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| | Republica Dominicana
Beautiful and surprising music from this often-overlooked Spanish Carribbean
country.
L'isola caraibica conosciuta dagli indigeni come "Quisuqueya"
("Madre della Terra") fu uno dei primi luoghi raggiunti da Cristoforo
Colombo nella sua ricerca delle Indie Orientali. Egli la rinominò "Hispaniola"
e fondò il suo primo insediamento stabile nelle Americhe sulla costa
sudorientale nel 1493, un porto denominato Santo Domingo che divenne poi la
capitale della Repubblica Dominicana. Oggi Haiti occupa la metà occidentale
dell'isola e la Repubblica Dominicana quella orientale.
Lo stile musicale più frequentemente associato alla Repubblica Dominicana è
il merenghe, un ritmo di danza estremamente vivace popolare in tutte le
Americhe. Come accade con molti stili musicali nelle Americhe, esso è una
mistura di elementi Africani ed Europei con tracce riconoscibili a stento di
cultura indigena estintasi da lungo tempo. Le vere origini del merenghe si
perdono nella storia,male prime tracce scritte del genere risalgono alla metà
dell'800, appena 20 anni dopo l'occupazione haitiana e l'insediamento di una
repubblica indipendente dalla Spagna.
La tradizionale strumentazione del merenghe comprende uno strumento a forma
di barile, un doppio tamburo chiamato "la tambora", una fisarmonica
(organetto diatonico) e la "guira", una strumento metallico a forma di
cilindro. Il sax alto è uno strumento usuale nel merenghe, sebbene la forma
più polare di merenghe sia suonata con un insieme che comprende una
molteplicità di sassofoni, trombe, tastiere, bassi e un complesso di cantanti
con una coreografica caratteristica.
I viaggiatori che arrivano nella Repubblica Dominicana o dei sobborghi
dominicani deglii USA possono rimanere sorpresi nello scoprire che il merenghe
non è l'unica musica locale. In realtà la musica che più facilmente si sente
uscire dagli stereo delle auto, dai bar e dalle case oggi è uno stile unico e
sconosciuto chiamato "bachata". Si tratta di un genere incantevole
frutto di reminescenze del son cubano o della ranchera messicana, la bachata è
stata a lungo parte della vita quotidiana dominicana, ma solo recentemente è
stata riconosciuta come un'espressione culturale unica.
Il complesso strumentale della bachata si distingue dal tradizionale merenghe,
gli ensembles di bachata regolarmente includono il merenghe nel loro repertorio.
La chitarra, o il suo cugino più piccolo, il requinto, è lo strumento musicale
più rilevante nella bachata, contrariamente al merenghe dove trionfa la
fisarmonica. la tecnica particolare e la decisa intonazione della chitarra
bachata la rendono immediatamente riconoscibile. I testi della bachata sono
quasi sempre dedicate alle pene d'amore e agli amori respinti. In realtà, è
comunemente riferita come "musica de amargue" o musica dell'amarezza.
A lungo considerata una msuica disdicevole delle classi più basse, la
bachata non è stata diffusa dalle radio commerciali se non in epoca recente,
sebbene abbia sempre avuto un ampio seguito. Per molti versi la storia della
bachata è uguale a quella del blues americano. In origine, una forma musicale
rurale basata sulla chitarra, la bachata era la musica dei poveri e incolti. le
parole spesso contengono doppi sensi e inequivocabili riferimenti
sessuali.
Il popolarissimo musicista Juan Luis Guerra quasi da solo è l'artefice della
legittimazione della bachata, trasformandola in una fonte di orgoglio culturale
alla pari del merenghe, rivoluzionando l'industria musicale dominicana. La sua
incisione nel 1990, Bachata Rosa, fu un trionfo mondiale, registrando vendite da
record, facendo guadagnare a Guerra un Grammy per il miglior Album tropicale.
Sebbene l'album contiene innumerevoli incisioni di merenghe sofisticati e
lussuriosi, Guerra si è concentrato in questo album sulla bachata. Egli ha
anche valorizzato e riconosciuto le origini Africane nella musica popolare
dominicana. Oggi altri artisti popolari come Kinito Mendez, Los Toroso Band,
Chichi Peralta e atri si riferiscono regolarmente alle tradizioni e agli stili
africani, nelle loro composizioni musicali. Sfrotunatamente non abbiamo potuto
includere la msuica di guerra in questa raccolta a causa di difficoltà
nell'ottenimento delle licenze.
La varietà e la ricchezza della musica dominicana è quanto vuole esprimere
questa raccolta, volta ad incoraggiare future esplorazioni e viaggi nella musica
della Repubblica Dominicana.
