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ROOTS OF DOMINICAN RELIGION

Africans brought to the Dominican Republic's sugarcane plantations to work as slaves , used materials found on the island to make their traditional, waist-high drums, now called palos. This traditional music has enjoyed a revival as more young Dominicans develop an appreciation for the contributions slaves made to their heritage.

Palos are played each year to remember the dead. They accompany salves and can assist the caballo, a medium, in calling a spirit to speak through them.