Merengue is a type of music and dance originating in present day Dominican Republic which has become a very popular genre throughout Latin America , and also in several major cities in the United States with Latino communities. Merengue was inscribed on November 30, 2016 in the representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO .
115-531: Suavemente (English: Smoothly ) is the debut studio album by American merenguero recording artist Elvis Crespo . Released by Sony Music Latin on April 14, 1998, the album established Crespo as a leading artist in the Latin music market. He collaborated with several songwriters and record producers to create an overall tropical music -flavored recording. With romantic ballads and uptempo songs, Suavemente received favorable reviews from music critics who found
230-488: A "romantic Latin ballad " in his 2008 book, I'll Be Watching You . In her 2005 book, Pop Culture Latin America , Lisa Shaw called "Suavemente" "an example of some of the best merengue with a rock-pop sound." According to Batanga magazine, Suavemente is "intoxicating, feverish, pure sabroso merengue. Sizzle in the summer streets to the fast-paced beats, ear busting horns and percussive stamina"; Latina magazine noted
345-529: A backing band to record an album for legendary Dominican merengue singer Joseíto Mateo . He asked Ithier for assistance, and Ithier responded by bringing in many of his former colleagues return to the studio. For their first recording sessions, the orchestra included some musicians from Cortijo's original lineup, including saxophonist Hector Santos, trumpet player Rogelio "Kito" Velez, and percussionists Martín Quiñones, Miguel Cruz and Roberto Roena . Alvarez-Guedes proposed to call it Rafael Ithier y su Combo. This
460-582: A communications degree. Then she was known as the Queen of Merengue, or La Reina de Merengue. She had a group with her two brothers and sister called Milly, Y Los Vecinos. The band would write songs about women's independence and freedom of choice. El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico , commonly known as El Gran Combo , is a Puerto Rican salsa orchestra based in San Juan, Puerto Rico . Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012, it
575-442: A few new innovations have been made. Some modern band leaders have also added congas, timbales (played by the tamborero), and keyboards to their groups in an attempt to reach a wider audience and narrow the gap between the típico and orquesta styles. The most popular artist at present is El Prodigio, a young accordionist who is respected among típico musicians of all ages. Though he has become famous for recording his own compositions in
690-620: A form of punishment for the elites that had previously refused to accept him. The soon-to-be dictator must also have realized the symbolic power of the rural folk music and its potential for creating support among the masses, since he took accordionists with him around the Republic during his campaign tours from the very beginning. Until the 1930s, the music was considered "immoral" by the general population. Its more descriptive and colorful name, perico ripiao (literally "ripped parrot" in Spanish),
805-513: A great welcome. Soon after Combo Records released their album titled In Alaska: Breaking the Ice . Produced by Ralph Cartagena, the album garnered them their first Grammy nomination. In 1982 they celebrated their 20th anniversary playing at Madison Square Garden . They also reached Europe that year playing in Paris, France. In the early 1990s, they were honored in the city of Madrid, Spain to open
920-504: A large horn section with paired saxophones , piano, timbales, hi-hat, backup singers, and conga, in addition to tambora, güira, and bass. In modern merengue típico a saxophone is an addition to the accordion, along with electric bass guitar . A proof of the great adaptability of the music can be found in the Dominican National Symphony's presentation in 2003 of a concert series entitled "Symphonic Merengue", in which
1035-473: A lower-class family, so he decided that the rural style of perico ripiao should be the Dominican national symbol. He ordered numerous merengues to be composed in his honor. With titles like "Literacy", "Trujillo is great and immortal", and "Trujillo the great architect", these songs describe his virtues and extol his contributions to the country. Trujillo's interest in and encouragement of merengue helped create
