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Cigar and Rum Evening 2006
Dominican Week September 24-26, 2006 Washington, DC
XVII Latin American Film Festival
El embajador de la República Dominicana en Washington Flavio Darío Espinal y su esposa Minerva del Risco de Espinal ofrecieron una recepción en honor de La India Canela, una de las más destacadas exponentes del merengue típico dominicano, en ocasión del lanzamiento de su último álbum producido por el Smithonian Folkways Recordings, entidad que se dedica a rescatar y promover la música autóctona y folclórica de los países americanos.
Al acto asistieron destacadas personalidades del mundo diplomático, cultural y de los medios de comunicación de Washington, D.C., quienes pudieron disfrutar de la música y la calidez humana de esta genuina representante del merengue típico dominicano oriunda de Santiago.
En sus palabras, el embajador Espinal expresó que “como santiaguero y dominicano, se sentía orgulloso de recibir en la residencia oficial del gobierno dominicano en Washington, DC a la India Canela, quien”, al tiempo que destacó el enorme privilegio que representaba el hecho de que el Smithonian Institute haya seleccionado a esta artista dominicana para que forme parte de su selecta colección de músicos folclóricos americanos.
Por su parte, el Dr. Daniel Sheehy, director y curador del Smithonian Folkways Recordings, destacó la calidad musical de la India Canela y su dominio del acordeón como instrumento clave en el merengue típico dominicano. Dijo sentirse orgullo de haber trabajado en este proyecto junto a un grupo musicólogos y técnicos de su instituto. El Dr. Sheehy señaló que la India Canela, “nos trae mucha esperanza y nos llena de mucho orgullo a los directivos y a todo el personal del Smithsonian Folkways Recordings”.
Tras las palabras del Embajador Espinal y del Dr. Sheehy, la India Canela no pude contener su impulso de coger el acordeón y tocar algunas de las piezas contenidas en la producción discográfica, entre ellas la vibrante canción “Apriétame así” de su autoría.
El Smithonian Institute es un complejo cultural sostenido por el gobierno federal norteamericano compuesto por 19 museos y siete centros de investigación, con más de 142 millones de artículos en sus colecciones. Una de sus entidades es el Centro Latino del cual depende el Smithsonian Folkways Recordings compañía discográfica caracterizada por documentar, preservar y distribuir música folclórica y música del mundo en general.
Más de dos millones de latinos que entran cada año a la página del Folkways Recorgings escucharan el merengue dominicano en una sus máximas calidades como lo es este disco.
La India Canela en su estadía en Washington agotó una serie de entrevistas en diferentes medios de comunicación tanto hispanos como norteamericanos, entre ellos la prestigiosa cadena de radio NPR que es escuchada diariamente por millones de norteamericanos en todo el país. La India Canela dijo que “con este CD se le está abriendo una puerta bien grande a nuestra música y a nuestros músicos típicos, tanto es así que ya estoy recibiendo invitación para presentaciones en España, Costa Rica, México entre otros países”.
A través de su sección cultural, la embajada dominicana en Washington ha desarrollado un programa de promoción de los valores artísticos dominicanos en la capital norteamericana, en todas sus manifestaciones, entre éstos a representantes de la música típica dominicana como El Prodigio y la India Canela, así como al percusionista Fellé Vega y música de Víctor Víctor.
Dr.Daniel Sheehy, India Canela, Embajador Flavio Dario Espinal, y Minerva Del Risco de Espinal.
Sra. Sofia Ortiz, Sr. Carlos Westendorp, Embajador de España, La India Canela y Sr. Juan Garcia
D’ Oteisa, Director Instituto Cultural de México.
Sra. Minerva Del Risco de Espinal, Embajador Flavio Darío Espinal, La india Canela, Sr. Tomas Dueñas,
Embajador de Costa Rica y Sra. Diana de Dueñas.
Sra. Minerva Del Risco de Espinal, La India Canela, Sr. Daniel Sheehy y Embajador Flavio Dario Espinal.
The Association of Ibero-American Cultural Attaches of Washington, D.C. opened its XVI Ibero-American Art Salon on December 10, 2007. The new exhibit titled MIGRATION is taking place at the Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington, D.C. and is comprised of paintings from the twenty country members of the Association.
