Jing ping: Dominica musical instrument

Jing ping is a kind of folk music fabricated on the slave plantations of Dominica, also known as the accordion band colloquially. In Dominican folk music, jing ping band accompanies a circle dance known as the flirtation, and also the Dominican quadrille.

The Dominican quadrille commonly has four figures; the pastouwel, the lapoul, the lete and the latrinitez. Some regions of the country, like the petite Savanne are home of local versions like the caristo many quadrilles are found across dominica under a wide different names. In addition to the standard quadrille, the lancer is a crucial dance of the country.

Accompaniment for the quadrille is supplied by a four musical instrument ensemble known as the jing ping band. The jing ping bands are made up of a boumboum, a syak or a gwaj, a tambal or tambour and accordion. The bajo and the double bass are used sometimes also. Bamboo flutes led the jing ping ensembles before the 1940s, when the musical instrument known as the accordion were introduced into the country. The Dominican flute tradition was discarded, despite their additional use of the instrument in the serenades.

The jing ping modern is a modernized version of the jing ping that uses some modern musical instrument like the drum set and the modern synthesizer and also the electric bass.