Julio Performs At Charity Event in Dominican Republic

Julio Iglesias Performs at Charity Event in Dominican Republic

"Music Wears Hope and Solidarity," a benefit organized by Dominican first lady Margarita Cedeño de Fernandez to collect funds for improvements to children's hospitals.

SANTO DOMINGO -- Spanish singer Julio Iglesias sang some of his best known numbers at a benefit performance in the seat of government of the Dominican Republic, "a country I love with all my heart."Accompanied by five musicians and three back-up singers, Iglesias on Monday used all the experience of his long stage career to overcome poor sound equipment and a problem with one of his legs that limited his movements."I've just turned 65, but onstage I lose 20," the Madrid native said with a big smile."Quijote", "Ni Contigo, Ni Sin Ti" (Neither With or Without You) and "Natalie" were the first melodies he sang, before "Echame a Mi La Culpa" (Put the Blame on Me) which he described as "the most beautiful song in Spanish."Again and again Iglesias mentioned his love for the Caribbean nation, and addressing President Leonel Fernandez said: "How great it is to be president of such a blessed country."For several years the singer has owned a house in Punta Cana, a tourist enclave in the eastern part of the country where he has managed to bring together six of his eight children, "because Enrique and Julio have their girlfriends and I'm not getting mixed up in that."His next number, "Un Canto a Galicia" (Song to Galicia), was in memory of his father, who introduced him to the Dominican Republic, and was followed by "All of You," a duet with his lead back-up singer, on whom he planted a kiss "Julio Iglesias style" after it was over.Moments before finishing his act, the artist called onstage the Dominican couturier Oscar de la Renta, with whom he sang "To All the Girls I've Loved Before," the 1984 hit duo he recorded with Willie Nelson.Iglesias was the headline act of "Music Wears Hope and Solidarity," a benefit organized by Dominican first lady Margarita Cedeño de Fernandez to collect funds for improvements to children's hospitals.Before Iglesias came onstage, Oscar de la Renta presented his Spring Resort collection, a mixture of ethnic prints and bright, vibrant colors, notably green and blue.De la Renta offered designs rich in sequins, glitter and a return to classic elegance in which style is defined as a fusion of modern looks with fashions of the 1950s and 1960s.