bongos in merengue???

[prlatinloco]

Hey,

I was wondering if anybody here knows about a bongo pattern that can be integrated into merengue?? The idea sounds kind of suspicious to me, since I've never heard of it before, but it's said to give the song a unique flavor. With the use of the tambora and the congas, I don't see a way the bongos could fit into a merengue song, but who am I to assume I appreciate any help...

PS. if possible, anybody that knows a specific pattern is more than welcome to tell me which online resource I can look at, or if they can email me the pattern in sheet music, I would be most appreciative.

[JohnnyConga]

As long as I have been around bongos have never been used in merengue. It is not an instrument indigenous to the Dominican Republic. At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA...

[Raymond]

Yes, is very but very unusual to hear bongos in traditional merengues . However, I have played with some Puerto Rico "country" (jibaro) groups (the set up is a puertorrican cuatro, guitar, Puertorrican guiro and bongo) and they play "merengues".

You could do all sorts of beats but the regular martillo at a faster time, just like you will do with "paso dobles" and "seis chorreao", will do. Of course these are not "maco" type merengues which is the most used beat currently in merengues. These are what I call "square" traditional merengues. (For maco type, I guess you could replicate what the tambora does which is a more slower beat than the "square type" perhaps adding a more "tipico" beat).

Some merengue arrangements lately have incorporated some bars of "bachata" and bachata the main percussion instrument is the bongo. Hopefully, you are not confusing those types of "variations" in some merengue songs. Not even the "bachata oriented" merengues, Anthony Santos type, you know those with the same type of guitar used in bachatas, do use the bongos. In those songs the Domincan groups use the tambora... (By the way, that's how some "jibaro" groups play merengue and that's how it sounds but with bongos)

Saludos!

[RitmoBoricua]

Hi, you know Raymond I have played merengues with my bongos while playing with "Jibaros" (Puertorrican hicks), you be playing "aguinaldos" and "seis" and all of a sudden there comes a merengue and you just have to swing it. Traditionally real "jibaro" music does not calls for timbales or congas, only the bongo is used and them "jibaros" after a drink or two like to play quite an array of music styles, let's say they get real inventive on the spot. I know Raymond knows what I am talking about.



Edited By RitmoBoricua on May 06 2003 at 17:34

[JohnnyConga]

You are absolutly right about the "Jibaro" music of La Isla Del Encanto and it's use of the bongo with it's countryside merengue swing....We used to see groups like that in the Bronx at the old "Teatro de San Juan" on saturday afternoons, and see "El Gran Combo".... at night....Vaya Jibaro soy!..... At your Service......JC JOHNNY CONGA....

[PRDRconguero]

Bachata is the only dominican music that comes to mind. The bongo plays an integral part in bachata, and if I'm mistaken, only plays a slow martillo with some riffs here and there.

[korman]

Wow, Raymond and RitmoBoricua, I didn't even know there were so many kinds of merengues! Maybe you can give some examples of what all those words in ""s mean?


p.s.
Last summer I went to learn bongo in Cuba, I guess someday I must go to PuertoRico as well! And that "jibaro" music must be interesting, after all, there are not that many styles where bongo is the main instrument!

[Raymond]

Well, first the merengues are from the Dominican Republic and are played with the tambora and guira. If it is a "straight merengue" or a lo maco merengue or a pambiche or if its played by a traditional merengue group called "perico ripiao".....that is another subject.

Perico Ripiao is the "country" or traditional group that played merengue in the Dominican Republic. Like that, we in Puerto Rico, have our own "country" or traditional group that does not have officially a name but is called "jibaro" music. (Jibaro is the name of our "country" person).

Jibaro music in Puerto Rico is played with the cuatro, that is a type of guitar that only we have, a guitar, and a guiro that sounds like the Dominican but is smaller and is made of a "vegetable". (Is like the Cuban guiro but smaller with a sharper tone). Through the years, we incorporated the bongo into it and other instruments. (Our set up is like Cuban's Son music set up).

The Jibaro music is most famous for the "seis" or in plural "seises" that are variations of the same rhythm that are played with the cuatro that singers improvise to them in verses or lines of 10. (Called "Decimas"). Besides the "Seis" we play other rhythms with the "jibaro" set up. Like any group out there any rhythm could be played. Ocassionally, you play a merengue and whe you play it you play it with the instruments you have that includes a bongo...That is what we meant when we talked originally in this subject. (Is like any band that is a "genre" and decides to play a song in another genre and does not with the resources that has to try to make it sound originally but is not the original or intented "instrument group" but is done).

Go to my tube and check on "jibaro" and you will see examples of our music there.

I played for many years with Prodigio Claudio, one of Puerto Rico's premier cuatro players, and have the background of my mom being from the Dominican Republic and my Puertorrican side of the familiy having a Jibaro group since I was a kid. A couple of my uncles sing improvisations...That is how I started...

Saludos!

[OLSONGO]

Raymond, I have heard that the merengue rhythm originated
in Cuba , but the dance was developed in the Dominican Republic. There is also a merengue played in Colombia.

Paz Olsongo

[pcastag]

They also play one in Haiti, in fact a lot of haitians like to claim that they invented merengue, as well as some forms of cuban music from Santiago where many Haitians were brought during the Haitian revolution by their masters who wanted to continue to enslave them.
PC