Luis Vargas "Tranquila": Loo-EES
VAR-gahs - Tran-KEEL-ah
Ascolta
(An unusual selection from Luis Vargas, who until recently was best known
for his risqué, double-entendre bachatas. His first hit, "El Debate"
came in 1981 and defined his whimsical and witty approach. Humorous hits such as
"Sin Huevo (Without Eggs)", "El Tomate (The Tomato)", and
"La Maravilla (The Wonder)", recorded for José Luis Records, featured
clever word plays generally centering around relations with the opposite sex and
were immensely popular in the 1980s. After Juan Luis Guerra cleaned up bachata's
image, Vargas began to experiment and his romantic bachatas have made him one of
the most popular artists at home and abroad.
"Tranquila (Relax)" is a soulful Dominican bachata-son that marks a
creative turning point for Vargas. A perfectly arranged jewel of a song, "Tranquila"
builds slowly with funky requinto lines and a unique drum beat reminiscent of
Puerto Rican bomba or Brazilian samba. The lyrics assert the importance of
taking your time and appreciating all that life has to offer. "Slowly with
a good rhythm. That's how you reach the top. Softly, real soft. Don't go so
quickly. Look around you. Climb the mountain. Stay for a while and then come
down. Smell a daisy, a rose, a carnation. Try a little bit of everything,
whatever gives you pleasure. In order to enjoy what's best you must get to know
the bad and the good, and whatever gives you pleasure." "Tranquila"
reveals Vargas' tremendous potential for creating sophisticated Latin pop that
crosses cultural boundaries.
Juan Manuel "Para Que Me Mate Un Hombre Que Me
Mate Una Mujer" : Wahn Man-WELL -Par-ah Ka May Mah-tay Oon Om-bray
Kay May Mah-tay Oon-ah Moo-hair
Ascolta
A young bachata singer who is still building his career, Juan Manuel
learned to play from his father before he passed away when Manuel was just eight
years old. One of the most important lessons learned was the central importance
of lyrical storytelling. Manual's compositions are lurid tales of lost love and
pent-up passion that sound like they come from the mouth of a weatherworn man of
the world, when in fact, Manuel is an attractive, well-dressed youth with plenty
of experiences left to write about.
A funky blend of son and bachata, "Para Que Me Mate Un Hombre Que Me Mate
Una Mujer" showcases Manual's natural talents on requinto, as he lays down
flowing, plucked guitar lines over a soulful groove. While the similarities
between Cuban son are clear, the differences in this version include the style
and sound of the requinto as opposed to the Cuban trés, the less-syncopated but
no less propulsive bass line, as well as the use of a güira scraper instead of
maracas. Manual's lyrics are pure bachata, capturing the bitter, occasionally
virulent expressions of a broken heart drowning his sorrows in a bottle of hard
liquor.
Chichi Peralta "Procura": CHEE-chee
Pear-AL-tah - Pro-KUR-uh
Ascolta
A gifted percussionist, songwriter, arranger and bandleader, Chichi
Peralta committed himself to music after he made his first tambora drum when he
was just four years old. Blessed with deep curiosity and exceptional talent,
Peralta dedicated himself to learning the unexplored rhythms of his homeland,
including often overlooked Afro-Dominican ga-ga and palo styles and was in high
demand as a session musician. After a stint with Fernando Echevarria's band
Familia Andre, Peralta was invited to join Juan Luis Guerra's group during their
most popular period. After eight years backing up one of the most successful and
creative Dominican musicians in history, Peralta allied himself with a
collective of talented singers and musicians and produced the ambitious 1997
release Pa' Otro La'o (To the Other Side).
The multi-textured "Procura (Try)" is a deceptively simple blend of
various Caribbean styles with a touch of jazz. The snappy bongos, shuffling
maracas and lilting guitar lines that serve as the track's foundation are
reminiscent of a fast Dominican bachata, while the bouncing bass riffs bring to
mind Colombian cumbia. The horn lines are subdued versions of what might be
heard in salsa and merengue. Peralta even throws into the mix a few accents of
marimba, a xylophone with wooden keys that is common to Central American music.
Yet while the song steps out in many different directions, there are enough
familiar elements to give it a uniquely Dominican flavor that remains true to
its roots. "Try to seduce me real slow. Try to pour all over me now, like a
wave in the sea. Perhaps it'd be best if you went away. Perhaps I'm the prey of
temptation. Of thinking I'm so close to you. So close... that I can't resist."
