He who perseveres succeeds, says the old proverb, and Gary Zemialkowski might agree. As a member of local rock group Top 40, Zemialkowski and his bandmates hold the record for Dominican rock group longevity, having been together for 17 years. Born in the US of a Polish-origin father and Dominican mother, Zemialkowski arrived in the DR in 1984. All these years later, he is now promoting the group’s first CD called “Uno de tantos.” The CD contains 11 tracks, ten of which were written by Zemialkowski himself. In an interview with Diario Libre, the musician compared the CD to a photographic album, in which each song is a snapshot of some event. Throughout September, the group will be performing live across the nation. Future plans include a promotional tour abroad, with stops in Miami and Colombia. Zemialkowski says that while Dominican rock definitely exists, further development is needed. Nonetheless, he is pleased with the vitality of so many bands that are producing good work. The Top 40 front man predicts a place for Dominican rock alongside merengue and bachata, as a manifestation of the country’s identity. For the performance schedule, see http://www.dr1.com/calendar