Cibao Lullaby
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Cibao Lullaby Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by the Cibao valley of the Dominican Republic, birthplace of merengue tipico, played on accordion, guira, and tambora. Merengue tipico is sometimes affectionately called perico ripiao, and unlike the polished orchestral merengue heard internationally, this older, rural style stays close to its roots, built around the accordion, the two-headed tambora drum, and the metal guira scraper. Cibao itself is often considered the cultural heart of the Dominican Republic, having produced an outsized share of the country’s historical leaders and a famously strong sense of regional identity. Here you will find the lyrics, meaning, and chords.
Lyrics & chords
An original arrangement, with guitar & piano chords above each line.
Verse
What the words mean
Chords — guitar & piano
What “Cibao Lullaby” Means
“Mai” is a warm, colloquial Dominican Spanish word for mother. The Cibao valley around Santiago is the birthplace of merengue tipico, played on accordion, guira, and tambora, the oldest style of merengue still performed today. This original lullaby draws on those valley and folk-music images of Cibao life, with “mai” used as a warm address rather than a literal translation.
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- An original lullaby by Relax In No Time, inspired by the musical traditions of its region. The words, melody, arrangement and recording are ours.
- Recording and arrangement: real instruments played by hand, no AI music, by Relax In No Time.
- Chords: written by us for guitar and piano.
- Translation: our own meaning-for-meaning translation, written for understanding. The sung words stay in the original language.
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