Culture Ministry on National Merengue Day

Culture Ministry on National Merengue Day
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 12/1/2011

The Ministry of Culture developed a full program of activities for National Merengue Day which included music, tributes and exhibitions.

The event was presided over by Xiomarita Pérez, National Director of Folklore, accompanied by Marivell Contreras, National Advisor of Popular and businessman Antonio Espaillat.

The celebration ended on Monday the 28th at Jet Set Disco with an homage to the radio producers who worked to diffuse and to keep meringue alive among the populace.

The event was presided over by Xiomarita Pérez, National Director of Folklore, accompanied by Marivell Contreras, National Advisor of Popular and businessman Antonio Espaillat.

Contreras said, “this year the Ministry of Culture celebrated merengue and its protagonists through an intense program which included the inauguration of the Merenque Gallery, the first annual “Ñico Lora” prize for popular music in Santiago de los Caballeros and a tribute to our radio producers who we are celebrating today.”

The first of these tributes went to Rubén Darío Aponte, for his contribution to merengue by playing it on his show for more than three decades and for his weekly radio show, “Merensalsa.”

Later, recognitions went to Eugenio Mieses for his program “Classics of Merengue,” Ross Peña for his program “Sabor a Merengue” and “Merengue and More” Luisito Beltrán for “Merenguemanía” and Tony Luna, producer of “Rescue of Merengue” and “Merengue and its History.”

Jet Set was chosen as the venue for the event keeping in mind that last year the Ministry of Culture declared the disco “a place of cultural interest for being the only place in the city where the merengue is danced weekly for more than 35 years.”

Xiomarita Pérez, National Director of Folklore; Marivell Contreras, National Advisor of Popular Art and businessman Antonio Espaillat, with the radio hosts who were honored.


Xiomarita Pérez, National Director of Folklore and businessman Antonio Espaillat giving recognition to Rubén Darío Aponte.