Our Leadership Team

Benjamin de Menil is the founder of Academia de Bachata and iASO Records. For two decades, he has produced recordings, performances, and educational programs that foster Dominican musical traditions. Benjamin’s productions, which feature pioneers of bachata, have been critically acclaimed and have topped music charts. His traditional bachata music and dance videos are viewed by tens of millions. In 2013, inspired by the success of the Dominican Republic’s baseball academies, Benjamin established Academia de Bachata to incubate the next generation of professional bachateros.

Jildania Sanchez grew up in Cabarete and received a degree in accounting from Universidad Tegnologica De Santiago. She has previously worked in customer service at Banco Popular, and at other organizations in areas such as HR, administration, and accounting. With her experience in operations and knowledge of Cabarete, the Bachata Academy is fortunate to have her as a member of the team.

With a degree in Modern Languages and a Master’s in Language Teaching for Specific Purposes, Alicia Lopez has over 15 years of experience in children’s and youth music education. As a choir director and teacher of music theory and recorder, she also excels in educational management. At the Bachata Academy, she leads innovative academic programs, combining music pedagogy and instructional planning to enhance educational quality and develop programs tailored to students’ needs.

Originally from Russia and France, Alla Korotyaeva is passionate about the bachata music and dance. She has broad experience in financial controlling, auditing, and project management. At the Academy, she works on IT systems, manages social media, and helps with operational management. In collaboration with dance teacher Yan Luis Query, Alla launched the dance program that includes free bachata classes for children from Cabarete and classes of stage dancing for the members of the Academy's musical bands.

Kedley Lamande heads our Kompa music program. He plays piano and is experienced as a band and choral leader. Kompa is the national music of Haiti, which shares the island of Hispanola with the Dominican Republic. As many of our students are of Haitian origin, we have launched an initiative to teach Kompa to all of our students, and so to encourage their exchange of musical cultures. Kedley studied music at Ecole Notre Dame de la Victoire de Balan and Lycée National Jacques Roumain de Balan.

Kelvin de Leon is one of the Dominican Republic's finest guitarists, with a deep expertise in traditional Latin American music. He has arranged and served as lead guitarist for Frank Reyes, Yoskar Sarante, Andy Andy, and Monchy y Alexandra among others. Since 2018, he has studied music theory and pedagogy at Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo. Kelvin is the son of Dominican maestro Martires de Leon.

Demmanuel Gonzalez American-Dominican and hails from Clifton, NJ. He graduated from Washington & Lee University in Virginia where he was a music major and baritone vocalist. He is an accomplished musician, composer, and rising star in music education and psychology. In college he was active in Wind Ensemble, Glee Club and University Singers, and took on many leadership roles in choral conducting.Currently Demmanuel is working on establishing a stable singing program which involves private voice lessons as well as a Bachata Choir and a Children's Choir. 

Abelito is Dominican Republic’s leading bachata percussionist. In a career spanning from the 1970s until today, Abel played a leading role in developing the rhythmic structures that define modern bachata. Abelito was a founding member of  Monchy y Alexandra, a Grammy nominated group. He has recorded with almost every well-known bachata artist including Romeo Santos and Antony Santos.

As bachata’s top session guitarist and the arranger for megastar Romeo Santos, guitar maestro Martires de León has toured the world and performed in iconic venues such as Madison Square Garden. Widely traveled and formally trained, his mission is to broaden his students’ horizons, fostering in them the skills and discipline necessary for a professional musician.