A celebration to mark the end of Hispanic Heritage Month brought live music and dancing to Quisqueya Plaza in Inwood.
Performers included Grupo Renacer, Grupo Iconos, Grupo D’ Ahora and Grupo Tapatio, representing styles ranging from Argentinian folklore dance to Dominican merengue tipico.
Grupo Renacer (Rebirth) demonstrates traditional Argentinian folklore dance technique.
Washington Heights native Jeany Castellanos
Grupo Renacer—rebirth in English—kicked off the celebration with Argentinian folklore dance. Directed by Claudia Brito, the group has been together for four years.
The event hosted by Rep. Adriano Espaillat, the Democrat who represents Upper Manhattan, was also attended by other local lawmakers, including Council Member Carmen De La Rosa and Assemb. Manny De Los Santos, and state Attorney General Letitia James.
Honorees for the event included City University of New York Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, New York City Health and Hospitals/Metropolitan Chief Executive Officer Cristina Contreras, Alfonso Alvarez of the Mexican American Chamber of Commerce and Dr. Hector Rodriguez Navarro, an internal medicine specialist in Bronx.
Luis Cruz, a community board member
“Music from different cultures and all the representatives from the area getting together, reminding people to vote—those are probably my favorite parts of the whole thing,” said Washington Heights native Jeany Castellanos, 37, who has Dominican roots.
Honorees for the event included City University of New York Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, New York City Health and Hospitals/Metropolitan Chief Executive Officer Cristina Contreras, Alfonso Alvarez of the Mexican American Chamber of Commerce and Dr. Hector Rodriguez Navarro, an internal medicine specialist in Bronx.
Attendees joined in the dancing and recorded the sights and sounds.
The stretch of Dyckman Street between Broadway and Seaman Avenues, once known as Dyckman Plaza, was renamed Quisqueya Plaza last year. Quisqueya is one of the Taino language’s names for the island that is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
“Everyone’s proud to celebrate Hispanic heritage—we can’t forget where we come from,” said Luis Cruz, 20, a member of Manhattan Community Board 12 who welcomed the opportunity to celebrate his Dominican heritage.
