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Ernestidio Rodríguez
Ernestidio
Rodríguez was born in a small town in the Cibao region of the Dominican
Republic, El Cupey de Puerto Plata. He comes from a musical family: his
father was an accordionist and his many cousins include accordionists Rafaelito
Polanco and David David as well as the singer with top típico musician
El Prodigio. However, at age six Rodríguez was sent to live with
a tyrannical godfather in La Gotera in order to care for his horses and
cows and look after a bodega. Though his father brought Ernestidio an accordion
as a gift for his ninth birthday, he was not allowed to play it for months.
When he finally was able to use the instrument for half an hour, he immediately
played his first merengue, Cuca (an old song recently re-popularized by
Tulile). At age 15, Ernestidio was finally free and he began to learn to
play merengue típico and to tune and repair accordions, a job his
father and brother also held. At 18, just after the fall of dictator Trujillo,
he moved to the capital city where he met and became friends with Tatico
Henríquez, considered the godfather of modern merengue típico.
Rodríguez's friendship with the great accordionist was immortalized
in an Henríquez merengue called Arriba Santo Domingo. In 1990, Rodríguez
arrived in Brooklyn via Mexico and has lived in East New York ever since.
He is a fixture in the neighborhood, performing frequently at popular restaurants
in Brooklyn and neighboring Woodhaven, Queens, and repairing and tuning
accordions for típico musicians from all parts of the city.
CONTACT ERNESTIDIO (Spanish only): 718-964-0189.
Gigs
Ernestidio plays every other Saturday at La Negra restaurant, Wilson Ave. near Cornelia, Bushwick, Brooklyn, at 11 PM. (this month, he plays July 8 and July 22.)
He also plays every Friday at Andy Restaurant, 360 Central Ave. near Grove St., Bushwick, Brooklyn, at 11 PM.