Music of Nicaragua

Music of Nicaragua is a mixture of indigenous and European, especially Spanish, influences. Musical instruments include the marimba and others that are common across Central America. Pop music includes Cuban, Brazilian, Mexican and Panamanian performers, as well as those from Europe and the United States.

Nicaraguans enjoys their local artist's music but also enjoy music from around the world. They enjoy the Dominican Republic's bachata and merengue, Jamaica's reggae, Panama's reggaeton and Colombia's Cumbia among other genres including pop. Among the younger crowds heavy metal and rock has become very popular.

Nicaraguan music is a mixture of different cultures from indigenous tribes, European conquerors, and slaves. Styles of music vary throughout the different regions in the country. In the Caribbean coast music with African and indigenous influence are heard, in the Pacific coast the music is considered to be a mixture of the indigenous and Spanish culture and in the North/Central region of Nicaragua the music has more of a European flavor, this is because of the significant wave of Europeans, mostly Germans, that live in the region. European influenced dances like the polka and Mazurka are also danced in this region.

The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua is known for its Palo de Mayo, which is a lively and sensual form of dance music that is especially loud and celebrated during the Palo de Mayo festival. The Garifuna community exists in Nicaragua and is known for its popular music called Punta. Also, Soca, Reggaeton and Reggae is popular throughout the country.

Rhythms like the trova became essential to writers in the post-war scenario of the 70s and 80s. Writers used trova to express social injustice, their hope for a better tomorrow, patriotism, and ecological conservation. This, in time, became a rhythm used in artistic Nicaraguan creations, and it therefore also became part of the culture. Well known in this category is Duo Guardabarranco, formed by the brothers Salvador and Katia Cardenal.

Another popular musical genre in Nicaragua is the Chicheros, often consisting of a trumpet and trombone or other brass instruments, with additional musicians playing various percussions. This is often to be heard in private parties around the country.

The marimba of Nicaragua distinguishes itself from the other forms of marimba in Central America by the way it is played. Nicaragua's marimba is played by a sitting performer holding the instrument on his knees. They are usually accompanied by a bass fiddle, guitar and guitarrilla (a small guitar similar to a mandolin). This music is played at social functions as a sort of background music. The marimba is made with hardwood plates, placed over bamboo or metal tubes of varying lengths. It is played with two or four hammers.

Indigenous theater groups performed with music and dance. Theatrical manifestations include the Elegant Knights of Huaco Bull and the UNESCO proclaimed masterpiece, "El Güegüense", among many others.
Nicaraguans in Music

The most prominent Nicaraguan composers are José de la Cruz Mena (1874-1907), a classical composer born in León, creator of varied romantic waltzes and sounds inspired by everyday experiences like The Nacatamal, The Turkeys, or Ruins; by Bible characters like Loves of Abraham; or by his aristocratic patrons' wives and daughters like Beautiful Margaret, Rosalía, etc. Mena's became famous in America where it influenced other American composers. It reached Europe, and Asia in the late 1800's and became so popular, particularly in Germany, and Italy that inspired composer Giacomo Puccini for his opera La Boheme. Luis Abraham Delgadillo, with several symphonies, stage works, orchestral pieces, chamber music, songs, and piano music to his credit, and Camilo Zapata, creator of the Nicaraguan Sound. Erwin Krüger, creator of Barrio de Pescadores (Fisherman's District). Justo Santos creator of La Mora Limpia (A Clean Coffee Bean), considered Nicaragua's popular anthem.

Other prominent national musicians, groups, and songwriters include Carlos Mejia Godoy, Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy, Luis Enrique Mejía López (known as Luis Enrique), Sergio Tapia, Hernaldo Zúñiga, Macolla, Dimension Costeña, Los Mokuanes, Lía Barrios, Norma Elena Gadea, Catia Cardenal, Salvador Cardenal and from Somoto Nicaragua Marcio Brenes Mejia.

Of the younger generation of Nicaraguan singer-songwriters there are a few notable such as Latin Grammy Nominee Ramon Armando Mejia (Perrozompopo), Arturo Vaughan, Moisés Gadea, Junior Escobar, Elsa Basil, Cecilia Ferrer, Alejandro Carlos Mejia, Clara Grun, Noel Portocarrero, Duo Guardabarranco, Juan Solorzano, and Marcio Brenes JR.. Also, rock bands such as Necrosis, Grupo Armado, Crisis, Monroy y Surmenage, Mano de Vidrio, Contrapeso, Q69K, Kerfodermo, Carga Cerrada and Cecilia & The Argonauts.

Hip Hop and Reggaeton artist include Torombolo, J Smooth, Mr. Meli, Nello Style, Nica and Lingo Nicoya.