The exhibit tries to convey how artists use their talents to express their feelings, perceptions and experiences about migration.
The Dominican Republic has presented two pieces of the talented Dominican artists Gerard Ellis ("Maldita Brisa III") and Julio Valdez (“Medio Dia en la Isla de la Tortuga”).
Mr. Gerard Ellis piece, which translates "Damned Breeze" has been described by the Washington Post critic, Michael Sullivan, as “one of the show's most powerful pieces” and as “alluding to the kind of political winds that carry migrating men, like birds, away from their homelands…suggesting a violent burst of gunfire to the head, along with a spatter of blood and brain matter”.
The XVI Ibero-American Art Salon will be open until February 2nd, 2008.
Piece “Maldita Brisa,” Gerard Ellis
Piece “Medio Dia en la Isla de la Tortuga,” Julio Valdez
The Embassy of the Dominican Republic participated in the First Ibero-American Guitar Festival celebrated in Washington D.C., from November 29 to December the 1, 2007.
The festival was organized by the Ibero-American Cultural Attaches Association of Washington D.C., of which Ms. Ada Hernandez, Minister Counselor for Cultural Affairs of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic, is currently president. The Embassy of the Dominican Republic also actively participated in the organization of the festival.
During three days, eleven concerts and three lectures showcased the rich variety offered by the Ibero-American Guitar. The central theme of the lectures was the Paraguayan composer Agustin Pio Barrios Magore.
The Dominican Republic was represented in the festival by the guitarist Michelle Marie who interpreted songs from the Jazz composer Cole Porter (“All of you”) and other songs of her own creation (Ole, Merupapa, Travels).
Michelle Marie was borne and raised in New York City. Her mother, Carmen Severino, is a romantic music singer from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Michelle Marie has performed with her group in Tuscany, Italy at the Lucca Jazz Festival, at the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival, as well as in the United States at the Seattle, WA, Colorado, and Boston Jazz Festivals.
www.michellemariemusic.org
La noche del 24 de octubre del 2007, la residencia oficial del gobierno dominicano en Washington DC, fue escenario para recibir a un selecto público de empresarios estadounidenses y dominicanos, así como funcionarios del gobierno norteamericano y miembros del cuerpo diplomático acreditado en este país, para participar por segundo año consecutivo de una degustación de Cigarros y Ron Brugal.
La Asociación de Productores de Cigarros, PROCIGAR, y BRUGAL Y CIA patrocinaron el evento donde tan selecto público pudo apreciar las diferentes marcas de cigarros dominicanos que componen la línea de PROCIGAR además de los diferentes tipos de Rones que posee BRUGAL Y CIA.
El Embajador Flavio Darío Espinal, junto con el Ing. Hendrid Kelner, Presidente de PROCIGAR, y Jorge Torres director de Exportaciones de RON BRUGAL, se dirigió al público para agradecerles su asistencia a la vez de manifestar su satisfacción de poder traer a los estadounidenses una muestra de la calidad de los productos dominicanos.
Además de disfrutar de una rica cena típica dominicana el público fue deleitado con las hermosas canciones del artista internacional dominicano Victor Victor, el cual una vez más puso en alto la calidad interpretativa de nuestra buena música.
Al finalizar la actividad se le obsequio al público asistente una fina caja de cigarros dominicanos con todos los productos elaborados por PROCIGAR y otros artículos propios para fumadores y degustadores de ron.
