Culture of the Dominican Republic Culture of the Dominican Republic The culture of the Dominican Republic is a diverse mixture of different influences from around the world. The Dominican people and their customs have origins consisting predominately in a European cultural basis, with both African and native Taíno influences. The Dominican Republic was the site of the first European settlement in the Western Hemisphere, namely Santo Domingo founded in 1493. As a result of over five centuries of Spanish presence in the island, the core of Dominican culture is derived from the culture of Spain. The European inheritances include ancestry, language, traditions, law, the predominant
National Anthem of the Dominican Republic National Anthem of the Dominican Republic The Dominican National Anthem is the national anthem of the Dominican Republic. Its music was composed by José Rufino Reyes Siancas (1835–1905), and its lyrics were authored by Emilio Prud’Homme (1856–1932). The first public performance of the national anthem took place on 17 August 1883. Though the music was an instant success, several objections were made to the lyrics for having various historical inaccuracies. In 1897, Prud’Homme submitted revised lyrics which stand to this day. On 7 June 1897, the Congress of the Dominican Republic passed an act adopting "Himno Nacional" with the original