Nicaragua's Caribbean coast is home to prominent reggae singers and groups such as Philip Montalban, Carlos de Nicaragua, Kali Boom, Sabu, Sabu Sr. and Osberto Jerez y los Gregory's

Also notable instrumentalists such as guitarists Tony Melendez, Arturo Vaughan, Roberto Vaughan, Eduardo Araica, Omar Suazo, Arnulfo Oviedo, Saulo Pérez, and Andrés Sánchez, marimba player Carlos Luis Mejia, batterists Jorge Lanzas, Bikentios Chávez, and percussionist José Areas who was inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band Santana.

Dominican Rock

Dominican rock, (known as "Rock Dominicano" in Dominican Republic), is rock music created by Dominican groups and soloists. Originating in the 1980s with the start of Luis Dias band Transporte Urbano, successful bands such as Tribu Del Sol, Toque Profundo and Tabu Tek began to emerge. Dominican rock is listened to by the youth of the Dominican Republic who have embraced the music, sometimes over merengue and bachata, two other very popular genres in the Dominican Republic, and most recently Puerto Rican reggaeton. Rita Indiana y los Misterios are a musical group known for their blend of traditional merengue music with rock.

The styles of rock bands from the Dominican Republic differ greatly. Not only is there regular Spanish pop rock, there are also sub-genres such as alternative, punk, emo, and metal. Most songs are sung in Spanish, though some bands (like ALF, Mithril, for instance) also sing in English.

Although the rock scene stays local and rarely goes international, it is large within the Dominican Republic, especially in the nation's capital, Santo Domingo. Just few bands as 'JLS (Spain), Transporte Urbano (U.S.A & Cuba)Sister Madness (Canada), ALF (USA), Pericles (USA, Costa Rica), Dark Miracle (USA), Los Pérex (USA, Mexico, Puerto Rico) La Armada Roja (USA, Puerto Rico) and Santuario (Puerto Rico) have traveled to other countries to play. Many concerts are held in the indoor auditorium of the Domínico Americano, a local school. Bands of many different genres of Dominican rock play there. Some artists who have played there are "spam", González, Sociedad Tabú, Shido, TKR, Toque Profundo, Cronicas del Eco, and Nux. Within the punk scene, there are a few venues which are regularly used for concerts. One of the most popular venues is Donde L'Abuela, a house which is regularly volunteered for concerts, as well as a small bar called Stilo Club, where bands such as Los Pérex, La Reforma, La Armada Roja, Pericles, Shido and Mulligan have played.

The Premios Cassandra, an award ceremony, is held yearly. There have also been many successful music videos in production. The most popular and considered best video is "Suele Pasar" by La Siembra, directed by Tabare Blanchard, who also directed "Pa´ Que No Pienses" by Calor Urbano. Dominican rock videos are played on many local music channels, and are also played in some other South American countries.

Smeets Bachata Music

Bachata is a genre of music that originated in the Dominican Republic in the early parts of the 20th Century and spread to other parts of Latin America and Mediterranean Europe. It became popular in the countryside and the rural neighborhoods of the Dominican Republic. Its subjects are often romantic; especially prevalent are tales of heartbreak and sadness. In fact, the original term used to name the genre was amargue ("bitterness," or "bitter music"), until the rather ambiguous (and mood-neutral) term bachata became popular. The form of dance, Bachata, also developed with the music.

The earliest bachata was originally developed in the Dominican Republic around the early part of the 20th century, with mixed Cuban boleros and, which originated from Son. With African elements, it combined with traditional Latin/Caribbean rhythms, and is a guitar based music which recently evolved from bolero and it was also influenced largely by Puerto Rican jibaro music and baladas/boleros. During much of its history Bachata music was denigrated by Latino/Caribbean society and associated with rural backwardness and delinquency. As recently as 1988 Bachata was considered too vulgar, crude and musically rustic to enter mainstream music. In the 1990s, bachata's instrumentation changed from acoustic guitar to electric steel string. The new electric bachata soon became an international phenomenon, and today bachata is as popular as salsa and merengue in some Latin American dance-halls.

Modern Bachata artists

• Romeo Santos - Former lead singer of Aventura, and known singularly as the "King of modern Bachata".
• Aventura - Known as "K.O.B." (Kings of Bachata)
• Prince Royce- known singularly as the "Prince of Bachata/Pop".
• Toby Love- known singularly as the "King of Crunk-Bachata".
• Ivy Queen - Known singurlarly as the "Queen of Reggaeton"
• Monchy y Alexandra
• Elvis Martinez
• Frank Reyes
• Andy Andy
• Carlos & Alejandra
• Xtreme

Classic Bachata artists

• Edilio Paredes One of bachata's founding fathers.
• Eladio Romero Santos, a pioneer of bachata's merengue de guitarra.
• Leonardo Paniagua, father of romantic bachata.
• José Manuel Calderón, the first artist to record a bachata.
• Raulín Rodríguez
• Antony Santos
• Luis Vargas
• Zacarías Ferreira
• Yoskar Sarante
• Joan Soriano

Merengue Music

Smeets Music - Merengue is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic. It is popular in the Dominican Republic and all over Latin America. Its name is Spanish, taken from the name of the meringue, a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar. It is unclear as to why this name became the name of the music; perhaps it can trace its meaning from the movement on the dance floor that could remind one of an egg beater in action.

