| Pambiche | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Merengue típico |
| Cultural origins | Americanoccupation of the Dominican Republic (1916–1924) |
| Typical instruments | Accordion,tambora,güira |
Pambiche is aDominican music genre and dance form derived frommerengue típico, the traditional style ofmerengue. It has a slower tempo than standard merengue and itstambora rhythm is based on thecinquillo.[1]
This style of merengue was originally known asmerengue estilo yanqui (yankee-style merengue) or "Palm Beach one step", from which the termpambiche stems (corruption of "Palm Beach"). It is said to have originated from the americanized versions of merengue that the US military personnel performed during theoccupation of the Dominican Republic. It is considered one of the most difficult americanized Latin American dances.[citation needed]
DominicanaccordionistEl Prodigio released an album entitledPambiche Meets Jazz in which he combined traditional merengue rhythms (most of the songs featuring pambiche) with American music styles such asjazz,rock andblues.
Both pambiche and merengue are included inJean Françaix's suite "Cinq Danses Exotiques".[2]
The Dominican songwriterJuan Luis Guerra has recorded several Pambiches, including the traditional merengueJuana Mecho (Soplando, 1984) and his recent releasesPambiche de novia (Privé, 2020).[3] Other pambiches are the traditionalJuan Gomero,Rafael Solano'sDominicanita,Vicente Garcia'sPalm Beach, andLuys Bien'sDéjame Nacer.[4][5]