Nelly Swing

The Dominican Republic-born vocalist and instrumentalist Nelly Francisca Torres, also known as Nelly Swing, is one of the most exciting and in-demand voices in contemporary merengue típico music. At the age of 14, Nelly began learning the accordion under the guidance of veteran accordionists Gerarte Marte and Rafaelito Román. Her career took a major turn when saxophonist Leo Jazz formed a group featuring Nelly as the lead accordionist, naming it Nelly Swing "La Rompeola" due to her signature hip-rolling dance moves. Nelly achieved international recognition with the viral hit "Como el Perro Bebe Agua," which garnered millions of views across social media platforms and expanded her reach throughout the United States and South America.

For her first appearance at Lincoln Center, Nelly and her full band will perform "Como el Perro" along with other songs from her forthcoming debut album. Arrive early to learn some basic merengue típico steps to keep up with the band!