The initial stage is lost in the old times of immigrations and Diaspora, members of the Bara tribe arrived at the Dominican Republic from Madagascar with a dance by the name of merengue, which was extended from Curaçao to all over the Cari-bbean. Then members of tribes, today known as Dahomey consider that it is possible that this rhythm has African origins. Others consider that this genre was born in the midst of the independence wars against Haiti. Whatever its origin are, merengue has always been a faithful record of the most outstanding historical events of Dominican life. From 1822 to 1844, merengue expands and grows in Quisqueya, the first appointment of this rhythm is as a dance of ballrooms. From 1844 to 1918, the genre is linked to the folkloric merengue. Juan Bautista Fonseca writes the first numbers: "Ay Coco," "Los pastelitos," "El morrocoy," "El juramento," "El sancocho;" or "la Juana Quilina," just a version of the music of the latter is preserved. Then it turned at that time into a living force. In 1855, a great campaign is launched to expel it form the ballrooms, but this effort failed: people love merengue and it turns into an emblem, a credential of the Dominican people. Don Pancho García writes in 1918 the first genuine merengues, named Creole dance. That same year Juan Espinola recorded the first signs of the genre and in 1927, Julio Alberto Hernández publishes in writing the first merengue. In 1939 the time is ripe for the Dominican merengue: Rafael Petitón Guzman conducted the number "Caminito de tu casa" in the Radio City of New York. In 1944, merengue is included in the first collection of folkloric Dominican music. Since 1946 merengue was modified; in the very musical body, some arrangements comprising other genres as pasodoble, wogie wogie, rumba and samba were added. From 1948 to 1952, Julio Gutierrez introduced the drum and also exotic rhythms were added, thus emerging the bolemerengue and the jalemerengue; in 1955, a popular singer, Casandra Damirón, distorted the rhythm to adapt it to tourists' tastes. It seems that blends will never stop since one of the most respected Dominican musicians Johnny Ventura, also added to this genre foreign rhythms that were in fashion as twist and rock. The reason behind this, according to the musician was to get it known by the youth who either was unfamiliar to them. Also another great musician, Wilfrido Vargas, keeps the same habit of blending; but, on this occasion, he was more in tune with the Latin-Caribbean rhythms. At present merengue more than a rhythm or a genre is a complex body with variants such as: apimbachao, jaleo, pripri, merenguete, bolemerengue, with a Juangomero air..." It is a free rhythm, everybody dances at his own will, provided that it is danced well. The most typical instruments of the Dominicam merengue is the accordion, the güira and the bass drum (tambora). The Perico Ripiao is the minimal musical expression of this genre and is made up of three persons who interpret the local music, making use of them. Juan Luis Guerra and his 440 Group bring back the national rhythm after a long absence, the accordion, the güira and the tambora were used again without rejecting the airs of jazz, rock and salsa that seem to have arrived to stay.