Congresista Harold Rogers, Embajador Flavio D. Espinal, Minerva de Espinal y Walter May
En el centro Daniel P. Mcgee de General Cigar y Thom Hale Boggs de la firma Patton &
Boggs
Ada Hernandez, Jalal Talabani, Sherri G. Kraham, y Jorge Torres
Ricardo Ernst, Isabel Ernst, Deborah Sigmond y Donald Sigmond
Paul Garmirian, Jim Nicholson, Ex- Secretario de Asuntos Veteranos, y Señora de Nicholson
Shamin Fawad, Embajador Flavio D. Espinal, Minierva de Espinal y Said T. Fawad,
Embajador de Afghanistan
Jorge Torres, Allison Parents, Ada Hernandez, Krista Bullion y Embajador Flavio Dario
Espinal
Molly Hamilton, Antony Williams, Ex Alcalde de Washington, y Tom Jolly
Neil Livingston, Cynthia Tsai, Tandy Dickerson, y Wayatt Dickerson
John L. Ray, Charles Manatt, y Embajador Flavio Dario Espinal
Tomas Dueñas, Embajador de Costa Rica, Embajador Flavio Dario Espinal y Roberto
Flores Bermudez, Embajador de Honduras
Jorge Torres, Minerva de Espinal, Embajador Flavio D. Espinal y Hendric Kelner
On Thursday, May 10th, 2007 Ambassador Flavio Darío Espinal and his wife, Minerva de Espinal, hosted a reception in honor of Manny Acta, the only Dominican Manager currently in the Major Leagues, as well as an ample representation from the Management and players of the Washington Nationals.
In a brief address, the Ambassador pointed out some of Manny Acta's qualities and noted that his youth, capability and impeccable trajectory were a source of pride for all Dominicans.
Among the attendees were: the owner of the team, Mark Lerner; its President Stan Kasten, players Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Church, Jesus Colome, Ronnie Belliard, Tony Batista, Pat Corrales Jim Bowden and the Dominican José Rijo, Former Mayor Anthony Williams, Deputy Undersecretary of State Patrick Duddy, the Ambassador of Japan to the United States, Ryozo Kato, former US Ambassador Charles Mannatt, from the Dominican Republic, Fernando Capellán, Carlos Manuel Alvarez, Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations Juan Guiliani, Daniel Liranzo and José Torres.
The attendees enjoyed a tipical dinner and Dominican cigars. Who could ask for more? "Baseball and cigars": two distinctive emblems of the Dominican Republic.
Ambassador Flavio Darío Espinal and Manny Acta
Manny Acta and Ambassador Flavio Darío Espinal
On Monday, May 9th, the Embassy of the Dominican Republic and the Group of Dominican Professionals of Washington, DC, co-sponsored a reception in honor of the Maestro of Dominican art Mr. Candido Bidó.
The event was attended by members of the Diplomatic Core of Washington, DC as well as friends and members of the city's community.
During the event there was a silent auction in which approximately $12,500were raised in benefit of the arts programs sponsored by Bidó through the Cultural Plaza of Bonao for shoeshine boys and girls, as well as children with disabilities.
Ambassador Espinal expressed that Maestro Bidó and his paintings have been for over 40 years, and still are, representative of Dominicans.
"They suggest simplicity, the heart of the people: the Caribbean, its colors and the tropical sun of the Dominican farmland, his distinctive mark, he cares and looks after the mothers, the fishermen and farmers that evoke a fantasy world but, is kindly tied the Mother Earth of the Cibao region.", said the Ambassador, who later manifested that the greatness of the Maestro lies in that he promotes others more than himself.
Mr. Julio Valentín, Director of the Cultural Plaza of Bonao, Mr. Cándido Bidó, Mrs. Minerva
de Espinal, Ambassador Flavio Darío Espinal
Mr. Julio Valentín, Director of the Cultural Plaza of Bonao, Ambassador Flavio Darío Espinal,
Mrs. Minerva de Espinal,Mr. Cándido Bidó.
On October 18, 2006 the official residence of the Dominican Republic in Washington, D.C. was host to an Evening of Dominican Cigars and Rum. Among the attendees were American and Dominican Public Officials, Members of the Diplomatic Community in Washington D.C. and selected U.S. and Dominican businessmen.
The Association of Cigar Producers "ProCigar" and the Dominican Rum Company "Brugal and Company" participated in this event in which a selection of some of the Dominican Republic's best cigars and different Brugal rums were tasted.
H.E., Dr. Flavio Dario Espinal, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United States of America, Hendrid Kelner, President of ProCigar, Benjamin Menendez and Jorge Torres, Export Director of Brugal Rum and Company, addressed the public and thanked everyone for the support given to this Dominican products.
During the evening the guests enjoyed videos of the Dominican Republic touristic areas and danced merengue music played by the Dominican singer Javier Villaman. Meanwhile, a tobacco maker showed the guests the difficult art of rolling a cigar.