Joseito Mateo & Luis Kalaff "Los Bodegueros":
Ho-say-EE-toh Mah-TAY-oh & Loo-EES Kah-lahf - Loce Boh-day-GAIR-ohs
Ascolta
Joseito Mateo and Luís Kalaff are two of the greatest names in the
history of Dominican music. Mateo is known as "The King of Merengue"
and is one of the genre's most famous and beloved interpreters. Kalaff is a
gifted composer who is responsible for writing many memorable songs that are now
standards of the Dominican repertoire. Both began their careers in the 1930s and
achieved their peak fame in the 1950s and 60s, although they continue to record
and perform to this day.
"Los Bodegueros" is a bachata-son that comes from a 1999 recording
made by these two elder statesmen of Dominican music. Entitled Los Dos Que
Quedan (The Two Who Are Left), this wonderful album reveals that even in their
later years they are at the top of their game. The song is an homage to
hardworking shopkeepers who toil endlessly for meager rewards. "Long live
shop owners. They work without stopping. They spend day and night in constant
agony. They are brave men who live by their sweat. They deal with decent people.
And also with delinquents. The life of a shop owner is all work and nothing
more. To conform to the laws required by the city. They risk their lives behind
the counter because at any time a thief will steal from them."
Alfredo Polonia "Lo Que Le Pasó a Juan":
Al-FRED-oh Po-LOH-nee-ah - Low Kay Lay Pah-SEW Ah Wan
Ascolta
Alfredo Polonia was born in the northern city of Bonao and began his
career in the mid-1960s. He is the best known interpreter of what is called the
plena dominicana, a variation of bachata whose lyrics always deal with a current
or historical event, or the life of an individual. "Lo Que Le Pasó a Juan
(That's What Happened to Juan)" is a fable about a man named Juan who looks
to improve his life by marrying a sick millionaire in the hopes that she will
die soon and leave him all of her riches. He professes his love for her, all the
while hiding his evil intentions. Meanwhile, the rich woman's love for Juan
helps her recover from her illness and Juan, overwhelmed with stress, dies from
a heart attack. This beautiful morality tale features Polonia's brilliant guitar
work and an engaging, melancholy melody.
Juan Bautista "Pegao de Que": Wan
Bow-TEES-tah - Pe-GOW De Kay
Ascolta
As this song reveals, Juan Bautista is not afraid of bragging, as his
nickname, "El Destroza Corazones (The Heartbreaker)," confirms.
Bautista began performing bachatas in the early 1980s, and was among the first
to record a full-length album, as opposed to the 45-rpm singles that dominated
the industry previously. A down and dirty bachata-son, "Pegao de Que"
refers to a local colloquialism used to describe something that is popular, cool,
trendy, or just plain tough. "Pegado" (the "d" is dropped in
Dominican slang) literally means "stuck", and is also used to describe
the crunchy rice that sticks to the bottom of a pan. Thus "pegado" is
used as if to say something or someone has stuck in popular consciousness like a
hit song or a cool dude. In this jamming tune, Bautista disses an unnamed
musician who claims he is more "pegao" than popular merengue artists
Fernandito Villalona, Sergio Vargas, and José Esteban y La Patrulla 15. "I
am a good man," observes Bautista, "Of noble heart. No matter where I
am, I hear my songs. But I never went so far as to say that I am 'stuck.' He
says he's 'stuck.' 'Stuck' to what?"
Ramón Cordero "Nuestros Lazos":
Rah-MOAN Core-dare-oh - Nwes-tros Lah-sose
Ascolta
One of bachata's early pioneers, Ramón Cordero was a rural guitarist who
was heavily influenced by a variety of Pan-American guitar-based forms,
including bolero, Puerto Rican and Cuban country music, and Mexican ballads.
After economic shifts in the early 1960s led many rural musicians to move to the
shanty towns of Santo Domingo, Cordero and a number of compatriots began
recording romantic ballads that served as the progenitor of early bachata.
With phenomenal guitar playing that sounds like a South American harp, Cordero's
"Nuestros Lazos (Our Bond)" is a tasteful sample of a rootsy
traditional bachata. The influences from Cuban son are clear in the slow, steady
beat and the instrumentation (maracas, bongos, bass and guitar), but the singing
style, guitar work and underlying shuffle are purely Dominican.
