Dominican Republic inaugurates modern Caribbean market: Merca Santo Domingo

SANTO DOMINGO - Operations of Merca Santo Domingo will begin on February 14th, the date from which the activities of the wholesale trade in agricultural products will be taken to the collection center, considered the most modern in the Caribbean region.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Ramón Rodríguez, at a meeting with agribusiness representatives of large commercial chains and farmers, held at the headquarters of Merca.

Lago Enriquillo is Rising

A report by Ezra Fieser on the alarming growth rate of Lago Enriquillo — which has lead the Dominican government to launch a resettlement project for people affected by the rising waters.

Designer Arcadio Díaz, revolutionizing the Chabacanas

Designer Arcadio Diaz enjoys a very special feature: he's attributed two nationalities. For some it is Venezuelan and for others, a Dominican national. However, the second is the one that's true. The renowned designer was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic, where he discovered that his passion was making garments to fit.

Great Photos from Dominican Republic

Some of us just can't get enough of the sights and sounds of the Dominican Republic.

Follow GoDominicanRepublic (DR Ministry of Tourism) on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, great sources of beautiful scenes that will make you want to buy a plane ticket.

If you enjoyed this article, Follow us on, Twitter - Facebook - Google+ - Tumblr

Photos from Berklee in Santo Domingo

Photos from Berklee in Santo Domingo's official Facebook page.

Post by Berklee en Santo Domingo.

If you enjoyed this article, Follow us on, Twitter - Facebook - Google+ - Tumblr

"Berklee in Santo Domingo" opens for 150 Dominican students

Santo Domingo - The Minister of Culture, José Antonio Rodríguez, led the launch of the "Berklee in Santo Domingo" program, in which 150 Domincan students will participate.

The ceremony was also led by the director of the National Conservatory of Music (CNM), Maria Irene Blanco, Jason Camelio, director of International Programs at Berklee and renowed singer, songwriter and Berklee alumni, Juan Luis Guerra.

Contemporary music workshops will be taught by professors from Berklee College of Music in the United States, through an agreement with the Ministry of Culture and Juan Luis Guerra.

In his opening speech, the Minister urged the young musicians to seize this opportunity and develop their talents, while acknowleding Rafael Suncar Reynoso and Bermer Rosario, who moved from Puerto Plata and La Romana to attend the workshops.

Rodriguez urged students to share with their colleagues and to not say that the Ministry of Culture brought to Berklee but rather say that the Dominican Republic received Berklee and left her wanting to return.

Likewise, the director of the National Conservatory of Music, Maria Irene Blanco, addressed the audience and said that without the union and the will of the Ministry of Culture, Juan Luis Guerra, Berklee School, among others, these workshops would not have come to be.

Blanco encouraged the youth to take advantage of training this week, showing that the Dominican is persistent, disciplined and eager to learn.

In a brief speech songwriter Juan Luis Guerra declared that this was an idea which he had been planning for a very long time, after visiting Puerto Rico, which had a Berklee program, and thought that Santo Domingo too was in needed a similar workshop.

"Today is the day that Berklee came to us," proclaimed the artist with a cheerful face and full of satisfaction.

If you enjoyed this article, get email updates (it's free) and Follow us on, Twitter - Facebook - Google+ - Tumblr

A Sculpture in Tribute to Northwest Cultural

Sabaneta, Santiago Rodríguez  -- Since 2004 the city of Sabaneta has a sculpture carved into a stunning piece of un-dried mahogany tree, in which are represented in a masterly way the most important elements of local culture and identity, that from of its execution had become an emblematic element to the town, a tourist reference that fills visitors with wonder and a source of pride for Sabaneteros.

Throughout the sturdy trunk and branches of "The Tree of the Northwest," as it is now popularly known, sculptor, woodcarver and Professor of the School of Fine Arts in Santiago, Dionisio Peralta, has managed to capture a variety of representations, which express a range of items covering aspects of folklore, historical nature, religious, folkloric and ecological, which constitute the common individual idiosyncrasy and make up the cultural heritage of the Northwest as a whole.

# sabanetasr.com/homenaje-noroestana

Banco Popular Publishes "Art and History"

Carretas y bueyes by Guillo Pérez - 1976

Santo Domingo, D.N.-Banco Popular Dominicano, fulfilling its vocation as an entity with constant contributions to the cultural, artistic and historical heritage of the country, has published the book "Art and History in the collection of visual arts of Banco Popular Dominicano."

A work that presents a historical and artistic tour by the national arts, from the visual collection of the financial institution and which has been put together by the Dominican painter and art critic, Danilo De los Santos.

In the book, he begins his narrative from the year 1900 and ending in the final years of the 1990s, De los Santos conveys the view that visual artists had of the country and national culture in every moment of historical significance, establishing the close relationship between artistic creation and history.

A trip on the aesthetic vision of the Dominican nation, from the view of 112 authors reproduced in this publication, touches on events such as the arrival of exiled artists of the European wars of the first half of the twentieth century, who settled in the Dominican Republic. National events such as the Trujillo dictatorship, introduction to democracy and the subsequent War of April 1965.

The book also talks about the founding of art schools in the country, the momentum of the biennales and art contests, and the different artistic movements in which transited the painters, sculptors and photographers that helped define Dominican culture in this period.

