The Dominican Republic Jazz Festival celebrated its 17th year (Oct 31-Nov 3, 2013) with internationally renowned musicians (Bernie Williams, Rufus Reid, Abraham Laboriel and more) with record breaking attendance of 10,000 people for the four nights of free concerts on the North Coast towns of Puerto Plata, Sosua and Cabarete.
Superstars and Latin GRAMMY award winners Milly Quezada and Johnny Ventura were a huge draw in Cabarete for their performance at the closing night of the Festival, Sunday, November 3, 2013. Both Johnny Ventura and Milly Quezada are international merengue icons, born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The La Gallera Spectacular was presented by Jochy Sanchez, featuring a dynamic show with an 18 piece orchestra and dance troupe of performers.
The Dominican Republic Jazz Festival is a renowned, annual cultural event that brings Jazz to a diverse crowd of music lovers, comprised of local residents and tourists alike. The festival also brings music education to the region through its affiliation with FEDUJAZZ, a non-profit organization that conducts music workshops for youth. During the 2013 Festival, over 1,000 children participated in free workshops led by Artistic Director Ramon Vazquez, with participating musicians including Abraham Laboriel, Rufus Reid, Bernie Williams, the prestigious Berklee Global Jazz Institute, Latin and GRAMMY Award nominee Alex Acuna, Richie Flores, Marco Pignataro, George Garzone, Billy Drummond, and GRAMMY Award winner Horacio Hernandez.
