Dominican Republic's North Coast to Host Top Merengue Artists at Seventh Annual Merengue Festival

Dominican Republic's North Coast to Host Top Merengue Artists at Seventh Annual Merengue Festival

Four-day festival held in Puerto Plata honors country's most popular music genre

PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Considered by many to be the country's official musical genre, merengue music and dance will be celebrated November 24 to 27 at the Dominican Republic's (DR) Seventh Annual Merengue Festival. Held in Puerto Plata, the event features the DR's top merengue bands, Dominican cuisine and nonstop dancing at Puerto Plata's seaside Malecon.

As one of the Caribbean's most popular events, the Puerto Plata Merengue Festival attracts enthusiasts from around the globe to the DR's north coast. Each day features an impressive line-up of Dominican artists performing music likely to encourage swinging hips and dancing feet. In addition, Dominican cuisine will be on hand for all to taste and artwork will be available to browse and purchase. The result is a festive party environment with a true Caribbean flair.

"The Puerto Plata Merengue Festival is one of the Caribbean's premier events that enthusiasts from around the world look forward to each year," comments Luis Simo, Vice Minister of Tourism. "Merengue is the DR's national music and dance and we are proud to share the music that showcases an important piece of our culture and history."

Beloved by Dominicans, merengue is considered a way of life in the DR. Characterized by an aggressive beat with lyrics related to love and political and current events, merengue will be honored at this year's Puerto Plata Merengue Festival by some of the DR's finest local talent. Included in the line-up are Los Rosarios, El Prodigio, La Banda Gorda, Kinito Mendez, Los Toros Band, El Jefrey, Sergio Vargas and other popular artists.

In addition to the entertainment provided at the Puerto Plata Merengue Festival, a special performance will occur at Puerto Plata's Parque Central on Saturday, Nov. 26. At the show, various musicians will perform "Perico Ripiao" or "Tipical Merengue," which is the oldest style of merengue and is distinguished by the instrumentation. Often called "country music" by Dominicans, this style remains popular with aficionados.

The four-day festival is free and open to the public. For more information on the Puerto Plata Merengue Festival visit http://www.dominicana.com.do/ or call (809) 221-4660.

Rich in history, the Dominican Republic's first tourist was Christopher Columbus in 1492. Since then, it has developed into a diverse destination offering both Dominican and European flavors. At 10,000 feet, the Dominican Republic is home to the highest point in the Caribbean. It also features some of the best golf courses and beaches in the world, the largest marina in the Caribbean and is a chosen escape for celebrities, couples and families. For more information on the Dominican Republic, visit http://www.dr1.com/ .

Source: Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism

CONTACT: Patty Tazalla of BVK PR, +1-414-247-2174, ptazalla@bvk.com , or
Laura Tanin of BVK PR, +1-414-351-9563, laurat@bvk.com

Web site: http://www.dr1.com/
http://www.dominicana.com.do/

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