The Colonial City is under intense renovation works, but it is getting better every day. There is always a reason to come and see what is new.
People can look forward to the opening of the Museo del Merengue y la Bachata, scheduled to open in March 2026.
The location and the people behind the Museo del Merengue y la Bachata in the Colonial City practically guarantee its success. The museum will be located in the 16th Century edifice that had opened as the Hotel Frances on the corner of Arzobispo Meriño and Las Mercedes streets.
Louis Broker, the entrepreneur that brought Santo Domingo the iconic places of Pat’e Palo, Jalao and Lulu is now working with Lisa Ortega, the young architect whose design for the Dominican stand in Fitur recently won the best stand.
And there is Jose Antonio Rodriguez, the former Minister of Culture (2012-2016) and former Dominican representative to the Unesco, who fostered the country receiving Intangible Cultural Heritage awards for merengue (2016) and bachata (2019).
And there is Cynthia Roberts Perez, a graduate of architecture at Unibe with a masters in museum studies in the University of Toronto. She served as assistance vice president of Exhibition Design at the Royal Ontario Museum (August 2022-March 2025) and has designed the experience at the new Mumba.
And there is Liza Ortega, the young Dominican architect behind the winning Fitur stand in 2025.
“We want the museum to be a living entity—one that evolves with the people who walk through it, and where every step deepens the connection to who we are,” Cynthia Roberts Perez, a museum design specialist with experience at the Royal Ontario Museum and the Smithsonian shared with the audience attending the announcement of the new museum.
The public spaces to open within are:
• El Tumbarrocío: A vibrant, flavor-filled bar located in the central courtyard — the main gathering spot.
• El Perico Ripiao: The main stage and live recording studio, visible to the public. Live performances are professionally captured in audio and video to become part of Mumba’s cultural archive, with regular releases on YouTube and special vinyl editions.
• El Bucajaya: An interactive tour powered by NFC technology that uncovers stories, anecdotes, and curiosities about Dominican identity around every corner.
• Pal’agayú: A shop where you can take home unique pieces and products that celebrate Dominican culture.
• El Bacharengue: An intimate and festive indoor bar featuring an interactive stage inside a translucent cube with projection mapping, plus a Hi-Fi Lounge where you can enjoy vinyl records in a one-of-a-kind atmosphere.
Other team players are producer Nono Rodríguez and Socrates Aguasvivas, project general coordinator.
Nono Rodríguez told the audience: Mumba will be as much a part of us as the songs we sing with our families—a place to come together, learn, enjoy, and feel proud of who we are.”
Read more:
Mumba
Listin Diario
N Digital
Unesco
25 August 2025