100 Years of Cultural and Musical Ties: AMCHAMDR Celebrates a Century of Dominican-American Relations

The American Chamber of Commerce in the Dominican Republic (AMCHAMDR) marks one century since the establishment of commercial and cultural relations between the two nations.

After an important program of activities, the final closing will take place tonight in the Carlos Piantini room of the National theater Eduardo Brito, at 8:00 pm, with the concert “100 years of history through music.”

It will be carried out by the AMCHAMDR Big Band as a tribute to the ties that have united the two countries and in which music has played a leading role in culture.

The Big Band, which will evoke the golden age of these musical groups, will be directed by Javier Vargas and made up of a group of 24 talented musicians from the Dominican Republic and the United States, 19 of them Creole; in addition to six Berklee College of Music graduates and students and three soloists.

The renowned Dominican singer Maridalia Hernández will also perform some classics.

Cultural contribution

Tavares and Tommy García visited the Diario Libre newsroom to provide details of the concert. (PEDRO BAZIL)

Gustavo Tavares, past president of the American Chamber of Commercevisited the Diario Libre editorial office in the company of sociologist and music producer Tommy García to offer other details.

For the businessman, the Chamber not only has the objective of bringing the North American country closer in terms of international trade but also on a cultural level.

“As part of the celebration agenda we met with the Dominican diaspora in the United States. We want to end on a high note with the 100 years of music concert,” Tavares said of the show to which figures from politics, art and culture will be invited. culture, as well as members of the Chamber.

And he adds that among the participating musicians will be several young people who benefit from the Chamber’s cultural programs to train at Berklee.

The organizers value that “100 years of history through music” seeks to reflect the importance of building bilateral, trade and human relations that, over time, have been sealed with historical memories and work towards sustained growth. to project a very prosperous future with common development values.

Concert concept

The event is designed to recreate a kind of time travel to the best decades of music, exploring the most emblematic milestones of both musical cultures from the 1920s onwards, from the genres of jazz and blues to merengue and bachata, highlighting the importance of music as a bridge to unite communities.

“It is about the link between North American music and Dominican music and how they have supported each other,” highlights researcher Tommy García.

And he continues: “It begins with the first jazz orchestras that had a lot of influence in the DR at a time when the phonograph was not so popular; written music was bought and played live on the radio stations. Like those first music that was played here “They influenced the young people of the 50s and 60s.”

Tommy García adds that a part of the show in the first three blocks highlights the North American songs and rhythms that were established in Quisqueya, then how young people of that time such as the maestro Rafael Solano and Manuel Sánchez Acosta approached it, and will culminate with contemporary music with names of the stature of Juan Luis Guerra, Manuel Jiménez or Vicente García.

The director of the House of Music, who has dedicated decades to the study of Creole rhythms, indicates that music is universal in the way it is contagious and it was very difficult for him to select this sample.

He highlights that the first part of the 1920s performances that will delight the audience will be done with the original arrangements. “It will be an educational concert that will leave us with a lot of our own history and American popular music.” A selection of important composers was made in these 100 years and “the most representative music of those artists will be heard,” he concludes.

Meanwhile, Gustavo Tavares does not rule out concerts or similar activities being held in small formats so that new generations can enter this sound universe.

“100 years of history through music” will be recorded and later broadcast on national television through RTVD, channel 4.

The orchestral merengue

Dominican music researcher Tommy García says that the Big Bang, which is a North American concept, is the first orchestral format for merengue. “That is why when it is decided to orchestrate the merengue it is done in a format of Big Band. We Dominicans already had a certain training and that’s where orchestras like Santa Cecilia, San José or Luis Alberti emerged, because of how that style influenced all of our popular music,” García recalls.

Passionate about art, culture, tourism and radio. She writes for the Magazine section of Diario Libre. She graduated in Social Communication from the UASD and the Master in Communication and Corporate Identity from UNIR.

2023-11-09 04:14:41
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