The images reproduced in "Art and History" are part of the collection which has taken Banco Popular more than 50 years to build, and which now amount to some 1,000 works of local artists (and some foreign), who welcomed with respect and appreciation Dominican idiosyncrasies.

Mr. Manuel A. Grullon, chairman of the finance organization, highlights in the cover letter of this publication, "the role of patron" assumed by Banco Popular for nearly five decades and declare that this work becomes "a mission to sponsor the tangible artworks and the intangible of immaterial values ​​that these works convey about the future of our cultural, social and economic life. "

"Art and History" is a great editorial effort to help spread Dominican art nationally and internationally. This book is delivered by Banco Popular to universities, libraries, academies of fine arts, nonprofit institutions, embassies, as well as clients and related financial institutions.

--
Arte e Historia by Danilo De los Santos and Banco Popular is available online for free reading @ issuu.com/popularenlinea

Source: bpd.com.do

If you enjoyed this article, Follow us on, Twitter - Facebook - Google+ - Tumblr

Laboratorio de Arquitectura Dominicana to Curate Dominican Pavilion at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale

The Dominican Republic will host its first pavilion as a participating country at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale.

The exhibition will explore modern attitudes and local narratives around the 1955 Fair of Peace and Fraternity of the Free World, developed by Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo and inspired by Mussolini's 1942 .

The pavilion will be curated by the Laboratorio de Arquitectura Dominicana (LAD) with exhibition commissioner Sachi Hoshikawa and fellow curators Juan Rufino Castillo, Rubén Hernández Fontana, Juan Mubarak and Emil Rodríguez Garabot.

Christy Cheng and OMA New York Director, Shohei Shigematsu will act as special advisors to the exhibition.

Collaborators for the project include Omar Rancier, Mauricia Domínguez, Miguel D. Mena, Irina Angulo, Ricardo Valdez, Fausto Hernández, Alessandro Focareta, Gabriel Castillo and Christine Noblejas.

The 14th International Architecture Exhibition, directed by Rem Koolhaas, will be held from June 7 to November 23, 2014.

About LAD
The Laboratorio de Arquitectura Dominicana (LAD), is a non-profit organization based in the Dominican Republic that engages in research, educational, experimentation, and curatorial architectural, planning, and design projects. Our objective is to provide an alternative platform that generates dialogues and international / interdisciplinary collaborations related to the Dominican Republic and the larger Caribbean region. Our programs include debate forums, conferences, exhibitions and publications.

http://lad.do/
facebook.com/LaboratorioDeArquitecturaDominicana

Elton John at the Altos de Chavón amphitheater in La Romana

Sir Elton John, one of the world's most popular singer-songwriter, will perfom live at the Altos de Chavón amphitheater in La Romana, Dominican Republic on February 28, 2014.

This will be Elton John’s first ever concert in the Dominican Republic.

Tickets prices are:

• General Entrance: $140 
• VIP: $230 
• Special Guest: $320 
• Front Stage: $500

You can purchase tickets at uepatickets.com.

Get more information about the concert at casadecampoliving.com

A Whale Watcher's Delight

A nice recount of Whale watching in the Samana peninsula by Writer and Editor, Matt Bokor for the Miami Herald.

Our skipper slowed, turned and brought us closer. Not one whale but four took turns surfacing to fill their lungs and descend again in a delicate, albeit massive, ballet.

Over and over the whales gracefully surfaced, backs arched in the distinctive hump that gave them their name. Sometimes they smacked the surface with a flipper or their broad tail for a last splash before disappearing beneath the waves.

Read the full peice at the miamiherald.com.

You can see more from Matt Bokor on his Facebook.

Top 10 Songs of 2013 in Dominican Republic

Ask any Dominican for a list of the most important aspects of our culture, and you can be certain that music will show up in the top three of most.

Here's a list which was put together by Listin Diario, of the 10 most played songs of 2013.

1. ”El Chucuchá” by Grupo Ilegales
2. “Hoy se va a Beber” by Vakeró
3. ”Amor por Accidente” by Lápiz Consciente
4. ”Esta Noche” by Raulín Rodriguez
5. ”El Cuchicheo” by Joe Veras
6. ”Propuesta Indecente” Romeo Santos
7. ”La Receta” by Wason Brazoban
8. ”Amor a Distancia” by Frank Reyes
9. ”Darte un beso” by Prince Royce
10. ”Me siento bien” by Eddy Herrera

According to Listin Diario:

This year was one of the slowest in terms of music releases and later musical hits. From what little is positioned bachata and urban music prevails.

Read their full report in Spanish.

'Reconnected' by Dominican Artist M. Tony Peralta

The New York Times

Heritage in All Its Rich Hues
M. Tony Peralta Explores His Dominican Roots

In the capital, Santo Domingo, as well as in areas of rural poverty, he captured the image for his work “El Pollero,” which shows a preteenage butcher chopping up chickens while wearing a navy blue cap with a dollar sign on it. Visiting his uncle Marcelo, Mr. Peralta snapped the photos in “Los Chamaquitos,” featuring a band of noisy neighborhood kids, like those in the film “The Goonies,” who hang out on the curb in front of the colmado, a grocery that sells everything from batteries and beers to beans by the peso

Learn more about M. Tony Peralta at his official website: mtonyperalta.com