Food & Wine Festival concert located on the Festival Field
Toño Rosario, Máximo Antonio del Rosario Almonte, “El Cuco” or “El Kukito Galáctico” as he is affectionately known, is one of the structural pillars of Dominican popular culture. A four-decade career, including three decades as a soloist with his own orchestra, has secured Toño’s place as one of the most relevant icons of Dominican merengue.
In 1978, Toño Rosario, together with his five brothers, formed Los Hermanos Rosario. This merengue group would quickly gain acclaim and go on to be one of the most successful merengue ensembles of the modern era.
Toño’s music has garnered widespread cross-cultural viral appeal. The song “Alegría” (1999) was played in Camerica Park each time the Venezuelan born Detroit Tiger’s Omar Infante was at bat. Similarly, “Kulikitaka Ti” became an internet sensation in Kerala (State of south India) peppering local TV series, videos and events.
Aside from his multiple Gold and Platinum albums with over 100 million records sold worldwide, Toño is a 3-time Grammy nominee and is the first merengue artist to sell out Madison Square Garden.
When it comes to his live shows, Toño Rosario is a self-described perfectionist. He’s an artist that has managed to maintain his career over the decades due to his capacity to innovate. He understands the power of image - changing his appearance, clothing, hair style, jewelry , etc. over the years to reflect the current moment. Finding or discovering something new for each show is vital. “Ella No Está,” a bachata recorded in 2019, is but one example of his daily search for something new. Each new style or look is an effort to connect not only with his audience, but with the universe. He considers himself a “galactic artist.” From his point of view, the world needs to change and divisions need to be removed. To that end, Toño views his music as a dose of happiness, allowing a temporary escape for whatever may ail you.
After signing a new management deal with Wilson Sanchez in 2012, Toño has continued reaping success. His current goals include a return to live performance with shows in Mexico and Chile (Festival de Viña del Mar). He would also like to record with Lápiz Consciente, Marc Anthony, Juan Luis Guerra and Los Hermanos Rosario (once again)