XXII DR JAZZ FESTIVAL – KNOW THE ARTISTS: EL PRODIGIO

Krency García, (El Prodigio), was born on November 14, 1976, in Media Gorra de Cabrera, María Trinidad Sánchez province. He was the third son of the accordionist from Cabrera, Don Luis García, and the nurse’s assistant, Mrs. Benita Mata.

Since childhood, he was curious about his father’s old accordion. At age 5, the first musical notes began to be heard, having the opportunity to perform for the first time on stage; it was in the Las Mercedes Club, in his hometown, where El Prodigio captivated the public, that day he began the story of one of the most beloved and established artists of typical Dominican music.

At first his father did not think it was a good idea for the little one to “play” with his precious accordion, but it was enough to listen to him play the melodies of “El Cieguito de Nagua” and Tatico Henríquez, so that he will provide all his support and knowledge , until turning it into an original and authentic artist.

At the age of 7 years, he appeared in the important and popular television program of Fredy Veras Goico, becoming a national phenomenon that pointed every day. At age 10, he participated in a festival of accordionists from the province of María Trinidad Sánchez, winning the first place, drawing the attention of Professor Samuel García, who, seeing the talent and versatility of the young man, baptizes him with the stage name of ” The Prodigy”.

In April of 1988, Samuel García becomes artistic promoter of the young musician, conforming him his first musical group; and guiding him so that he could continue with his academic education. At the age of 11, he recorded his first single: ” Do not go in yola” , authored by his father Luis García.

In May of 1992, El Prodigio, received the first place in a festival of imitation Tatico Henríquez, legend of the typical Dominican merengue. The career of this young virtuoso would not have been the same without his arrival in New York. He arrived in the Big Apple when he was 15 years old. He studied music at the Martin Luther King school in that city, alto saxophone, where he graduated from high school in 1997.

He studied singing at the pre-university high school of Harlem School of The Arts. Among her teachers was Vivian Ara, a prominent Colombian singing professional. He studied theory and harmony at Berklee College of Music, online, receiving two specialty certificates from the famous Boston University.

Going through these music schools put him in contact with other personalities, making him a unique and productive creator. “Music is a single language, so for me, the typical genre is also studied and does not lose its essence with the addition of other harmonic colors. It makes it even richer . “

He participated in the Omega Arts Festival Psi Phi Fraternita, Inc. Representing the city of New York and his music school Martin Luther King Jr., where he won the first place for two consecutive years, in the line: “Contemporary Instruments” , one in Washington, DC, and the other in Philadelphia, obtaining also the second year the grand prize on all the lines of art “Over All”.

In 1998, he comes to Santiago de los Caballeros from the hand of “El Puro Viejo”, famous drummer and composer, together they form “El Prodigio y la Mezcla Típica”, separating a few months later. In July 1998 he continued with the artistic entrepreneur Aureliano Guzmán and formed the group “El Prodigio y La Banda Típica”, with renowned musicians of the genre.

The innovations of “El Prodigio” were initially misunderstood by the most traditionalists of the genre, although they revered the way they interpreted the right or traditional meringues. However for young people it was a true revolution within the genre. Among some of its themes that revolutionized the typical music are: “Interplanetario”, “Alcóó”, “Ven dame abrazo”, “My country”, “Traitoria”, “Pa’ fuera”, “Rebeca dies me”, “La morenita”, “Raquel”, fusions with “Jazz ripiao”, such as “Periblues”, “Dead leaves”, “Mauntain dance”, “Manteca”, “Some day are”, among others.

El Prodigio, in addition to being rewarded by its fans who attend their concerts and parties; artists of the stature of Juan Luis Guerra, Aventura, Chichì Peralta and the pianist Chucho Valdés, have recently declared that they will have their accordion in their next record projects. “El Prodigio, is a great musician and something very beautiful can happen in our next recording”. I recently declared Juan Luis Guerra.

In 2012 he recorded for the second time with Juan Luis Guerra in his most recent Christian collection album, “El Quita Pena”.

He has been awarded with 7 “Casandra” awards, now called “Sovereign”, being the one that has more statuettes since he began to reward the typical merengue, until 2014.

He has participated and won in various festivals, as well as he opened the Pan American Games, Santo Domingo 2003, he has been invited with his band several times to the Dominican Jazz Festival, together with great Jazz stars.

El Prodigio joined his talent to the company Alianza Musical, who manages the artistic projection of Krency García, “El Prodigio”. Currently he released his most recent album “El Prodigio Derecho”, a tribute to traditional merengue.

At the end of 2015, he recorded a tribute to the Cieguito de Nagua, “Homenaje Al Ciego De Nagua” with a great reception in the followers of this genre. At the beginning of 2016, he launched an innovative musical proposal with two new songs by singer-songwriter Xiomara Fortuna Veo Veo (From My Head To The Feet) and Vagando in which Juan Robles shares his responsibility with his road manager, a talented composer who has written many of his successes.

Among the successes that are added to the musical career of El prodigio highlights its theme “Vagando” released at the beginning of this 2016 that was selected as the official theme of the Caribbean Series of the same year held in the Dominican Republic. In addition to his presentation at Radio City Music Hall being the first typical music artist to reach this.

The dozens of projects that it has, are not more than the consolidation of a career that with preparation and work has been full of achievements and successes. We do not know the exact date of his first encounter with the accordion, but that day he decided everything: his name, his luck and that of a sound that accompanies the feet and hearts of Dominicans for more than a century and a half.