52 Merengue

Merengue was always mainstream genre from República Dominicana, and became popular around other Hispanic countries around the 1980’s. Juan Luis Guerra fue uno de los artistas más populares de merengue. Also, merengue has been object of the Urban fusion for reggeatón-like vibes like en la canción “Fulanito” (The JohnDoey) by Becky G.

The compass follows a classic marching beat. The dancing is quite simpler than bachata because it involves a marching dance with some side-to-side hip movements in partner dancing. Originally merengue is a type of dessert made up of whipping the white part of the eggs with lots of sugar. Who knows how it ended up being the name of a dancing genre. Probably as a metaphor of the shaking?

Juan Luis Guerra

Ojalá que llueva café

La canción de Juan Luis Guerra”Ojalá que llueva café” (=Hopefully it rains coffe/Let it rain coffee/May it rain coffee, 1989) celebra la diversidad culinaria in the Dominican countryside. It also speaks up against the hardship farmers endure en el campo dominicano para la siembra y la cosecha. Hay mucha hambre en el campo dominicano. The wish that coffee rains would be a magical way to solve hunger in the countryside. The refrain brings up real children’s voices from Dominican people.

Juan Luis Guerra 4.40 – Ojalá Que Llueva Café (Video Oficial)

The expression OJALÁ meant in Arabic “God wants” or “May God want”, and it was contributed to Spanish during the Arabic invasion to the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century. Today it’s an expression that means “hopefully”, “I hope” or even “I want”, but mainly referring to events you can’t control. It can also mean “May it” or “Let it”.

The verb that goes after OJALÁ needs to use the present subjunctive. The verb LLOVER (=to rain) is LLUEVE (=it rains, O to UE stem changing verb), but in subjunctive is LLUEVA as in “ojalá que llueva” (=May it rain). The ending vowel E changes to A to make subjunctive. The stem is taken from the yo-form.

• Subjunctive expressions: llueva (=llover, to rain), caiga (=caer, to fall), vista (=vestir, to dress), oigan (=oír, to hear)
• Food: café (=coffee), yuca (=yucca), té (=tea), jarina (peasant word for “harina”=powder), queso (=cheese), berro (=cress), miel (=honey), trigo (=wheat), maguey (=agave), arroz (=rice)
• Countryside vocab: campo (=field, countryside), montaña (=mountain), colina (=hill), cerro (=hill/mountain), arado (=plow), conuco (=country parcel, Dominican slang)
• Verbs in the infinitive: peinar (=to comb), bajar (=to bring down), cosechar (to harvest), sembrar (=to plant)

Ojalá que llueva café en el campo
May it rain coffee in the field
Que caiga (caer, subjunctive) un aguacero de yuca y té
That fall a downpour of yucca and tea
Del cielo una jarina de queso blanco
From the sky a powder of white cheese
Y al sur una montaña de berro y miel
And at the south a mountain of cress and honey
Oh oh, oh oh
Y ojalá que llueva café
May it rain coffee
Ojalá que llueva café en el campo
May it rain coffee in the field
Peinar un alto cerro de trigo y maguey
To comb a high hill of wheat and agave
Bajar por la colina de arroz graneado
To go-down through the hill of sowed rice
Y cosechar el arado con tu querer
And to harvest the plow with your lovingy
Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh
Ojalá el otoño en vez de hojas secas
May the fall instead of dry leaves
Vista (=vestir, subjunctive) mi cosecha de pitisale
Dress my harvest of pitisale
Sembrar una llanura de batata y fresas
To plant a plain of sweet potato and strawberries
Y ojalá que llueva café
And may it rain coffee
Pa (=para) que en el conuco no se sufra (=sufrir, subjunctive) tanto (Todo el mundo)
So-that in the parcel doesn’t suffer that-much (All the world)
(Ojalá que llueva café en el campo)
May it rain coffee in the field
Pa (=para) que ???? oigan (=oír, subjunctive) este canto
So-that ????? hear this singing
(Ojalá que llueva café en el campo)
May it rain coffee in the field
Ojalá que llueva, ojalá que llueva
May it rain, it rain
Ay homb(r)e, ay homb(r)e, ay homb(r)e
Ay man, ay man, ay man
(Ojalá que llueva café en el campo)
May it rain coffee in the field
Ojalá que llueva café, yeh
May it rain coffee, yeah
Ojalá que llueva café en el campo (Back to peinar)

Songwriters: Juan Luis Guerra. For non-commercial use only. Adapted from Musixmatch, powered Microsoft Bing.

Visa para un sueño

Juan Luis Guerra tiene una canción de 1989 sobre el proceso de migración que todo latino migrante (o no migrante) ha tenido que sobrevivir. La canción se llama “Visa para un sueño”. Habla sobre una persona que gets up at 5am to stand on a line to request the visa to the United States. Esta persona holds lots of paperwork very difficult to obtain. Espera by 7am under the sun, then 9am comes the interview with the officer at the embassy, just to get rejected.

