HÉCTOR ACOSTA | Enamorado: A Special VALENTINES Concert

Saturday February 15, 2020

At the Lehman Center for Performing Arts in the Bronx

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts and GOYA FOODS is proud to present by popular demand the return of HÉCTOR “El Torito” ACOSTA for Enamorado: A Special Valentines Concert on Saturday, February 15th, 2020 at 8pm. Known affectionately as “El Torito” (The Little Bull), Héctor Acosta, one of the Dominican Republic’s most well-known bachata and merengue artists, will perform his hits such as “Me Voy”, “Sin Perdón”, and “Tu Veneno”. El Torito’s hot new single “Antes Del Lunes” was released in 2019.

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is on the campus of Lehman College/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468. Tickets for HÉCTOR ACOSTA on Saturday, February 15th, 2020 at 8pm are VIP*$125, $85, $60, $55, $50 and can be purchased by calling the Lehman Center box office at 718-960-8833 (Monday through Friday, 10am–5pm, and beginning at 4pm on the day of the concert), or through online access at www.LehmanCenter.org. *VIP Reception: The Havana Café, Goya Foods and Lehman Center special VIP pre-concert wine & hors d’oeuvres reception will start at 6:30pm. VIP tickets include the reception and the best seats in the house. Sponsored by Havana Café Restaurant and Goya Foods. Lehman Center is accessible by #4 or D train to Bedford Park Blvd. and is off the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway. Low-cost on-site parking available for $5.

HÉCTOR ACOSTA was born in Bonao, Dominican Republic, and grew up singing in church. After winning a vocal competition at age 15, he started performing with local groups in clubs and festivals where he honed his improvisational ability and developed his stage presence. In 1989 Acosta became the lead singer of Los Toros Band, which released its debut album Se Soltaron los Toros two years later. The album was such a hit on the Dominican merengue music scene that it led to more than two dozen albums over the next 13 years including Caliente (1994), Románticamente (1995) and the landmark album Raices (1997), establishing the band as one of the greatest merengue groups of its time. In 2006, Acosta left to form his own orchestra, releasing the predominately merengue album Sigo Siendo Yo, which spawned the Billboard Hot Latin hits “Me Voy” and “Primavera Azul”. 2008’s Mitad/Mitad followed in the merengue style, went Gold, and featured the song “Sin Perdón” which became a number one hit on the Billboard Tropical Songs Chart. His next #1 hit “Me Vió Llorar”, a duet sung with Jorge Celedón, was included on his 2009 Gold-selling release Simplemente el Torito which wove bachata into the mix, and made the year’s Top Latin Albums list. In 2010, Acosta’s album Obligame, with its hit song “Me Duele la Cabeza”, also went Gold and earned a nomination for the Latin Grammy for Best Tropical Album. Despite a heavy touring schedule, his next release Con el Corazón Abierto (2012) reached #3 on the Tropical Albums chart, while its hit single “Tu Veneno” became Acosta’s third #1 on the Tropical Songs list. In 2015, Acosta was invited to the U.S. White House by President Barack Obama and was presented with an award for his lifetime achievement in music, as well as charitable efforts on behalf of the Dominican community. That same year, he also released the album Merenque y Sentimiento, which included the hits “Amorcito Enfermito” and “O Te Vas Tu O Me Voy Yo”. El Torito’s most recent single “Antes Del Lunes” was released in 2019.

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts spectacular 2019-2020 Season celebrates 40 Years of Excellence in the Center’s newly renovated, 2,278 spacious seat concert hall, with a redesigned entrance, lobby, and elevator accessible balcony. Lehman Center is one of New York’s top nonprofit performing arts centers and the Bronx’s largest entertainment venue serving over 200,000 audience members each season. Eva Bornstein, who is beginning her fifteenth season as Executive Director of Lehman Center, says, “During this milestone year, Lehman Center proudly welcomes audiences and community members to the top entertainment destination in the Bronx, which is now better than ever. The improvements that have been made will help ensure the comfort and convenience of all who attend our world class performances and events. Funding for the 15.4-million-dollar renovation was in part provided by the Office of the Governor, the New York State Legislature, the Bronx Delegation of the New York City Council, and the Office of the Bronx Borough President. Additionally, we will be continuing our “Take Your Seat” fundraising campaign, which will give you a chance to be a part of Lehman’s history by purchasing a tax-deductible seat(s) in your name or a loved one.”

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council. The 2019-2020 Season is also made possible through the sponsorships by Goya Foods, The New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Department, the New York State Council on the Arts, Con Edison, The Hyde and Watson Foundation, Havana Café, and the Friends of Lehman Center.