Merengue - the quintessential Dominican dance music - has a long history, both on the island and in the large immigrant community in New York City. This work unravels the African and Iberian roots of merengue and traces its growth, decline and renewed popularity as an international music.
Foreword vii Robert Farris Thompson Preface xi Introduction 1(14) Part I: The History of Merengue, 1854-1961 Nineteenth-Century Caribbean Merengue 15(15) Merengue Cibaeno, Cultural Nationalism, and Resistance 30(22) Music and the State: Merengue during the Era of Trujillo, 1930-1961 52(31) Part II: The Contemporary Era, 1961-1995 Merengue in the Transational Community 83(22) Innovation and Social Issues in Pop Merengue 105(18) Merengue on the Global Stage 123(12) Enduring Localism 135(14) Conclusion 149(4) Notes 153(16) Bibliography 169(12) Interviews 181(2) Index 183
