Culture celebrates the first anniversary of Teatro Orquestal Dominicano

Culture celebrates the first anniversary of Teatro Orquestal Dominicano
Santo Domingo, May 28, 2014

The Ministry of Culture celebrated the first anniversary of the Teatro Orquestal Dominicano (TODO) on Wednesday, with a solemn Mass and an artistic presentation. Young people with disabilities, who make up the group, showed their dancing, singing and music skills.
Both activities took place in the Auditorium Enriquillo Sánchez, at the headquarters of the MINC and were attended by the Minister of Culture, singer and songwriter José Antonio Rodriguez, who was accompanied by several officials and employees of the state agency, including the Deputy Minister of Institutional Development, Carlos Santos.

Father José Hernando, of the Convent of Santo Domingo, celebrated the Mass, which was attended by relatives of the young artists that make up TODO.

A choir, directed by Simón Caesar Nova, sang the Christian hymns during the religious ceremony.

During his sermon, the priest said that Jesus receives “all those who are weary and tired and makes them rest in His arms.”

He prayed for all the officials and employees of the Ministry of Culture “so that they can properly carry out their work in a corrupt society, where there is violence and few encouraging signs.”

After the Mass, attendees enjoyed the performance of the Teatro Orquestal Dominicano, which offered a varied repertoire of songs, such as “Hasta la Tambora”, popularized by Johnny Ventura. They also had a percussion ensemble with the songs “Ya yo me voy”, “El Aleluya de Haindel”, and the dancing group Baila con la Mano Arriba. All the artistic presentations were enthusiastically applauded by the audience.

TODO was created by the Ministry of Culture. It connects various artistic disciplines, such as theater, song, dance, folklore and percussion, and has the support of the National Council on Disability and the National System of Orchestras, under the coordination of María Ortiz Diloné.

Ortiz Diloné was grateful to God because, exactly one year ago, Teatro Orquestal Dominicano, one of the pillar projects of Minister José Antonio Rodríguez’s administration, made its debut.

She thanked all the people and institutions that have made it possible to bring out the artistic potential of each of these young people with disabilities.

Ortiz said that the orchestra emerged “in response to the need to recognize and enhance the talents of the special people, whom nature, in its mysterious wisdom, has given us to create diversity and to bring wealth to our existence.”

Moreover, she said that these young people have overcome every obstacle and conquered every difficulty to be part of the group.
She hoped, like the priest, to be able to celebrate for many years together with these wonderful special people who give their all to their undertakings.

TODO made ??its debut in the Carlos Piantini Hall of the National Theater, and subsequently it has offered presentations in the National Palace, last Christmas, and in the municipal theater of Moca.
The orchestra is made of 129 talented artists with disabilities, under the coordination of María Ortiz Diloné, Director of the National System of Orchestras.

TODO is an initiative of the administration that, since May 20th, 2013, leads singer and songwriter José Antonio Rodríguez, Minister of Culture, and is part of the social inclusion policy sponsored by the government of President Danilo Medina.