Our National Passion
By Pedro Rodriguez

Dominicans love to sing and dance the merengue whenever they get the chance. Perhaps its becuase of our ancestors, the native Tainos, whose love for music and folklore was passed down from generation to generation and is still alive today.

As babies, we’re usually rocked back and forth in our mothers’ or grandmothers’ arms to the rhythem of a lullaby before going to bed. In kindergarten, we learn almost everything by singing together in chorus; and in elementary school we sing different anthems to our heroes and to our country. On Fridays, it’s mandatory for school children to attend arts classes where we sing, dance, draw or write poems.

This carries on into our adult lives when we fall in love and serenade the one who has stolen our heart. Tied into this courtship, of course, is dancing. As young men we try to attract the attention of young women on the dance floor. It’s there where we find the right person who can follow us through the many different turns and move smoothly to the rhythms.

Whenever we go out, we Dominicans dance the merengue. It’s our national music (as well as our national passion) and an essential part of the Dominican lifestyle. The music is in our blood, and it’s our most typical and authentic expression of joy and happiness. Many different influences gave birth to merengue, including those of the Tainos, French, Spaniards and Africans. The dance is not difficult to learn, and many hotels in the Dominican Republic teach introductory courses to their guests.

We Love The Nightlife
We love parties and always find a reason to celebrate, whether its birthdays, patron saint’s days, holidays, Sammy Sosa’s homers, baptisms, promotions, whatever. We sing and dance all night long. It’s food for our souls.

Many nights begin at home where are our wives have the chance to show off their culinary skills. They’ll make large dishes such as asopao, which is a thick soup of rice and different seafood and meats. The nightclubs open around 11 p.m., except on Sundays, but it’s usually after midnight when the people really start dancing. This is especially true if we go to visit the casino beforehand. This is a new thing to us, but we like to play Blackjack, Roulette, Poker and the slot machines. After the dancing, the party isn’t over yet. We either go back to someone’s house or someone might suggest the malecon.

What is it, this malecon? This is a kind of seashore boulevard and promenade that winds along the coast, and each of the large cities such as Santo Domingo, Samana, Barahona, San Pedro de Macoris and Puerto Plata have one. We call these the largest open-air discotheques in the world. This is where we celebrate carnivals and festivals like the Merengue Festival, as well as other holidays and outdoor spectacles. The malecon itself is worth a visit because of the ocean views, the breezes, and other attractions along the way. We enjoy it everyday of the year, and we think it’s one of our best entertainment options that brings all different types of people together to sing, dance and talk the night away.

Read unbiased opinions about Dominican Republic activities at TripAdvisor.

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