''The highest distinction awarded by the Republic of Costa Rica in the field of cultural and scientific production was granted to Manuel Monestel in 2024. The jury that awarded him the prize gave the following reasons: for being a promoter and driving force of popular music, culture, and traditions of the African diaspora.' because he left his mark on the development of Costa Rican ethnomusicology Because he manages to coherently communicate profound messages - musical, literary, and political - in a way that is accessible to diverse national and international audiences; because he has used his sociological training to question and subvert relations of power and domination, with an identity-based proposal that challenges established cultural hegemony finally, his legacy of preservation of intangible culture is in line with Costa Rica constitutional recognition as a multicultural and multiethnic country.' - Victor H. Acuna Ortega, University of Costa Rica. 'Manuel Monestel is a treasure. He played a central role in rediscovering an almost-lost calypso music in Costa Rica and he writes about it with unparalleled authority, insight, and brilliance. He reveals in the Black working-class music of Puerto Limon a profound creativity and a deep African continuity.' - Marcus Rediker, author of The Slave Ship: A Human History. 'Monestel's gift as a remarkable performer demonstrates that Calypso has a profound impact on the Central American Caribbean, initially through the legendary artistry of Walter Ferguson.' - Paul Lovejoy, Distinguished Research Professor & Editor, The Harriet Tubman Series
