Pure musical nostalgia was in the air at Met Life stadium as the sold-out crowd of over 80,000 fans were anticipating the arrival of Bronx, NY’s Bachata king Romeo Santos. The almost two-hour delay became a sudden blur once the Latino artist graced the stage causing the crowd to burst in an all-out frenzy.
Santos began his chart-topping career in 1999 as lead singer of sensational Bachata band Aventura. They sky rocketed the billboard charts releasing five albums within their twelve-year run. Following the group’s break-up in 2011, Santos went on to become a successful solo artist collaborating with some of the biggest names in Latin Pop, Bachata and R&B unifying cultural barriers. Originating in the Dominican Republic with African and European elements, Bachata is a genre of Latin American music. Santos dug deep into his cultural roots and executed a musical tribute to the Bachateros of past and present flawlessly.
The Utopia production was over a four-hour blowout bash celebration. The festivities began with a video honoring the Bachata lineage prepping for the main event. Romeo emerged on stage in heroic form to the roar of fans echoing the venue. He humbly took to the spotlight, “It’s difficult to express what I’m feeling at this moment, and I managed to do the possible and impossible to offer you the best Bachata show in history”. His sincerity resonated the entire stadium causing blissful pandemonium in the sold-out stands.
Charming the ladies with his signature smile and suave voice he commenced with “Me Quedo” with fellow lovelorn singer Zacarias Ferreria followed by heartbreaker crooner Joe Veras sharing vocals on the ballad “Amor Enterrado”. The line-up of legends continued with Raulin Rodriguez, Frank Reyez, “El Camaron” Elvis Martinez and duo Monchy & Alexandra interchanging melodies.
After, the night turned-up when Romeo switched musical gears making it an explosive reggaeton fest with the likes of Wisin and Yandel, Ozuna, members of Aventura and the bodacious Cardi B donned in a hot pink festive catsuit to close out the phenomenal showcase. Fans definitely got their moneys worth while Romeo made history as the first Latino to headline Met Life Stadium breaking U2’s previous record.
