Fieldwork Archive
Caña brava
Performed by Rosa Velez.
Recorded June 30, 2025 at La Casa Bienvenida, Waterbury, Connecticut.
Fragment. Johnny Ventura merengue.
Mrs. Velez is of San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic.
This merengue was composed by Toño Abréu (Antonio Abréu, 1883–195X), a Cuban-born artist who lived in the Dominican Republic, becoming an important figure in the history of Dominican merengue.
Rosa learned the song from a version by Johnny Ventura, a popular merengue and salsa artist of the '70s and '80s.
While the lyrics are festive and lighthearted, their referencing of sugarcane also bears historical and cultural significance. Sugarcane is a major export crop whose production is linked to the poor living conditions of Haitian migrant workers.
Caña dulce
Caña brava
Dame un gajo
de tu caña
Caña brava
Dame un gajo
de tu caña
Sweet cane
Wild cane
Give me a sprig
of your cane
Wild cane
Give me a sprig
of your cane
