perico Ripiao: The sound of the DOminican Republic

a typical Perico Ripiao band courtesy of google images

We're proud of our country, it is picturesque, colorful, and exciting. In past blog posts we've mentioned the savory flavorful food (and where it comes from), talked about the stunning blue water and now we'd like to discuss the sounds of this lovely half island, specifically the sound of music.

Perico Ripiao is a style of music otherwise known as Merengue tipico (typical Merengue) that originated in Santiago de los Caballeros, known here as 'el cibao'. This lively genre is usually performed in a trio or quartet. The sounds created by the band are inspired by Dominican Folklore the instruments include; a _güira (small percussion instrument originating in the Dominican Republic), tambora (small dominican drum),an accordion, and or a  marimbula (a Caribbean plucked box musical instrument).

When translated into english, Perico Ripiao literally means 'shredded parrot'.  There are many stories around the island that give reason to this funny naming of the fast paced meringue music but one thing is for certain, the music mimics the boldness of a colorful parrot.

Many Dominican musicians have risen to the top thanks to their dedication to keeping the traditional music alive. Some famous Dominican icons include, Krisspy, El Prodigio, La India Canela, and Fefita la Grande. We mention these names in order to further your knowledge of the merengue world, despite the fact that you will not see any of these artist playing in our restaurants, although we do have great local bands at the Westin and La Yola every week and our airport Perico Ripao band is good enough to rival and of the Greats.

If you're interested in getting to know our island culture a bit better, we invite you to come and stay with us but for now we leave you with the video below, shot in Altos de Chavon, that gives you free instant insight, no plane ticket required.

Dance on!