Dominican Republic singer Edgar Suarez last Friday headlined Brooklyn Public Library’s (BPL) Older Adult Fair, singing both classics and original music for the crowd gathered on the Central Library Plaza.

BPL’s spokesman Fritzi Bodenheimer told Caribbean Life on Monday that Suarez, a salsa and merengue vocalist, was born in Santo Domingo to a musical family.

He said Suarez’s mother is a Christian singer, and that Suarez moved to New York City 12 years ago to “conquer the American Dream and, by all measures, has done just that.”

In 2023, Bodenheimer said Suarez was selected from a group of nearly 130 performers to join the MTA’s Music Under New York program. Musicians with the program perform at more than 40 high-traffic locations throughout the transit network.

Bodenheimer said Suarez, who has performed at festivals and in singing competitions in the US, Ecuador and his native land, has nearly 70,000 followers on Tik Tok.

Suarez said that he works “hard to be a good representative” of his country and sees music as “a way to unite people from all places.”

In addition to Suarez’s performance, Bodenheimer said the fair featured community partners, art demonstrations, a DJ, giveaways and a special performance from the Dyker Library Singers, a group of older adults who have been performing together for more than 10 years and are made up of mostly retired patrons.

Council Member Crystal Hudson, representative for the 35th Council District, who has Jamaican roots, gave welcoming remarks.

Bodenheimer said Apple Bank made the Older Adults Fair possible.