Merengue was created by Ñico Lora, a Dominican of Spanish descent, in the 1920s. In the Dominican Republic it was promoted by Rafael Trujillo, the dictator from the 1930 to 1961, and became the country's national music and dance style, while in the United States it was popularized by Angel Viloria and his band Conjunto Típico Cibaeño. It was during the Trujillo era that the popular merengue song "Compadre Pedro Juan", by Luis Alberti, became an international hit.

Internationally known merengue singers and groups include Fernando Villalona, Juan Luis Guerra, Eddy Herrera, Toño Rosario & Los Hermanos Rosario, Los Toros Band, Sergio Vargas, Wilfrido Vargas, Johnny Ventura, Bonny Cepeda, Miriam Cruz & Las Chicas Del Can, Joseito Mateo, Luis Ovalles, the aforementioned Angel Viloria, El Cieguito de Nagua, Kinito Mendez, Ravel, Jossie Esteban y la Patrulla 15, Pochy y su Cocoband, Cuco Valoy, The Freddie Kenton Orquestra, Ramón Orlando, Sandy Reyes, Rasputin, Peter Cruz, Alex Bueno, Aramis Camilo, Jochy Hernández, El Zafiro, Dioni Fernandez, The New York Band, Anibal Bravo, Conjunto Quisqueya, Olga Tañón, Gisselle, and Grupomanía. Milly Quezada is known as the Queen of Merengue. The popularity of Merengue is growing fast in Venezuela. Venezuelan merengueros include Roberto Antonio, Miguel Moly, Natusha, Los Melodicos. Merengue is also popular in the coastal city of Guayaquil in Ecuador. The merengue produced in New York has become very popular among the lovers of this rhythm. Some of the New Yorkers who produce this new merengue sound are Mala Fe, Henry Jimenez, and Aybar,

Smeets - Music of the Dominican Republic

The music of the Dominican Republic is known primarily for merengue, though bachata and other forms are also popular.

Merengue is a musical genre native to the Dominican Republic. Swift beats from güira or maracas percussion sections, and drums such as the tambora. The accordion is also common, Republic on the island of Hispaniola, most notably that of Haitian méringue and that of Haiti's national music compas. Traditional, acoustic merengue is best-represented by the earliest recorded musicians, like Angel Viloria and Francisco Ulloa. More modern merengue incorporate electric instruments and influences from salsa, and rock and roll. Choruses are usually in groups of three and are often used in a call and response pattern. Live, wild dancing has long been commonplace, and is a staple of many of the genre's biggest stars. Lyrically, irony and oblique references to issues of sexuality and politics.

Merengue continued to be limited in popularity to the lower-classes, especially in the Cibao area, in the early 20th century. Artists like Juan F. García, Juan Espínola and Julio Alberto Hernández tried to move merengue into the mainstream, but failed, largely due to risque lyrics. Some success occurred after the original form (then called merengue típico cibaeño) was slowed down to accommodate American soldiers (who occupied the country from 1916–1924) and couldn't dance the difficult steps of the merengue; this mid-tempo version was called pambiche. Major mainstream acceptance started with the rise of Rafael Trujillo in the early 1930s.

Rafael Trujillo, who seized the presidency of the Dominican Republic in 1930, helped merengue to become a national symbol of the island up until his assassination in 1961. Being that he was of humble origins, he had been barred from elite social clubs. He therefore resented these elite sophisticates and began promoting the Cibao-style merengue as the populist symbol. The text of merengue songs covers an array of topics, including politics. This is evidenced by the hundreds of songs that were made, which were focused on political aspects of Trujillo's dictatorship, praising certain guidelines and actions of his party. Trujillo even made it mandatory for urban dance bands to include merengue in their routines. Also, piano and brass instruments were added in large merengue orchestras. On the other hand, merengue that continued to use an accordion became known as perico ripiao (ripped parrot). It was because of all this that merengue became and still is the Dominican Republic’s national music and dance.

In the 1960s, a new group of artists (most famously Johnny Ventura) incorporated American R&B and rock and roll influences, along with Cuban salsa music. The instrumentation changed, with accordion replaced with electric guitars or synthesizers, or occasionally sampled, and the saxophone's role totally redefined. In spite of the changes, merengue remained the most popular form of music in the Dominican Republic. Ventura, for example, was so adulated that he became a massively popular and influential politician on his return from a time in the United States, and was seen as a national symbol.

The 1980s saw increasing Dominican emigration to Europe and the United States, especially to New York City and Miami. Merengue came with them, bringing images of glitzy pop singers and idols. At the same time, Juan Luis Guerra slowed down the merengue rhythm, and added more lyrical depth and entrenched social commentary. He also incorporated bachata and Western musical influences with albums like 1990's critically acclaimed Bachata Rosa.