Los Ciegos del Barrio to perform at Island Park Library

When Los Ciegos del Barrio takes the stage at the Island Park Library next Monday, they will showcase a story of lifelong friendship and musical evolution. The band — 53-year-old twin brothers Alvin and Derek Suarez, Jimmy Fontanez, 55, A.J. Vargas, 52, and their newest member, Armando Duschene, 62 — is a blend of talent and cultural heritage.

The musicians also have unique challenges: Four of the five are visually impaired, and the name of the band translates to “the blind people of the neighborhood.” Fontanez was born with congenital cataracts. The Suarezes were born with Leber congenital amaurosis, or LCA, a degenerative condition that affects the optic nerve. Both had some vision up until a dozen years ago, but now can only perceive light and dark. But they have never let their conditions define them or limit their aspirations. Instead, they focus on their passion for music.

Duschene is the lone member of the band who is not visually impaired.

“People tend to overlook that because it gets on to the music,” Fontanez said of their challenges. “The whole visual impairment thing is kind of like an oversight, so to speak. They tend to forget that when they interact with us, and I like that, because we don’t want to be looked at as a bunch of Stevie Wonders or Ray Charleses . . . and we’re not. We just happen to be, but we’re not just a visually impaired band.”

The group has performed around the country and in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Russia. Their journey has not been without complications. Early on, they faced skepticism, and were often pigeonholed as a novelty act. They proved their critics wrong, however, with their music.

“People used to think Los Ciegos del Barrio, which initially was a joke — now it’s changed, where we want to represent who we are rather than what we are,” Alvin Suarez said. “Even though it’s the name of the band, it used to be more than it should have been, where a lot of people would write . . . about us where they overdo how much of an inspiration we are just because we’re blind. Nothing having to do with just being great musicians or just being proud of what we do or being creative. It took over 20 years for us to be recognized for our music rather than our blindness. Now the focus is on our talent, and that’s a huge achievement for us.”

The Suarez brothers and Fontanez were born and raised in New York City, and today Fontanez lives in Staten Island, and the Suarezes live in Manhattan. Alvin and Derek met Fontanez when they were 12 and 13, and jammed together at a friend’s house, experimenting with various instruments. They drifted apart for a while, but reunited in high school, at the Institute for the Blind in the Bronx. There they played in the junior and senior bands.

“It was a special time, and it set the foundation for our future,” Derek recalled.

In 1997, inspired by a trip to the Dominican Republic, they officially formed Los Ciegos del Barrio. The band, originally a fun project, soon turned professional. The friends began to perform more regularly, recorded demos, and eventually released their first album in 2000. Over the years, they have added and subtracted musicians, but maintained their three core members.

“We fell in love with Latin music, especially Dominican music,” Alvin said, “and decided to take it to the next level.”

The band members’ diverse backgrounds — Puerto Rican, Cuban, Guatemalan and Dominican — deeply influence their music. The blend of cultures is reflected in their multi-genre approach, encompassing salsa, bachata, merengue and more. They sing in both English and Spanish.

“We love to mix genres and languages,” Derek said. “It keeps our music fresh and exciting for us, and our audience.”

They balance their musical careers with other jobs, which is a testament to their dedication. Derek works for Social Security, Alvin works for Verizon and is a certified relationship coach, and Fontanez works at an Amazon warehouse They also take part in a variety of activities and sports for the visually impaired.

As musicians, they continue to challenge themselves and set new goals. They are working on new music, with plans to release a single this year and an album next year. Their journey has been a mix of highs and lows, but their passion for music, and their commitment to one another, remain unwavering.

“When we first started a band in the late ’90s, we never thought we’d be together this long,” Derek said. “We were just kind of doing it for fun at first, and then we ended up doing some recordings over the years. . . . We never would have expected to last this long. And we’d like to just continue to challenge ourselves and see what else we can accomplish. We keep challenging ourselves and seeing how far we can go.”

As they prepare for their performance in Island Park, the members of Los Ciegos del Barrio are excited to connect with a new audience and share their music. They look forward to the energy of the crowd and the joy of performing together.

“We love feeding off the energy of the audience,” Derek Suarez said. “It’s an incredible feeling to see people dancing and singing along to our music.”

Their story is one of overcoming obstacles and celebrating their cultural heritage, and their music continues to inspire and bring joy to audiences everywhere. “Our expectation is just to have fun,” Derek said, “and do everything we can so that everybody in the audience is having fun right along with us.”