Historia General del Pueblo Dominicano Tomo VI

Historia general del pueblo dominicano 743 merengue « San Cristóbal», which was marked by a spicy saxophone jaleo. Pérez wanted to compose a merengue with similar appeal, but without the Trujilloist text: When Trujillo was killed, all of those [Trujilloist] merengues disap- peared automatically, and I wanted to compose a merengue with a similar use of the saxophones. So, « La agarradera» comes out, with a similar saxophone part, and it becomes a hit. I know that it was because of this. 100 Omitting the introductory paseo and « primera parte», « La agarradera» was structured around a catchy and driving saxophone jaleo performed at breakneck speed, which Pérez intended to capture the rural accordion aesthetic. A poignant amalgam of new elements and characteristics rooted in rural and barrio aesthetics marked the arrangement: its fast tempo and aggressive quality were novel, while its adherence to traditional tambora rhythms and saxophone jaleos evoked típico music. The dynamism of Pérez’s youthful lead singer, Johnny Ventura, was also pivotal to « La agarradera’s» success. Ventura has pointed out that this uninhibited sound expressed the political freedom of the times, adding a new openness was also manifested in lyrics and dance: When Trujillo died, a political euphoria swept the Dominican Republic. And, as youths of 21 years, we naturally participated in this. I began to record my music which didn’t have the restrictions [of Trujillo-era merengue] in the texts, performance style, or dance style. And this gave me a celebrated dimension. 101 While the staid complexion of 1950s merengue had been appropriate for Trujillo’s high-class salons, it was out of place in the barrios and countryside; Luis Pérez’s innovations and Johnny Ventura’s dynamism manifested the pulse of the Dominican majority. Moving from elite contexts to the street, mass-mediated merengue changed from a ballroom to a truly popular music. In the early 1960s, the fast tempos and spectacle of rock ‘n roll seemed to embody modernity, as Ventura explains: Without a doubt, this music and performance style was more in tune with what North American society was becoming in those years, and what the societies of all the countries dependent on the United States were gradually becoming... [Y]ou can be sure that traditional