Juan Luis Guerra – Visa Para un Sueño (Live)

There are limited opportunities for Latin Americans to migrate legally to the United States. To be allowed entry in the United States people should go to the embassy in their home countries and endure a lengthy process of requesting visa. The application alone costs a lot of money plus acquiring the required documents takes money and time. Most visas require people to hold at least 5.000 dollars in their bank accounts and hold stable employment in order to prove that they don’t intend to stay illegally in the United States.

The following are the visas that allow entry to the United States, but imply the requirement to go back to the home country:

• Tourist visa (called B visa). The person should prove that has enough money to expend as a tourist, and that has roots in the home country to return. Should prove that has enough money to do tourism in the United States, a stable job in the home country, and ideally some real estate property.
• Student visa (called F). The person should show an admission into a college into the United States. The person should prove that has enough funds to support themselves without working during the time of the study. Scholarships or assistantships often help foreigners prove availability of funds, yet they’re easier for graduate studies. Only the richest people in Latin America can pay for college in the United States as an undergraduate.
• Employment-based visa (H or J). The company should file a petition in the name of an individual and prove that the employee is not taking the job to an American citizen. This process often costs at least $6.000 to the employer, so it’s very difficult to find a company willing to pay such money. This visa should be renewed every three years, and disallows the spouse to hold employment.

The following are ways to achieve permanent residence in the United States:

• Marriage: If you marry a United States citizen, you can file a petition to become a permanent residence.
• Employment: It’s a process similar to gaining a H or J visa, just that it costs even more money to the employer. It could cost around $20.000. Employers only sponsor these kinds of petitions when they’re sure the employee is going to stay in the company.
• Asylum: If you can prove that you were in danger of dying in your home country, you can seek asylum in the United States. It’s not something you can request in your home country because, well, you are supposed to be in a rush to escape from your home country. People often enter illegally in the United States to seek asylum afterwards.

As you noticed, the opportunities for legal migration are very limited and most people are unable to fulfill the requirements to migrate legally to the United States. Extreme poverty has never been a valid reason the United States would accept as part of a visa petition. On the contrary, they want only wealthy people migrate to bring money from abroad. That’s why people decide to seek the help of a drug dealer who knows how to sneak away through the Mexican border and put people in the United States.

Time expressions in the song: cinco de la mañana (=5am), siete de la mañana (=7am), nueve de la mañana (=9am). The word “de”=of turns into eh only because D gets deleted. With the vowel linkings, it sounds: CINCUE LA MAÑANA (=5am), SIETEE LA MAÑANA (=7am), and NUEVEE LA MAÑANA (=9am).

Metaphors:

• uno por uno al matadero=one by one to the slaughterhouse/butchery, el matadero is a metaphor for the U.S. embassy. The slaughter happens when the visa gets denied, which is the most common outcome.
• cada cual tiene su precio=each one has their prize, where the prize refers to the amount of money required for the type of visa each person is requested.
• un formulario de consuelo=a form of consolation, where the form is the request for a visa. Such people are holding their form as a temporary relief of escaping poverty in the home country.
• una foto dos por cuatro que se derrite en el silencio=a picture 2X4 that melts in the silence. The people is staying in line in the outside of the embassy enduring heat and sun. The embassy requires a picture of dimensions 2 centimeters by 4 centimeters.

Eran las cinco e (=de) la mañana
It was five in the morning
Un seminarista, un obrero
A Priest-student, a contractor
Con mil papeles de solvencia
With thousand papers of financial-ability
Que no le dan pa (=para) ser sinceros
That are not enough to be sincere
Eran las siete e (=de) la mañana
It was seven in the morning
Y uno por uno al matadero
And one by one to the butchery/slaughterhouse
Pues cada cual tiene su precio
Since each one has their prize
Buscando visa para un sueño
Seeking visa for a dream
El sol quemándoles la entraña
The sun burning the inner (part)/gut
Un formulario de consuelo
A form of consolation
Con una foto dos por cuatro
With a picture two for four
Que se derrite en el silencio
That melts in the silence
Eran las nueve e (=de) la mañana
It was nine in the morning
Santo Domingo ocho de enero
Santo Domingo January eight
Con la paciencia que se acaba
With the patience that gets to an end
Pues ya no hay visa para un sueño
Because there’s no visa for a dream any longer
(Buscando visa para un sueño)
Seeking visa for a dream
Songwriters: Juan Luis Guerra. For non-commercial use only. Musixmatch, powered by Microsoft Bing.

El tiburón – Proyecto 1

A famous merengue song was “El tiburon” (1989) by Proyecto 1. Esta canción tiene el beat de merengue, pero por su combinación con hiphop ya predice la llegada del reggaetón.

El Tiburón 🦈 – Proyecto Uno [Video Oficial] uploaded by JN Music Group

El cantante cuenta la historia de él cuando fue a la discoteca. Vio una mujer muy bonita y él la miró con lujuria, “con esta carita de fama” (=with this face of fame). El pensó “tengo que bailar con esta mujer”. El DJ puso hip-hop o “brinca”=hops. En ese momento, un hombre tomó a la mujer and she went to dance with that other guy. That other guy is el tiburón (=the shark).

