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First Latino Musician in 40 Years to Perform at Yankee Stadium

By Eddie Small | July 10, 2014 3:52pm
 Romeo Santos (R) performs with Wisin y Yandel in 2012 at Madison Square Garden.
Romeo Santos (R) performs with Wisin y Yandel in 2012 at Madison Square Garden.
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Taylor Hill/Getty Images

CONCOURSE — Yankee Stadium is hosting a pair of concerts featuring the first Latino performer to play at the team's famed ballparks in more than 40 years.

While the Bombers are in Baltimore, musician Romeo Santos, a native of The Bronx, dubbed the "king of bachata," is scheduled to perform two shows at the famous ballpark on Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12 at 8 p.m., the team said.

The Friday performance was added after "overwhelming demand" for Saturday's, according to the Yankees. The concerts sold out of their original 40,000-seat capacity, but more seats were added.

The stadium's last concert featuring Latino musicians occurred in 1973, when the Fania All Stars performed at the old ballpark.

Santos released a new album, Formula Vol. 2, earlier this year, which features contributions from musicians Carlos Santana, Drake, Marc Antony and Nicki Minaj.

He is referred to as the "king of bachata," a musical genre that originated in the Dominican Republic and stems from the Latin American tradition of guitar music.

The 161st Street Business Improvement District will celebrate the concerts by distributing 3,000 souvenir stickers to fans of Santos. Businesses including Molino Rojo, Billy's, Stan's and Yankee Tavern will participate in the giveaway.

“Romeo is a local hero, and the Bronx is the only borough where a majority of the population is Hispanic," 161st Street BID Executive Director Cary Goodman said in a statement. “This is our way of sharing the excitement with those who have tickets and those who don’t.”