1150-418: A male-dominated genre. In recent times, however, the genre has experienced a change in this situation. Several female artists and all-female bands have risen to relative stardom. This upheaval was influenced by the contributions of singer/bandleader Johnny Ventura ’s modernization of the sound of merengue in 1960, modernizing the sound from its “big-band”-esque setup with a quickening of tempo and inclusion of
1265-408: A modern style, he is also able to perform all the "standards" of the traditional típico repertoire and is a talented, jazzy improviser. New York–based groups like Fulanito have experimented with the fusion of típico accordion with rap vocals. Young artists such as these have been able to bring merengue típico to new audiences. Merengue típico songs are generally composed in two parts. The first section
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#17327946249531380-569: A place for the music on the radio and in respectable ballrooms. Luis Alberti and other musicians began to play with "big band" or orquesta instrumentation, replacing the accordion with a horn section and initiating a split between this new, mostly urban style and mostly rural perico ripiao. New York City Latino radio is still dominated by orquesta merengue. Following his election, Trujillo ordered musicians to compose and perform numerous merengues extolling his supposed virtues and attractiveness to women. Luis Alberti and other popular bandleaders created
1495-404: A resurgence of the merengue possible. The resented North American invasion of 1916 seems to have made the general public more disposed to support autochthonous rhythms over imported ones, though the raucous rural accordion sound was still unacceptable to high-society tastes. Nevertheless, when Rafael Leonidas Trujillo took power in 1930, he imposed the merengue upon all levels of society, some say as
1610-470: A standard part of the típico repertoire. He was a skilled improviser who could compose songs on the spot, by request. But he has also been likened to a journalist, since in his precomposed songs "he commented on everything with his accordion" (Pichardo, in Austerlitz 1997:35). His compositions discussed current events such as Cuban independence, World War I, the arrival of the airplane, and US occupation of
1725-495: A style of merengue more acceptable to the urban middle class by making its instrumentation more similar to the big bands then popular in the United States, replacing the accordion with a large brass section but maintaining the tambora and güira as a rhythmic base. They also composed lyrics free of the rough language and double-entendres characterizing the folk style. The first merengue to attain success at all levels of society
1840-503: A variety of instruments such as the trumpet, conga drums and the guitar. Las Chicas del Can were extremely successful, earning several platinum and gold records. Their hit single “El Negro No Puede” was later remade by Shakira , in her song “Waka Waka”. Milly Quezada was born as Milagros Quezada Borbon on May 21, 1955. She is a singer in Latin America. Her hometown is Dominican Republic. She graduated from New York City College with
1955-419: A visually-appealing element, with glitzy costumes and choreography. In the early 1970s, trumpeter and singer Wilfrido Vargas furthered the modernization of merengue by including electronic elements and strengthening the focus of a visual stage presence. These two men modernized the merengue stage, thereby increasing the palatability of a female merengue presence. One of the most influential women in merengue
2070-520: A week at number one, "Tu Sonrisa" was displaced by Gloria Estefan 's " Oye! ". A week later it again topped the chart for one week before being displaced by " Perdido Sin Ti ", Martin's fourth single from Vuelve . After the success of "Suavemente " 's bilingual version, Sony Music distributed a club mix of "Tu Sonrisa" to radio stations in February 1999. Billboard Latin music contributor Leila Cobo called
2185-559: Is Fefita La Grande. Her birth name was Manuela Josefa Cabrera Taveras. She performed for Petán Trujillo, the brother of the Dominican Republic's president, convincing him to give her father a home and a job she could earn money from. Her rise to fame led to a great demand for her performances in New York, the Dominican Republic, and even Europe. Fefita's efforts forced men to work alongside women in merengue and accept that there
