressed, but they also serve as a vehicle through which cultural identities are articulated and negotiated. This thesis will outline the complexities of the relationship between popular music and Dominican culture through an examination of the social history of both musical styles. Music is often referred to as an aspect of expressive and communicative culture (Kaernmer 1993: 69) through which creators of culture express the values and beliefs that are consistent with and challenge those of a particular group. These values and beliefs are learned processes of socialization and are passed on fiom generation to generation. Music is oriented toward the cognitive and emotional needs of a culture (Kaernmer 1993: 8), that is, those needs that are ", .. comrnonly considered to include at least the need to make sense of experience, to express one's self, and to obtain positive reactions fiom other people" (Kaemmer 1993: 8). Music is dso intricately enmeshed in social processes: music both influences and cm be infiuenced by social change. The trajectory of a musical style cm reveal the processes of societies in transition, and can give expression to change while reinforcing tradition- World views are constructed and continually change as a resuIt of social and global changes, as ethnornusicologist Mark Slobin indicates: Music is both deeply rooted and transient. It dissolves irito space while simultaneously settling into individual and collective mernory. Yesterday's songs trigger todays tears. Music harbors the habituai, but also acts as a herald of change. It helps to orchestrate personal, local, regional, ethnic, religious, linguistic, and national identity. Stable yet constantly in flux, music offers both strikïng metaphors and tangible data for understanding societies at moments of transition, (Slobin 1996: 1) Expressive culture, such as music, is not a separate domain fiom changes within society, but is rather integrated with these. Kaemmer suggests that in order to achieve an integrated view of the role of music and its social significance it is important to study it alongside sociocultural systerns in order to understand how différent aspects of culture relate to each other (Kaemmer 1993: 7). Sociocultural systems are integrated ". - because [they] indicate a collection of phenornena that are so closely related to each other that a change in one of them will bring about changes in others" (Kaernmer 1993: 7). Kaemmer identifies three components of sociocultural systems that are interrelated: material needs (such as food and shelter); social relations (the need for human beings to relate to each other to forrn social institutions that standardize social interactions according to accepted forms ofbehavior); and the expressive dimensions of the sociocultural system (which are oriented to the cognitive and emotional needs of individual people). Expressive culture takes on various forms such as religion, art, and music. It fülfills the need to rnake sense of experience, and to instigate meaningfid and positive reactions fiom other people (Kaernmer 1993: 8). As Kaemmer argues : The combination of these three components of the sociocultural system means that the artifacts created by hurnans, the pattemed social relationships, and the approved types of expressive behavior aii work together to generate what we know as the way of life

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