Society in Dominican Republic

A plethora of cultures have left their stamp on Dominican society. Traditional Taíno foods and medicines are familiar today, and Taíno words - like hammock and tobacco - still pepper the language. Spanish settlers gave the country their language, the Roman Catholic faith and a deep strain of machismo. Africans brought here as slaves brought their own faith, inextricably bound in the dominant European offering, as well as art and music. Even US troops left their mark - Dominicans love baseball. It is a heady mixture.

Music and dance is at the heart of Dominican culture. The most popular form is merengue, which will be blasted, full volume, almost anywhere you go in the country. A tad more pastoral is bachata, Dominican country music, with plenty of songs about heartbreak and loss. Salsa probably makes the third favorite musical type in the DR's holy trinity, though you'll find plenty of jazz, rock, hip-hop and just about anything else that'll keep your feet moving.

The Dominican art scene is also quite healthy, thanks in no small part to dictator Rafael Trujillo. Creative freedom was not a hallmark of his reign, but the man did have a soft spot for painting. He founded the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes (National School of Fine Arts) in 1942, basically instituting the country's fine painting tradition. 'Primitive' art, which relies less on perspective and shading and more on color and action, is also popular; keep your eyes open for it. And to check out what's happening in edgier scenes, drop by the Museo de Arto Moderno in Santo Domingo.

Architecture is another important part of Dominican culture, from the well-preserved colonial Spanish buildings of Santo Domingo, the Americas' first European city, to the brightly colored farmhouses of the countryside. Color and style are ignored by no one in the DR, which makes for some very interesting sightseeing.