Dancehall in Dominican Republic

[mikel83]

Goin to Santiago Domingo soon.. Is there a dancehall reggae club/place to go to? (More so of Reggae Dancehall not Reggaeton) & do the Dominican people like/listen to dancehall music?

[Pac-Man]

Don't think so. Too many new riddims and trends to keep up with. From what I saw on my trip, its all Dem Bow/Reggaeton and their ass shaking/footwork dances. Then again, Sosua ain't the whole country.

[weyland]

Not sure where you mean by "Santiago Domingo".

Very little reggae is played in the DR except by Haitians. "Buffalo Soldiers" and two/three other standards are sometimes played as "novelty numbers" but that is about it.

It is possible that Santo Domingo or even Santiago have large enough Haitian populations to support a Haitian dance-hall or disco but I have never heard such mentioned, maybe because they are places where gringos would fear to tread.

Even Puerto Plata, which is a much smaller city, supported the infamous Kakaobaka for a few years, which played 50/50 Dominican and Haitian music, but still very little reggae.


Do the Dominican people like/listen to dancehall music?
They certainly do. Sosua is untypical because of the gringo market, but Puerto Plata has three dance-halls in one section of the city (open days are patchy though). But "dance music" here means merengue and bachata, with limited amounts of salsa, reggaeton and tipico. You would be lucky to hear one reggae number a night.

[bailar]

Not sure where you mean by "Santiago Domingo".

Very little reggae is played in the DR except by Haitians. "Buffalo Soldiers" and two/three other standards are sometimes played as "novelty numbers" but that is about it.

It is possible that Santo Domingo or even Santiago have large enough Haitian populations to support a Haitian dance-hall or disco but I have never heard such mentioned, maybe because they are places where gringos would fear to tread.

Even Puerto Plata, which is a much smaller city, supported the infamous Kakaobaka for a few years, which played 50/50 Dominican and Haitian music, but still very little reggae.


They certainly do. Sosua is untypical because of the gringo market, but Puerto Plata has three dance-halls in one section of the city (open days are patchy though). But "dance music" here means merengue and bachata, with limited amounts of salsa, reggaeton and tipico. You would be lucky to hear one reggae number a night.


Is this place still open? I like to mix a little Kompa when I'm out dancing. There was a place called New York Bar in Sosua on the way to Passions that was owned by Haitians and the mix was all inclusive. They even plugged in my Ipod for a bit so I could share some Kizomba.

You are right on about the Haitians having more of an ear for Reggae. They as well as the Rastafarian culture identify strongly with their African roots and as we all know the Dominicans are of European heritage.:wink:

[Jao]

Goin to Santiago Domingo soon.. Is there a dancehall reggae club/place to go to? (More so of Reggae Dancehall not Reggaeton) & do the Dominican people like/listen to dancehall music?

In Santiago, Las Colinas Rancho Tipico, near Monte Bar and the Las Colinas Mall. Large place with a large palm leaves roof, cheap metal tables and chairs. When I visited large bottle of Presidente Beer was 75 pesos (now it will be about 100 pesos for a large bottle of Presidente Beer there). Dance floor, live music (the night I was there it was a merengue band). Easy to dance merengue, just wing it and you'll have fun. Pool tables near the entrance.

Dance Hall type places are sometimes referred to as Rancho Tipicos (open air with palm leaf roofs). Colmados and Colmadons (small grocery stores), can be fun on weekend or Holiday nights, usually with a "jukebox" where you can select the music that plays with some pesos.

Andy Ranch is another place in or near Santiago (I have not visited yet).

Reggaeton music is played in the DR, good for grinding, lol.

22 I was told recently is a popular place in Santiago; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Twenty-Two-Vip-Club/396279507055358

Soho Rooftop Bar, Bella Terra Mall (Level in the same Mall), Santiago;


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTJDOwPi7n4

[Jao]

Goin to Santiago Domingo soon.. Is there a dancehall reggae club/place to go to? (More so of Reggae Dancehall not Reggaeton) & do the Dominican people like/listen to dancehall music?

In Santo Domingo there is the Hangar Sports Bar Colmadon on Avenida Independencia, at least ten minutes from zona colonial; https://foursquare.com/v/el-hangar/4d02677b60e737048881e9aa

Photos from a colmado in Santo Domingo from a few days ago (you can dance in the colmado/colmadon). In Santo Domingo there are other outdoor areas where people congregate and have some drinks.

[Jao]

Not sure where you mean by "Santiago Domingo".

Very little reggae is played in the DR except by Haitians. "Buffalo Soldiers" and two/three other standards are sometimes played as "novelty numbers" but that is about it.

It is possible that Santo Domingo or even Santiago have large enough Haitian populations to support a Haitian dance-hall or disco but I have never heard such mentioned, maybe because they are places where gringos would fear to tread.

Even Puerto Plata, which is a much smaller city, supported the infamous Kakaobaka for a few years, which played 50/50 Dominican and Haitian music, but still very little reggae.


They certainly do. Sosua is untypical because of the gringo market, but Puerto Plata has three dance-halls in one section of the city (open days are patchy though). But "dance music" here means merengue and bachata, with limited amounts of salsa, reggaeton and tipico. You would be lucky to hear one reggae number a night.

