Please help the gringo dancing boy

[OwnRules]

I know about as much about Merenge as I do about underwater basket-weaving. And although the latter was one of my majors at college (the other one being anatomy in braille) I can't even tell you what it means. In short, I know nothing about either.

Anyhow, preamble aside, the only Merengue I've listened to when not dancing to one in full drunken stupor, is an album called 'Lloviendo cafe' by Jose Luis Guerra (?). Excellent stuff IMHO. Even for a non-Merengue lover like myself.

Thought it was worth mentioning.

 

[mkohn]

'Ojal? que llueva caf?' was recommended to me by a friend, and is my favorite souvenir from my trip in 2001. It has whimsical lyrics which are my idea of a good merengue. And Juan Lu?s' voice is clear and easy to listen to.
mk

 

[jose?to]

OwnRules, mkohn...

"Ojal? que llueva caf?" aqu? en Bush(g.w.) country, Houston, TX. But noooo.

That song is a classic. Good taste, guys.

-Jose?to
MamIndie, nothing can stop me now; I'm YOUR Duke of Earl.
Did you notice the chiquita 'g' & 'w'?

 

[Golo100]

Well, did the guy say nostalgia or what?

Listening to Juan Luis Guerra "Cafe"(Ojala que llueva) would be the equivalent of someone organizing a party for youn people in New York and having them dance to Little Richard, or having them dance the Peppermint Twist.

I think we ought to give this guy some help so when he comes to DR to meet the chopas at a club he doesn't ridicule himself talking about Juan Luis Guerra. Let's update this guy with useful information. Our chopas, grillos, cueritos, lambonas, maipiolas, putas and club girls are more interested in the real stuff. They want to get hard on the floor with Tulile and Malafe. Down and dirty man!!!

This poor guy is not going to be going to La Casa Espa?a to meet 40 yr. old stuffed turkeys who still dance to Joseito Mateo at "El Patio de Joseito"

TW

 

[jose?to]

Golo...

Most of us are just reminiscing about some good all-time merengue.

This isn't merengue, but HB remembers it:

Dominique, nique, nique s'en allait tout simplement
Routier pauvre et chantant
En tous chemins, en tous liex, il ne parle que du bon Dieu
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu

-Jose?to
MamIndie, can we karaoke to the big "O"?

 

[mkohn]

Jose?to, So do I! I bet you remember Sor Ye Ye too!
mk

 

[Bugsey34]

Avoid Oro S?lido, Elvis Crespo, W. Vargas, J. Ventura, Oro S?lido,
and did I say "Oro S?lido"?

Oro who? Oro Solido. En ingles! Solid Gold. Y otra vez! Solid Gold.

Sorry, couldn't help it. My favorite is el Baile del Beeper, check it out.

 

[chicker]

I'm just gettin started, thanks to y'all

Thanks to all of you and your excellent suggestions, I compiled a list of about thirty merengue artists, and being in hurry, as usual, trooped over to the nearest CD megastore to find the one compilation that featured the most names on the list. I got Merenhits 2000, 14 songs, twelve bucks. OK, here's some observations:

I don't know about anybody else, but when I hear the first few notes of any merengue tune, it causes an immediate, palpable, physical aching in the bones to be back in the Dominican Republic. I have a 5-CD player which I keep in shuffle mode so I don't know which CD is gonna play next. I usually keep a couple of ska (eg. Desorden Publico, Dr Calypso), maybe Luis Miguel and always one Man? and now one reserved for merengue. Whenever that merengue CD pops on, it stops me in my tracks and I want to get on the internet and check airplane ticket prices. Maybe that reaction will go away some day, but I hope not.

As much as that first tune grabs me, after a half hour or so, I've about had my fill. Is it just me, or is this musical genre overly male-dominated? You know what would break up the 'sameness' of the music a little? The sound of a female voice singing to that infectious beat. So, does anybody have any suggestions for either a solo female merengue artist or a band that is fronted by a female singer?

