Merengue has a rhythm that goes in groups of two beats — ONE-two, ONE-two — and dancers match every beat with small quick steps. Because the steps are small and the knees bend slightly, dancing merengue looks like a happy little bounce travelling across the dance floor.
The three traditional instruments each play a different role. The accordion carries the melody. The tambora drum, played with a hand and a stick, drives the rhythm. The güira is a metal cylinder with holes that is scraped with a metal comb to create a constant, shimmering scratching sound that ties everything together.
Merengue is played at birthdays, street parties, weddings and national holidays. When merengue comes on in a Dominican home, people of all ages — grandparents, parents, children — get up to dance together. It is a truly family music.
In 2016, UNESCO added merengue to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — recognising that it is an important and living tradition that belongs to the whole world's shared culture.