2300-441: Is a diatonic accordion , a two–sided drum, called a tambora , held on the lap, and a güira . A güira is a percussion instrument that sounds like a maraca . It is a sheet of metal with small bumps on it (created with hammer and nail), shaped into a cylinder, and played with a stiff brush. The güira is brushed steadily on the downbeat with an "and-a" thrown in at certain points, or played in more complex patterns that generally mark
2415-591: Is a place for them. Female merengue bands began to emerge in the 1970s, with examples such as Gladys Quero's "Orquesta Unisex", but started gaining popularity in the early 1980s with Aris García's "La Media Naranja", "Las Chicas del País" and, principally, pianist Belkis Concepcion's band, Las Chicas del Can . They are known by their fans as Las Reinas del Merengue, or in English, The Queens of Merengue. The band currently consists of eleven members, including horns, rhythm, dancers, and singers. After Belkis Concepcion left
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#17327946249532530-521: Is also popular in the coastal city of Guayaquil in Ecuador . The new line of merengue created in New York City has become very popular amongst younger listeners. Known as "Merengue de Mambo", its proponents include Omega, Oro 24, Los Ficos, Los Gambinos, Alberto Flash, Mala Fe, Henry Jimenez, and Aybar. Although the etymology of merengue can be disputed, there are a few theories about where
2645-553: Is rhythmically straightforward and is used to introduce the song's melodic and lyrical material; here, verses are sung and the only improvisation occurs at the end of song lines, when the accordion or saxophone fills in. The second section is dominated by improvisation, more complex rhythms, and hard-driving mambo, or the part of the song where melody instruments (sax and accordion) unite to play catchy, syncopated riffs or jaleos which help motivate and stimulate dancers. Típico rhythms include merengue derecho, or straight-ahead merengue, which
2760-471: Is the kind of fast-paced 4 time merengue most of us are used to hearing, usually used in the first section. Pambiche or merengue apambichao is similar but usually slower, and can be recognized by the double slap rhythm on the tambora. Guinchao is a third rhythm combining the first two that is commonly heard in the second section of a merengue. Típico groups do not have to limit themselves to merengue as they can also play other traditional rhythms from
2875-404: Is the trio Chantelle . The women are Puerto Rican, not Dominican, and both this and their gender testify to merengue's growing popularity. Las Chicas del Can was the first all-female band from the Dominican Republic, formed in 1981, which paved the road for other Latina artists. Known as “Las Reinas de Merengue”, which means “The Queens of Merengue”, they not only sang and danced, but also played
2990-753: The 1999 Billboard Latin Music Awards Crespo received four nominations (including Album of the Year and Hot Latin Track of the Year), tying him with Selena for the most nominations in a single year; the record was later broken by Tito El Bambino , with 18 nominations in 2010 . He won New Artist Album of the Year and Latin Dance Maxi-Single of the Year. Crespo was the Latin 50 Artist of the Year at
3105-596: The 2000 Billboard Latin Music Awards (the top-selling Latin artist from January 1999 to January 2000). He was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Performance in 1999 , losing to Marc Anthony 's Contra la Corriente . At the 11th Premio Lo Nuestros , Crespo received six nominations and won five awards: Tropical Album of the Year , Tropical Song of the Year , Tropical Male Artist of
3220-550: The José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum to celebrate their 45th anniversary. In 2010, two tribute albums were released, one by former member Andy Montañez and another by the bank Banco Popular, as part of their annual music series. In August 2011, El Gran Combo rewrote the lyrics to their own hit "No Hago Más Ná", or "I Don't Do Anything Else" that sang in satire about the day of a lazy person to a more positive "Echar Pa'lante" or "Moving Forward" which sang about
3335-505: The Puerto Rican television show El Show de las 12 . The album also reached gold status. In 1964, trumpet player and arranger Elías Lopes joined the orchestra, coinciding with the group's first popularity wave. With their daily TV appearances and extensive touring, however, demand for the group declined due to overexposure. Still, in 1967, their album Boogaloo con el Gran Combo also reached gold status. In 1969, Roena and Lopes left