From left to right: Hendrid Kelner, President of Procigar, Ambassador Flavio D. Espinal, Sergio
Mendez, Freddy Ginebra
Mr. Roberto Alvarez , Ambassador to the OAS from Dominican Republic, Mr. Flavio D. Espinal,
Ambassador to the United States from Dominican Republic, Mr. Mariano Fernandez,
Ambassador to the United States from Chile.
Mr. Jim Langdon , Mrs. Minerva de Espinal, Mr. Donald Ensenat, Chief of Protocol of United States,
Mrs. Taylor Ensenat, Mr. Hap Holeday
Mr. Benjamin Menendez, Paul Garmiria
David Kitchen, Samuel Russell
On September 24, 2006 the Dominican Embassy inaugurated the Dominican-American Week in the United States with an exhibition from our well known Dominican photographer Miriam Calzada at the Prada Gallery of Georgetown in Washington, D.C.
In this exhibition titled “Dominican Times”, 28 works of art in which she focuses on traditional sceneries of our country were showed.
This event was presided by a distinguished Dominican delegation leaded by the President of Dominican Week, Dr. Luis Heredia Bonetti, Dr. Frank Moya Pons, Secretary of State for the Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Frederic Emam-Zadec, Executive President for The Global Foundation Democracy and Development, the artist Miriam Calzada, and Mrs. Myrna Guerrero the curator for the exhibition.
At the event were also present several Dominican businesman, the diplomatic satff of the Dominican Embassy and numerous distinguished American personalities associated with our countries’ cultural and business endeavors.
Luis Emilio Espinola, Vicepresident Banco Popular of the Dominican
Republic and Dr. Luis Heredia Bonetti, President of the Dominican Week
in United States.
The Embassy of the Dominican Republic is a member of the Ibero-American Cultural Attaches Association of Washington, D.C. Mrs. Ada Hernandez Minister Counselor in Charge of Cultural Affairs at the Dominican Embassy is our representative at the association. The Association's main objective is to promote Ibero-American Art in the United States of America.
This month we inaugurated the XV Ibero-American Art Salon Exhibit at the American University Museum of Katzen. In this exposition the member countries had the opportunity to present a collective expose of art with this year's theme: Contemporary Art. Twenty member countries presented forty works of art. This showing will be open to the public from November the 20th to January 21rst, 2007.
The Dominican Republic selected Fausto Ortiz, young artist whose art work Piedad is a photography of a series he titled Estigma. PIEDAD is a photograph that portrays WAR, and uses women not as combat soldier but as the ones who cry and mourn for the destruction and contamination. This photograph does not depict beauty to our eyes; it opens our sight however, and makes us aware of the situation that it is condemning. Many of the people to visited this exhibition described Piedad as a very strong work of art, "a piece that moved me deeply" as someone said.
Fausto Ortiz was born in Santiago de los Caballeros in 1970. He graduated as an Architect in 1998 and immediately bagan his work in photograpy. He has participated in numerous exhibitions, both as an individual artist as well as a part of a collective expose. His work has been recognized by different organizations such as the I Bienal Paleta de Niquel 2005, Premio Selección en el XX Concurso de Arte Eduardo Leon Jiménez, Premio de Selección en el IV Concurso “Homenaje a la Ancianidad”, among others.
His work is permanently on display at the Cándido Bidó's Museum, el Centro Cultural Dominico Americano and in private collections both in the United States and Europe. Since 2003 he is a professor of photography at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) in Santiago. His works have been labeled and described as social but from a poetic perspective.
From left: Michele Morales Counselor for the Dominican
Republic Embassy and Ada Hernandez Minister Counselor
and Cultural Attaches for the Dominican Republic Embassy
Every year the Ibero-American Cultural Attaches Association coordinates with the AFI (American Film) a festival. We participated with 20 countries, the movie ”Viajeros” by Dominican producer Jose Ramon Diaz and directed by Carlos Bido, who assisted to the premier on the 24th of September.
This movie was projected for 2 days with the participation of Dominican, Hispanics and North Americans audiences for whom the director Carlos Bido answered questions about the movie.
The movie “Viajeros” as the director explained is a movie about the problems we are facing nowadays with the illegal immigration from the Dominican Republic to the United States in the “Yolas” which are small boats made of wood.
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