‘I didn’t study political science, but studied the street to know the needs of the people’| List’s diary

For three years, the famous Dominican singer Hector Acosta “El Dorito” has combined his successful stage career with his commitment to his country as a state senator, which he hopes to continue as he will seek re-election in one year.

Acosta, who is in the middle of a U.S. tour, is the first artist to be elected to the Dominican Republic’s Senate, where singers Johnny Ventura and Sergio Vargas are representatives—a position he wanted—he says—because the province where he was born and raised was backward.

Translator of successful pachados like “My province deserves a change, I don’t see progress, we don’t have the institutions a province should have”, “My girl”, “My head hurts”, “My big love”. , comments to EFE, among many others, when he remembers why he entered politics.

Acosta, who campaigned for the Modern Revolutionary Party amid the health crisis caused by Covid, will next Wednesday celebrate his third year as a senator for Monsignor Nouvelle province, which he hopes to continue to represent.

For Acosta, it’s to prevent his province from “going backwards after we’ve moved forward and other proposals (that are) going back.”

Despite his three years in the Senate, he assures that politics has not fallen in love with him and that music continues to be a priority. “There are things I don’t like about politics, I’m not a politician, I’m a community member, I want to serve the people, very poor, I didn’t study political science, but I studied on the street. A people needs to exist and how do you help him without being corrupt or stealing people’s money. can help,” he says.

From politics, he says, he’s learned that artists’ followers are “more honest, more truthful, more real. Politics lends itself to many things, followers can go your way. Not in music. Dorito fans follow him.” 32 years, whoever comes”.

He also says he has the respect of Dominicans active in other parties and opposition senators who have supported his proposals in the upper house because “I had the privilege of singing to everyone.”

“But – he adds – my priority is music, I haven’t released it in these three years” and if people don’t support his re-election “I dedicate it (to music) 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

For now, he dedicates Thursday to Sunday to the stage, Tuesday and Wednesday Senate- That’s why he returned to New York to perform with El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico in a summer concert organized by the city “a company worthy of everyone’s respect” and then tour in his country promoting his new album “Este soy yo” released last year. The U.S. will end in November.

Acosta, who says he’s a fan of classic salsa, also expressed his pride in the progress Dominican immigrants have made in New York, where they own restaurants, beauty salons, supermarkets, taxi companies and a federal congressman.

“I’m proud of my community, they’re hard workers who care about those they left behind, that’s why they work hard here. They’ve achieved important things like electing Congressman Adriano Espaillet and having the Commissioner of Transportation (Ydanis Rodríguez),” he said.

“If we keep working and doing better, who knows if one day New York will have a Dominican mayor (as has happened with other mayors),” the senator and singer said.

Despite the rain and cold, dozens of people gathered in the Bronx on Thursday to dance to the rhythms of salsa and merengue performed by El Gran Campo de Puerto Rico and “El Torito,” who were happy to be back in NY.