Santo Domingo.- The Banreservas Cultural Center paid tribute to Jesús “Kundengo” Minier and César Namnúm, prominent exponents and promoters of Dominican son, in recognition of a career spanning more than five decades dedicated to preserving, researching, and disseminating this essential expression of the country’s traditional music.
The recognition took place during the A Ritmo de Son concert, headlined by Roberto Bobadilla and the group Son Urbano, in an evening that brought together music, dance, and cultural memory to celebrate the legacy of the honorees and their contribution to the persistence of the genre in the Dominican Republic.
The manager of the Banreservas Culture Division, Mijaíl Peralta, and Ana María Henríquez, from the Arte y Cultura Raíces Foundation, presented plaques of recognition to Kundengo Minier and César Namnún for their contributions to Dominican art, culture, and traditional music.
During the event, the honorees expressed their gratitude for the distinction and shared with the audience their passion for tropical music, especially for son, a genre to which they have dedicated a significant part of their lives and whose dissemination they have promoted for several generations.
Music played a central role in the celebration. Kundengo Minier and César Namnún shared the stage on a journey through songs such as Ven mi morena, Celo al aire, Isabel, La Paloma, and A la loma de Belén. Their participation culminated in a joint performance of Cuarto de Tula, one of the best-known pieces in the son repertoire.
The evening continued with performances of La Zona merece un son, Blanco y Negreta, Ya llegó el colador, Son a Villa Francisca, Son de San Antón, El Pecaito, and Homenaje a Piro Valerio, which encouraged the audience to join in the rhythm and dance.
The repertoire was performed by Roberto Bobadilla and the group Son Urbano, composed of Ramón Martínez Montaña, piano; Ramón del Carmen Ortiz, bass; Rafael Rodríguez Suárez, trumpet; Gioel Martin, tres; Hipólito Payano, bongo, and José Luis Bahamontes, güira and timbal.
Trajectories
Kundengo Minier is a guitarist, cuatrista, and builder of his own instruments. His career has made him a figure linked to the preservation and dissemination of son and other manifestations of traditional Dominican music, a work he has carried out for more than five decades.
César Namnún is a Dominican musician, broadcaster, and writer, recognized for his research, promotion, and dissemination work of the son and other traditional musical expressions of the country.
Throughout their respective careers, Minier and Namnúm have contributed to keeping alive a musical heritage transmitted between generations and closely linked to Dominican and Caribbean cultural identity.
The activity was organized by the Banreservas Cultural Center together with the Arte y Cultura Raíces Foundation, as part of the initiatives aimed at recognizing figures of national culture, promoting traditional Dominican music, and bringing its legacy closer to new generations.