Paintings of Bob Marley at Playa Sosua for sale, probably painted by Haitian artists, I remember from many years ago.

[weyland]

Is this place still open?
Kakaobaka not only no longer exists but the whole building has been razed to the ground and turned into a car park.

For the first few years it limped along opening two nights a week. Dominicans hated the Haitians having their own place to socialize right in the city center and spread all sorts of lurid rumors about it. The authorities took every excuse to close it down but it always re-opened so I suppose some rich or influential Dominican had an interest in it somehow.

For the last year it was managed by my ex-girlfriend and her family. The rent was paid by her absent English boyfriend. She made a surprisingly good job of it and the place was much more orderly, prices became fixed and reasonable, and it started to attract a few gringos and "slumming" Dominicans without compromising its Haitian feel. But it closed when the lease expired. Fair enough really, because if they had not being paying a low rent in that expectation it would never have been viable in the first place.


... so I could share some Kizomba.
Could you kindly suggest a site where I can download a handful of your Kizomba favorites so I can get the flavor of it? Needs to be idiot-proof as I don't have time to learn the mystery of bit-torrents or whatever.

[greydread]

Goin to Santiago Domingo soon.. Is there a dancehall reggae club/place to go to? (More so of Reggae Dancehall not Reggaeton) & do the Dominican people like/listen to dancehall music?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-MYS_wnkDE

Nasio Fontaine is the only major Dominican reggae artist that I've seen and that was in Canada. Reggae music (other than Bob Marley) is really not well exposed in the D.R. and the only places I know that will play the genre is by request although I do remember a Beenie Man concert in Santo Domingo years ago.

I bring reggae and Soca with me when I go and teach Chicas how to dance "rocksteady". They love it, their hips move naturally to it and that has led to some of the most sensual experiences of my travels....but no dancehall clubs atall.

[DCIronman]

Not sure where you mean by "Santiago Domingo".

Very little reggae is played in the DR except by Haitians. "Buffalo Soldiers" and two/three other standards are sometimes played as "novelty numbers" but that is about it.

It is possible that Santo Domingo or even Santiago have large enough Haitian populations to support a Haitian dance-hall or disco but I have never heard such mentioned, maybe because they are places where gringos would fear to tread.

Even Puerto Plata, which is a much smaller city, supported the infamous Kakaobaka for a few years, which played 50/50 Dominican and Haitian music, but still very little reggae.


They certainly do. Sosua is untypical because of the gringo market, but Puerto Plata has three dance-halls in one section of the city (open days are patchy though). But "dance music" here means merengue and bachata, with limited amounts of salsa, reggaeton and tipico. You would be lucky to hear one reggae number a night.
When the OP wrote "Dancehall", I'm pretty sure he wasn't referring to a place or venue. Dancehall is a specific type of Jamaican music. And I've never heard much of it in the DR.

[greydread]

When the OP wrote "Dancehall", I'm pretty sure he wasn't referring to a place or venue. Dancehall is a specific type of Jamaican music. And I've never heard much of it in the DR.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt0OS5k8r20

Roots Reggae

[greydread]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91vfdRnF9c

Dancehall

[greydread]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHxlmqYeenI

Soca

[greydread]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSZGKx2Cf90

Zouk

[greydread]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9z5sfvN0Yc


Reggaeton

[greydread]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_St8Kbo4uwU

Ska / Rocksteady

[bailar]

Could you kindly suggest a site where I can download a handful of your Kizomba favorites so I can get the flavor of it? Needs to be idiot-proof as I don't have time to learn the mystery of bit-torrents or whatever.

YouTube has lots of Kizomba,,, You can convert the videos to mp3's here

http://www.clipconverter.cc/ by copying and pasting the youtube url and converting it to a mp3 and downloading to your computer.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf4QkEXci9o


some of my favorite artists are: Mika Mendes, Atim, Nelson Frietas, Princess Lover', G-Amado

[bailar]

a little Dancehall for the OP.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpCN8JU2LS0

[SeaWeed]

never heard Dancehall in the DR....though you will hear some Reggaeton.....some of it is very good

if you want Dancehall...you know what island to go to for dat....and you probably won't hear any Reggaeton der

next month can't get here fast enuff........crank up da dancehall.....mi favorite music.....yah mon

[wreckless]

In the DR you will hear the odd Dancehall (Reggae) tune being played in clubs and bars. Demarco's 'I love my life' has been played to death for at least the past 6 months. RiRi's Man down a lot longer. If you want to hear Dancehall the DR is the wrong place for that. As previously stated bring your own music and create your own party.

[theheights718]

Depends on the DJ. Since dancehall reggae blends in with dembow/reggaeton, you would always at least get a session of reggae in the mix. Especially the tourist areas. They even have a reggae night @ Ojo in Cabarete.

All else fails, kindly tip the DJ...and he'll play whatever you want. As long as it gets the girls up dancing and shaking their booties...all is well in their world. Just make sure you start off with the commercial songs that they have probably heard b4.