Alberto Beltrán "Caña Brava": All-bear-toe
Bell-trahn - Kahn-ya Brah-vah
Ascolta
Alberto Beltrán was born in the small town of Palo Blanco in 1923 and
debuted on the radio at the tender age of 14 and performed with a number of
famous local groups before emigrating first to Puerto Rico in 1951, then to Cuba
in 1954 where he quickly became a singer for La Sonora Matancera. One of Cuba's
most famous and beloved bands, La Sonora Matancera helped launch the careers of
many famous singers, the most famous being Celia Cruz, and even though Beltrán
was with them for only a year he gained an international reputation as a gifted
singer of boleros, the languid, romantic songs that are popular throughout Latin
America. While he performed Cuban bolero, son and guaracha, Beltrán was, at
heart, a merengero, a fact which he proved later in life by devoting himself to
the rhythms and melodic themes of his homeland. In fact, Beltrán was a
headliner in a memorable concert in 1967 at New York's Madison Square Garden
that was one of the first major merengue presentations outside of the Dominican
Republic. "Caña Brava (Strong Sugarcane)" is one of the most popular
and best-known of the entire merengue repertoire. Its loping melody is instantly
engaging and the powerful cultural imagery conjured by its lyrics recall a
nostalgic pastoral past that struck a particularly strong chord among Dominicans
living in urban centers and outside the country. Such was the case with Beltrán,
who lived for many years in New York City and passed away in 1997 in Miami, so
close and yet so far from the Dominican soil he loved so much. "Pay
attention, gentlemen. To what I am about to sing. The merengue 'Caña Brava' is
very good to dance to. Sweet sugarcane. Strong sugarcane. Give me a stick of
your sugarcane. I am going to put up a mill in the road. Let's grind my
sugarcane in twenty different ways."
Cheché Abreu "Mi Niña": Chay-chay Ah-BRAY-oo
- Mee NEEN-yah
Ascolta
During his long and storied career, Cheché Abreu has been a pioneer of
Dominican son with over 35 albums to his credit. With his appealing personality
and charisma, Abreu earned the nickname "Queridisimo (Beloved)" and
has won numerous awards for his compositions, including the Dominican equivalent
of the Grammy for his 1980 hit "La Negra Pola." Recently, he has
become known for his fusion of son and bachata in a style he calls bachason. The
unique guitar timbre of bachata is blended with the propulsive rhythm of son
resulting in a sound that reflects the positive elements of each. "My
blue-eyed girl. You stole my heart. Just to think I had you once and loved you
without conditions. With your gaze like the sea. And with your body like a
goddess. You always make the palm trees sway. If it were not for your blue gaze,
what good is life?"
Bolívar Peralta "Inmenso Amor":
Bowl-ee-var Pear-al-tah - In-men-so Ah-more
Ascolta
One of bachata's great lyricists, Bolívar Peralta is very popular in the
Dominican community but practically unknown outside of it. His anguished ballads
deal almost exclusively with the bitterness of a love scorned. Indeed, this
sentiment, known as amargue, is one of the defining features of bachata, so much
so that it is often called música del amargue (music of bitterness). A feeling
that is similar to the blues, amargue is the main inspiration for bachata and it
is a sentiment that is carried perfectly by Peralta's sorrowful melody and
wavering voice. "Inmenso Amor" (Immense Love)" is a call for a
woman who has left to return, and the singer promises he will make her happy for
the rest of their lives (in exchange for a little lovemaking, of course). "Let
us remember the things of yesterday. And then start over again. And tomorrow
will be a beautiful dawn. Like yesterday. Every day that passes I will make you
happy. And we will do it this way, like yesterday. Every night with its dawn.
Every day with its dusk. If life would never end. To give you my love I need
your pleasure. I want to feel the warmth of your body on my skin. The fragrance
of this immense love."
Raulín Rodríguez "Anoche": Ra-oo-LEEN
Rod-REE-gez - Ah NO-chay
Ascolta
The two most popular traditional bachata singers in the Dominican
Republic are Anthony Santos and Raulín Rodríguez. Both are local heartthrobs,
whose slick clothes and professionalism counter the stereotype of the bachatero
as a down-and-out bar singer. Santos and Rodríguez furthered the legitimization
and popularization of bachata initiated by Juan Luis Guerra, and their regular
album releases lead to radio-friendly hits that become imbedded in local
consciousness. Born in the northern town of Montecristi, not far from the border
with Haiti, in 1970, Rodríguez actually began his career as a guitarist in
Anthony Santos' band, but eventually went solo under the nickname "El
Cacique del Amargue (The Chief of Bitterness)."
"Anoche (Last Night)" is a bachata-merengue, and blends merengue's
fast tempo, driving bass line, and peppy percussion with bachata's tinny guitar
licks and syrupy lyrics. While best known for his slow, romantic bachatas, half
of Rodríguez's repertoire consists of this danceable and popular style. As is
typical in bachata, the song opens with a plaintive wail from the singer that
sets the tone of forlorn, emotional torment reflected in the lyrics. "Last
night I dreamed of her, that she was truly my dark-haired girl. Yesterday she
left, leaving me crying. And now I live with my song alone. I have a deep pain
in my soul. Why did Viviana leave me?"
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