Then he found a girl who was hotter. Bailaron tres merengues. Ella preguntó: ¿tienes novia? And he said no, while sliding his married ring out of his finger. Then another guy came asking ¿tú no eres casado (=married)? Y se la llevó. The shark stole her. Then he repeats: “Se la llevó el tiburón”=the shark took her. Se is the reflexive that adds a sneaky meaning to the verb in the preterit.

Despite el tiburón, the party must continue: no pares sigue sigue (=don’t stop, go on go on), e invita a la gente a mover el cuerpo como haciendo hot chocolate de canela (=cinammon). Los que bailan deben seguir el ritmo de la canción: un poquito más suave (=a bit softer) and un poquito más duro (=a bit harder).

1 Fui a la discoteca a ver si me conseguía una fresca
(I) went to the disco to see if (I) was getting myself a fresh (drink)
2 Got myself some rum
3 Cause where I’m from sometimes you need some
4 Me tomé mi trago y una princesa pasó por mi lado
(I) drank myself my sip and a princess passed by my side
5 La miré con ganas con esa carita de fama
(I) looked (at) her with desire with that face of fame (dirty look)
6 Ella miró oh si! Ella pasó oh no!
She looked oh yes! She passed oh no!
7 Ella se volvió con una sonrisa
She returned with a smile
8 Tengo que bailar con esa muñequita
(I) have to dance with that dolly
9 El DJ puso brinca
The DJ played hop
10 Y enseguida quise jalarla pa (=para, towards) la pista
And right-after (I) wanted to pull her to the dance-floor
11 Y cuando llegué ay
And when (I) arrived ay
12 Llegó el tiburón y con él se me fue
The shark arrived and with him (she) (from) me went (away)

13 Ahí está el tiburón, Ahí está el tiburón
There is (located) the shark
14 Se la llevó el tiburón, el tiburón, el tiburón (X2)
(He) took her, the shark, the shark, the shark

15 No pares, sigue, sigue (X4)
Don’t stop, go on, go on

16 Okey, tanto, encontré otra chica que estaba mejor
OK, then, (I) found another girl that was better/hotter
17 Bailamos tres merengues de corrido y gozamos
(We) danced three merengues in a row and (we) enjoyed
18 Luego nos sentamos, ordenamos bebidas y conversamos
Then (we) sat, (we) ordered drinks and (we) chatted
19 She look good, so of course I lied all my girls from the hood
20 Ella preguntó si tenía novia y yo dije no
She asked if (I) had a girlfriend and I said no
21 Me quité el anillo, despacito me lo metí en el bolsillo
(I) took off myself the ring, slowly I put it myself on the pocket
22 Vino un descarado y me dijo: ¡jo!… ¿tú no eres casado?
An insolent came and said (to) me: ho! Aren’t you married?
23 Me quedé pasmado y enseguida se la llevó de mi lado
(I) got astonished myself and right after (he) took her from my side
24 Oh my God ese tiburón
25 Yo pensé que tú sabías que es proyecto uno!
I thought you knew that it’s Project One!
26 Dela uh! (back to ahí está…)
Give it un!
27 Uh! Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, choco
Uh! Hot chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, choco
28 Uh! De canela, de canela, de canela, de ca (X2)
Of cinammon, of cinnamon, o cinnamon, of ci
29 Un poquito más suave (X8)
A little bit softer
30 Un poquito mas duro (X8) (back to chocolate)
A little bit harder
31 Con la mano arriba ¡huey! (X4)
With the hand up friend!
32 Que esta fiesta no termina
That this party doesn’t finish
Songwriters: Nelson A. Zapata, Pavel Antonio De Jesus, John G. Wilson. For non-commercial use only. Adapted from Musixmatch, powered Microsoft Bing

Wilfrido Vargas

Otro cantante de merengue muy famoso es Wilfrido Vargas. Él desarrolla la metáfora del animal como figura de baile. Una canción se llama “Vampiro Vampiro” (1994), and it’s about a guy who acts as a vampire when night comes and goes to parties. It probably refers to stealing a kiss or making a big kiss mark on the neck of the women.

Vampiro – Wilfrido Vargas

Yo soy como los vampiros (=I am like the vampires)
Que salgo al anochecer (=That I-go-out at sunset)
Y por la noche me inspiro (=And in the night I inspire myself)
Y me llevo a la mujer. (And I-take myself to the woman)
Vampiro, vampiro, te chupó el vampiro (=The vampired sucked you)

Otra canción famosa es de 1993 y se llama “El baile del perrito” (=The dance of the doggy). Es una canción adulta donde se imita el movimiento de un perro cuando está apareándose (=mating). Pones tus manos en tus rodillas flexionadas y mueves tus caderas delante atrás, delante atrás, pero separado de tu pareja.

Wilfrido Vargas El Baile del Perrito Video Clip Oficial by Wilfrido Vargas

Even when this song refers to dancing as a dog, it’s not a reference to perreo or grinding yet. It’s just about moving the hips front and back in a shaking style without holding the dancing partner.