Dominican
Republic
Culture
The Dominican Republic's population has a passion for music,
particularly merengue and in recent years, bachata. Music has defined
itself as the peoples emotional expression.
During the Colonial era, secular music had an important place in the
daily life's of the planters and the Dominican elite.
Song and Dance from Spain were imported directly, and forms like the
bolero and fandango became important during the 18th century.
Culture
Dominican Republic

Perhaps
the earliest form of music and dance to emerge as a distinctive
Dominican style was the sentinal serenade known as Barcarola Criolla.
Several folkloric dances are performed in Santo Domingo. a number of
national theaters and dance troupes perform in the capitol regularly.
Some older folklore dances and songs are still hanging on especially in
rural regions. Along the south coast the Mangulina is celebrated in the
Patron Saint day, as is the Jacana in the North.
These two dances are highly formalized ceremonial's derived from
Spanish forms.
whether a night club in a Dominican Republic villa, hotel or resort,
along Santo Domingo's seaside Malecon or a packed park or a city
celebration, the Dominican people always have rhythm and music in their
hearts.
Dominican Republic
Culture
Roman Catholic
Dominicans are
overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, the Dominican Republic has one
Archdiocese, 500 clergy, most of whom belong to religious orders. The
Clergy represents about one priest for every 10,000 people the fourth
largest ratio in Latin America.
Although the church has long tried to throw it's weight against birth
control and divorce, Dominican law permits extensive family planning
and encourages easy divorce.
Protestant
Protestants in the Dominican
Republic constitute a small but growing minority. Originally,
Protestants came to the island in the 1820's from North America.
Folk beliefs folk
religion, folk beliefs
and Voodoo are still major influences in the Dominican Republic,
although it is practiced in secret areas not visited by tourists or
outsiders.
We have as many as one million people of Haitian descent living in the
Dominican Republic, many of whom practice Voodoo in their own country
and here in the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Government regards Voodoo as African paganism and does
not support the belief.
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