There's a CD that I never get tired of hearing. Do you remember the 70's/80's semi-punky new-wave band Talking Heads? When the band finally broke up, David Byrne, singer/songwriter/leader, started exploring brazilian music and then branched out into almost all the variants of latin/caribbean music. You can hear the influence on any of his post-Heads recordings, but I believe it reached its zenith with the release of Rei Momo. You get your cumbia, your bachata, your bosa nova, your tango, and of course your merengue. Offbeat lyrics in english and a definite dancing beat. You shouldn?t have to pay more than five bucks for a copy on Ebay, Half.com or Amazon(used). I highly recommend it. Thanks again, all. As usual, the DR1 gang comes through and I?m getting? happy feet.

SLM

 

[jose?to]

Female band...

Las Chicas del Can.

-Jose?to
Lonely and full of despair after MamIndie abandoned me.

 

[Golo100]

Here is a suggestion for you man from St Louis

I know the feeling my man. I remember I had to drive from Chicago to supervise an office in Quincy and I used to get so lonely having to stay in a hotel in that lousy little town that it freaked me out.

Man, just get yourself an airline ticket and just do it!!! Come on down to The Carnaval de La Vega which already started and from now to the end of February, every weekend is just partying and partying, merengue bands, comparsas, diablos Cojuelos and all that stuff. Many gringoes will be there to get their asses beaten by the diablos. You see the diablos have these "vejigas" which are made with blown-dry cow tripe and they get so hard that when the diablos hit you with it you see diablitos in your head. But thats part of the fun. It is the equivalent of the bull chase in Spain. Except you are guaranteed to be hit. I dont know anybody who has avoided getting hit by one.

All the merengue bands you hear on that CD you bought will be there playing.

TW

 

[CaribbeanGeorge]

No, not merengue the theme from the soap opera you saw, is from mexican mariachi singer, Pablo Montero.

 

[CaribbeanGeorge]

Saint Louis

1 Go to kazaa.com
2 buy a cheap burner for your pc.
3 go to download.com
4 download roxio easy cd creator 15 day trial.
5 make your own collection.
6 get some presidentes & practice your steps.
:bunny:

 

[jose?to]

SLM...

Gisselle hails from P.R. The D.R. equivalent of a Britney Spears fan has to be an Aventura fan. I looked up 'Bubble-gum bachata' in the dictionary and I found Aventura's album cover.

-Jose?to
MLB is around the corner. Go Reds!

 

[Rosanie]

Check out Luis Vargas if you haven't already...he has got some great songs. The CD I have been listening to is Luis Vargas "En Persona". He was in Rio San Juan last year when I was visiting in March - great concert and party! I am hoping to see him or any peformers when I go next month...There is always a concert happening somewhere along the North coast!

hope a sale comes soon for you to able to go to the Dominican Republic!

Rosanie

 

[Criss Colon]

"El Jefe Supremo Del Mundo",Luis Vargas!!!!!!!

I first saw Luis Vargas about 10 years ago at the Hawaii disco in lo Minas.I then went to "El Crystal" in La FE to see him.Luis was much thinner then,and always drunk! It was popular for people to run to the stage when he came on and give him bottles of "Brugal"! When we left at about 5 AM,luis was "passed out",in a planter in front of the club.A few "lui Varga" tapes,lots of "Presidente,con Clamato" and I am fine for the "Night"! CRIS

 

[chicker]

Hmmmmmmmm.

I wonder if Gisselle has ever passed out in a planter?
I think I could revive her.
Or like to try.

SLM
straying dangerously from his own topic

 

[Golo100]

St Louis man

I warned you about Juan Luis Guerra boring you to death. Whoever suggested you listen to Cafe wanted you to fall asleep.

Why do you like Giselle? Is it her body or her singing? If you like her body then you should check Pilar Montenegro. She is the new queen of gruperas music. Try also Olga Ta?on. Stay away from screaming old lady Millie.

By the way, di you check Premio Lo Nuestro program? I was right again about my choices of tropical music. Grupo Mania swept the old timers like Fernandito Villalona, who received the Soberano Award in the Casandra last night and hopefully he can now do me a favor and retire!!! Also old hack Sergio Vargas finally got his first Casandra and now he can also do us a favor....cut his afro and retire. You can repeat yourself only so many times.

