Now Toronto, The Scene >>
It says something about the music when an 83-year-old Dominican man has more energy than most of his audience – who were themselves quite festive and participatory.
As the humid summer air and pastel-coloured clouds provided a calming backdrop, Puerto Plata and his five veteran musicians delivered a set of authentic Dominican merengue tipico.
Samuel Perez cradled the bass and extracted low-end vibrations with expertise, while Edilio Paredes wielded both an acoustic guitar and accordion with equal proficiency throughout the straightforward show.
Accompanied by a half-dozen of Plata’s six-minute musical massages off Mujer De Cabaret, random couples danced meringue while others shimmied and two-stepped to the tickling Spanish guitar and springy hand drumming animating the party.
The vibe was so positive, you had to wonder if the guy who paid for the airplane with the “Sarah, Will You Marry Me? Love Matt” banner that flew overhead was part of the audience – the show was that romantic. So much so that the cute bandana-wearing African grandmother dancing salsa with a teddy bear near the back was almost too much joy to behold.
-- by Addi Stewart
07/23/08 >> go there