Haiti and the Dominican Republic’s Historical and Cultural Ties

Two countries, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, inhabit the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. Haiti occupies the western half, while the Dominican Republic occupies the larger, eastern portion of the island. Haiti’s population consists of ninety percent Black individuals of West African descent, with the remainder primarily mulattos. Conversely, the majority of the Dominican Republic’s population is of mixed African and European descent. Despite their distinct demographic compositions, these two neighbors have a shared history due to their close proximity.

A Shared Colonial History

Since Christopher Columbus’ discovery of Hispaniola in 1492, these two countries have followed a parallel course of development.

Many Haitians today live in the Dominican Republic. Another shared characteristic is their mutual enjoyment of merengue music, a popular genre in Latin music specific to the Dominican Republic but enjoyed throughout Latin America and the United States, particularly in urban areas. Merengue shares influences from both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. However, the extent to which Dominicans recognize the Haitian influence in merengue is debatable. Dominicans often refuse to acknowledge both the African roots of merengue and their historical African heritage. This refusal is apparent in the history of merengue and the history of Hispaniola. Parallels between these two histories can reflect modern relations between these neighboring countries.

To understand the modern relationships between the Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo) and Haiti (Saint Domingue), it is crucial to highlight their past interactions. Christopher Columbus and his brother Bartholomew stumbled upon Santo Domingo after finding gold on the southwest coast. The island was initially inhabited by the Taino indigenous people. Soon after, Columbus and the Spanish brought African slaves to work on plantations. The French and British showed more interest in the western part of the island, while the Spaniards focused on establishing themselves in Santo Domingo. The French colony of Saint Domingue was richer in resources, from sugar to coffee. Consequently, France took over the entire island of Hispaniola in 1795. In 1801, Toussaint L’Ouverture proclaimed and helped form the free Black republic of Haiti, establishing better relations with France to aid in the Haitian Revolution (Dubois 65). Saint Domingue soon became the wealthiest French colony, threatening Napoleon Bonaparte, the military leader of France. During Napoleon’s reign, he sought to control the entire island through Spain and the reacquisition of Haiti. Harsh rule by the governors-general incited loyalists to form the movement La Reconquista to restore Spanish sovereignty (Metibag 91).

Napoleon Bonaparte was threatened because he wanted all of Hispaniola, specifically Saint Domingue, to return to slavery plantations instead of subsistence farming. This was considered the most efficient way to generate income with a low cost of living and maintenance of workers. However, with enough resistance, what is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic fought for their freedom, maintaining many traditions and cultural influences, including clothing, food, and music, such as merengue.

The Evolution of Merengue

The term "merengue" means whipped egg whites and sugar, and applied to music, it is believed to derive from the term "maringa" from Mozambique near Madagascar. Although the exact origins of merengue are uncertain, two folk stories describe where the basic steps may have come from. One story begins in the 1690s when the Spanish ceded a third of Hispaniola to the French, also known as the Dominican Republic. A century later, they had over 500,000 slaves. These slaves were chained together and forced to drag one leg as they cut sugar to the beat of drums, creating a simple dance move that would later become a variation of merengue (Ballroom). Another story describes a great hero during the Dominican Republic revolutions, who was welcomed home with a dance where everyone, out of sympathy, danced with a limp, dragging one foot. Merengue music began to develop in the mid-1800s as a Creole variant of integrated couple dances, variously called merengue in Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico. Each Caribbean island has its own traditions from its African roots and colonial past with Britain, France, Spain, and the Dutch. Due to the large intervention of different countries on Hispaniola, Dominican and Haitian musical cultures emerged.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Haitian mereng began to appear. A Haitian connection is quite likely, as suggested by an 1822 reference to merengue being performed for some Haitian patrons. Merengue texts dealt with a variety of topics, serving as rich oral traditions of social commentary sung in many languages, including Creole, English, Spanish, and Portuguese (ArtsEdge). These folk merengue forms were denounced as vulgar and crude by the elite, but they thrived in regional variants throughout the country. People from different socioeconomic backgrounds enjoyed the music of merengue in Haiti, creating a cultural bond regardless of wealth. At the same time, many people opposed the Haitian merge because of its more obvious African roots in dance and rhythm. Because Haitian meringue had more African roots, it was not favored by most people on the eastern side of the island. This divide led people to branch out and create their own forms of merengue, making it more suitable and appealing to those outside the western part of Hispaniola.

Merengue evolved from the fusion of slave music such as Chica and Calenda. These two specific slave music types drew on African traditions and rhythms. The Calenda was one of the most popular slave dances in the Caribbean (Largey 35). While the merengue may have been predominantly European in origin, outside the ballrooms, very different forms of merengue flourished, most with a marked Afro-Caribbean flavor in their lively rhythms. The European influence came from the French Minuet and contredanse, where the dance steps are swift and in the form of line dancing. This helped form the French-Haitian contredanse with the use of African influence. With the merging of line dancing and hip movements from different parts of the world, Haitian meringue gained popularity. As the years progressed, many variations of Haitian meringue began to emerge, creating a rivalry that changed the popularity of merengue in Haiti.

Influential Figures and Modern Rivals

As Haitian meringue began to diverge into several sub-genres, it began to fade. Haitian legendary musician Nemours Jean-Baptiste (1918–1985) was a Haitian saxophonist, writer, and band leader. His entire life was surrounded by the music of Haiti. In 1955, Jean-Baptiste formed a band called the Conjunto International Band, which included Webert Sicot (1930–1985) from Port-au-Prince, who was heavily influenced by jazz and the saxophone. Together, they traveled across the island and the world, including the United States, spreading Haitian cultural music (Vallon 50-56). Through Jean-Baptiste’s experience in music, he created a new sound in Haitian music history. He is credited with being the inventor of kompas, also known as “kompas direk,” a style of Haitian music that translates to “direct beat” in English. During the 1960s, a period of strong rivalry emerged when Webert Sicot created his own sound of merengue music called “kandans kompa/rampa” (Preval 42). This intense rivalry caused a split in the band, with both Jean-Baptiste and Sicot focusing on their solo careers, each striving to remain superior in merengue kompa music. During the Haitian Carnival months (January and February), Haitians became deeply passionate about the musical competitions between Sicot and Jean-Baptiste (Vallon 66). Lyrics from the kompas were rich with spiritual, emotional, and instantaneous popular sensations between the two legends. These two types of kompas were considered a significant adjustment to Haitian musical heritage. In turn, this divide in music contributed to merengue being more widely recognized as originating from the Dominican Republic, serving as a foundation for a rewritten version.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the intertwined histories of Haiti and the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola reveal a complex tapestry of cultural and historical connections. From their colonial pasts to their shared influence on the evolution of merengue music, the two nations have been inextricably linked. Despite differences in population demographics and cultural recognition, both countries have contributed to the rich musical traditions of the Caribbean. The evolution of merengue and its variations, influenced by African, European, and indigenous roots, exemplifies the enduring cultural exchange between these neighboring nations. As we examine the past and present interactions between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, it becomes evident that their shared heritage continues to shape their identities and relationships, fostering a dynamic cultural dialogue that transcends borders.

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