Marc Anthony stole the show at Lo Nuestro. The guy is simply the ultimate in Latin music. His band gave a lecture in music to our Dominican bands, who simply stink. Dominicans like Aventura saved the night for us, both at Lo Nuestro and the boring Casandra show, which had more chopos than real artists receiving awards.

Just compare the two. On the one side, Lo Nuestro had people like Marc Anthony, Jerry Rivera, Pilar Monetenegro, Pablo Montero, Thalia, Alejandra Guzman, and to top it off Luis Miguel. Aventura put on a show. Pilar was sensational in black.

Then you take the chopos at the Casandra headed by Villalona, Sergio, Luis Manuel Aguilo(minus his cap backwards) Eddy Herrera, who looks like a Dominican York mafiosi, Raymond Pozo(the ultimate chopo) and his partner Cespedes who was picked up from Los Alcarrizos. Then you take the women stars, Millie who needs a facelift, in- need- of-attention fake megadivas like Georgina Duluc, who has thrown herself at Luis Miguel, as if Luis Miguel is paying attention to Dominican women at all, overweight baloon trial Luz Garcia, who must be wearing corsets 24 hrs. a day, Nikauly de La Mota who may need cosmetic surgery soon dressed up like the Plan Renove Pollitos, Alina Vargas, Wilfridos daughter(Remember when she was doing low paying jigs at the Merengue Bar?) and on and chopo.on.

No wonder we get no awards, when our representatives at the Grammys are To?o, Sergio and Millie. Aventura saved us from shame.

TW

 

[Tony C]

The only thing worse than Latin music award shows was the Grammy's
Celia Cruz gets another Grammy. (I am Cuban and I'm even tired of her)
Springsteen and VanZandt desecrating the Clash!
Who keeps voting for that Sheryl Crowe?

 

[Criss Colon]

My Blood Pressure got so high watching the "Casandras" I had to

have sex with my WIFE!!! "golo",you are so right!!! Sergio looks like an idiot!In fact everyone one on the stage looked like an idiot! All the "Limpia Sacos,y Lambonasos" stopped to give "The Drunk" a kiss,Pathetic!!!!..."El GeneraL" came dressed as he always does,like shit!........

"Mark Antony"???? is he really "golo's" half Puerto Rican "Love Child"??? You two really do look like "Twins" born 20 years apart!!!!!!

Quincy Illinois,"God's Country"! the best thing about going from Chicago to East St.Louis(Not God's Country!!) is stopping off in Streator for a Cheese Burger and a "Root BEER"!!Make that a "Breaded Pork Tenderloin"! CRIS

 

[Golo100]

Marc Anthony is my double

Except I can't sing that good. I am almost getting tired of him too, but he is by now the greatest salsa singer ever, even better than Hector Lavoe. His selection of musicians is just the best. The music behind this guy just cannot be decribed.

And Tony you are so right. How can we possibly start a letter campaign to have Celia Cruz retired? I don't wish anybody like her to die, but I thought she was going to leave us for good. But I am even afraid that if she dies, we will have to put up with homages and post-mortem awards for her until the sun dies 500,000 years from now.

I am glad DR1 published the Casandra award winners so everyone could see a "Who's Who in Chopoland". And for those who call me names because a favor Puerto Ricans over Dominicans, in this recent case, my recommendation of Grupo Mania for merengue, let me just say that Mania has Dominicans in the group and their Grammy award winning "Latino" album was arranged by a Dominican. It's just that their quality sells and makes our local bands look like second raters.

Somebody also told me that the only reason some people win the Grammys is because the Steffans own everyone involved in the voting. Well, I may agree with you in some sense. But do you think the Steffans are making money with losers?? If they know a Dominican merengue singer can make them money, they will sign them up. Were they wrong with Shakira and carlos Vives? Why are they working with JLG, who in my opinion had already had his day?

Except for his music, which is already so old fashioned, El General simply wears the proper wear for rappers. In fact, if he wants to succeed in this business, the next time he ought to take a lesson a rapper fashion lesson from Fat Joe, Ludacris and Nelly.

Aventura showed up at the Casandra wearing camouflage and fatigues, yet they look cooler than everyone else. Why? these kids know what's happening and they can wear anything.

TW

TW