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Haitian. Any pride shown within Haitian culture has been met with persecution of its Dominicancounterpart. Scholars have analyzed the ways in which Dominican identity has been defined,particularly through music. More accurately, scholars have devoted their attention to the mostpopular musics in the country, merengue and bachata, while dismissing palo, a music associatedwith persecuted practices. Merengue has proven to be strong in creating a united sense ofDominicanness: however its path to success was paved by the dictating power within theDominican Republic. Bachata, on the other hand, proved to relate to struggles faced by allDominicans at one point or another, whether it is love, heartbreak, or poverty. However, itshistory has ignored the African roots of the same society whose struggles it voices. Palo, themost persecuted and underrepresented of Dominican musics, highlights and honors the aspectsand roots of Dominican identity that these popular musics disregard. Palo connects the dots, tovoice the untold histories of the Dominican Republic.15
Chapter 2: Palo Yesterday:Palo’s Historical Presence in the Dominican RepublicPalo’s importance in representing Dominican identity has been historically overlooked inscholarly research. An historical analysis of the music, however, would expose how palo reflectsthe struggles faced by many Dominicans, voiced by the marginalized majority of the country. Indiscussing palo’s presence in the Dominican Republic, I will highlight three different sectors inrelation to palo: religion, the public, and the government.Palo and ReligionGiven that palo’s origins lie within a religious structure, religion is crucial to thediscussion of the music. Palo is considered holy music, and a central aspect to many of thereligious ceremonies associated with Dominican Vodú. However, the Dominican Republic is46predominantly Roman Catholic, as can be seen in the Dominican flag itself, which prominently47displays images of a bible and cross, and the words “Dios, Patria, Libertad.” Pioneer scholar inDominican Vodú religion and culture, Martha Ellen Davis, breaks Dominican religion down into48two forms, formal and popular; where Catholicism is formal, and Vodú is popular. Accordingto Davis the difference between formal and popular religions lies in how they form and develop.Formal religions have standardized practices independent of location, and are governed throughhierarchy; the elite determine and disseminate formal religious practices, literature, and politics.In contrast, popular religions form through the needs of the societies that nurture them.4657% of Dominicans are Roman Catholic. Pew Research Center, Religion in Latin America (2014).47God, Homeland, Freedom.48Martha Ellen Davis, La otra ciencia: El Vodú dominicano como religión y medicina populares (1987) 60.16
Page 1 and 2: Dominicans Forgotten by History:Pal
Page 3 and 4: “PerryCastañeda Library Map Co
Page 5 and 6: still however been fairly disregard
Page 7 and 8: The research for this piece draws h
Page 9 and 10: consistent. Understanding the fight
Page 11 and 12: Merengue in the Dominican RepublicT
Page 13 and 14: broadcasted on television and radio
Page 15 and 16: In addition to its movement into hi
Page 17: 39throughout the country.” Given
Page 21 and 22: these deities were transported to t
Page 23 and 24: the animal go to waste. While the m
Page 25 and 26: were palo’s fight for survival, w
Page 27 and 28: create a “pure” Dominican ident
Page 29 and 30: protest. Although scholars have dis
Page 31 and 32: attendance was always high; when my
Page 33 and 34: by dictatorial propaganda. During a
Page 35 and 36: in Haiti, she explained that their
Page 37 and 38: palo: fiestas de palo continu
Page 39 and 40: Church’s recent acceptance of pal
Page 41 and 42: 94comunidad.” Jesus, as well a
Page 43 and 44: ConclusionFrom churches to birthday
Page 45 and 46: continuum between Vodú and Catholi
Page 47: Roorda, Eric Paul. Historical Di

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