3450-517: The "e". Merengue was first mentioned in the mid 19th century with the earliest documented evidence being newspaper articles. Some of the articles inform about a "lascivious" dance, and also highlight merengue displacing the Tumba . The genre had originated within the rural, northern valley region around the city of Santiago called the Cibao . It later spread throughout the country and became popular among
3565-1066: The 1930s, and Angel Viloria y su Conjunto Típico Cibaeño in the 1950s. It was during the Trujillo era that the merengue "Compadre Pedro Juan", by Luis Alberti , became an international hit and standardized the 2-part form of the merengue. Famous merengue artists and groups include Juan Luis Guerra , Wilfrido Vargas , Milly Quezada , Toño Rosario , Fernando Villalona , Los Hermanos Rosario , Bonny Cepeda , Johnny Ventura , Eddy Herrera , Sergio Vargas , La Mákina , Miriam Cruz , Las Chicas Del Can , Kinito Mendez , Jossie Esteban y la Patrulla 15 , Pochy y su Cocoband , Cuco Valoy , Ramón Orlando , Alex Bueno , The New York Band, Elvis Crespo , Olga Tañón , Gisselle , Conjunto Quisqueya and Grupomanía . The popularity of merengue has been increasing in Venezuela . Venezuelan Merengueros include Roberto Antonio, Miguel Moly, Natusha, Porfi Jiménez , Billo's Caracas Boys , and Los Melodicos . Merengue
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3680-414: The 1998 Christmas season, Suavemente was among the top-selling Latin albums in the United States. On February 20, 1999, Sony Discos president Oscar Llord expressed an interest in promoting Suavemente in Latin America and Europe since he believed that the album would sell over one million copies. In May, it sold 1,500,000 copies worldwide. As of October 2017 Suavemente has sold over 879,000 copies in
3795-496: The 250 best songs of the 1990s. According to contributor Gio Santiago, "Suavemente" catapulted merengue into the mainstream, introducing it to a wider audience, and ending the genre's waning popularity. Since its release, the song has become a staple at any Latino gathering and elicits attendees to dance once the a cappella opening of the song begins, which is followed by an explosion of horns , güira , and percussion that evokes an endless state of euphoria, according to Santiago. At
3910-451: The Cibao during the 1910s. During that decade, several composers, including Julio Alberto Hernández, Juan Espínola of La Vega and Juan Francisco García of Santiago, tried to resuscitate the dance by creating orchestrated, written scores based on folk merengue melodies. One of these was García's 1918 work titled "Ecos del Cibao". Composer Luis Alberti later reported that such pieces, especially
4025-470: The Cuban marímbula , and is a large box-shaped thumb piano with 3-6 metal keys. The main percussion instruments, güira and tambora, have been a part of the ensemble since the music's inception, and are so important that they are often considered symbolic of the whole country. The güira is a metal scraper believed to be of native Taíno origin, while the tambora is a two-headed drum of African origin. Together with
4140-456: The Dominican Republic and elsewhere, though this was more common in the past than at present. Mangulina and guaracha are now seldom heard; the latter is a clave-based style in 4 originally from Cuba, while the former is a 8 dance native to the Dominican Republic. Paseo was a slow introduction to a merengue song during which couples would promenade around the dance floor in stately fashion. Orquesta or big-band merengue became
4255-430: The Dominican Republic today. Merengue típico , which is usually called perico ripiao , is the oldest style commonly played. In English perico ripiao means "ripped parrot", which suggests controversy but which is said to be the name of a brothel where the music was originally played. The other two types are merengue de orquesta (big-band merengue) and merengue de guitarra (guitar merengue). At first, merengue típico
4370-423: The Dominican Republic today. Merengue típico , which is usually called perico ripiao , is the oldest style commonly played. The other two types are merengue de orquesta (big-band merengue) and merengue de guitarra (guitar merengue). Merengues are fast arrangements with a 4 beat . The traditional instrumentation for a conjunto típico (traditional band), the usual performing group of folk merengue,
4485-459: The Dominican Republic. Among Lora's contemporaries are Toño Abreu and Hipólito Martínez, best remembered for their merengue "Caña Brava". This popular song was composed in 1928 or 1929 as an advertisement for the Brugal rum company, who were then selling a rum of the same name. Brugal paid Martínez $ 5 for his efforts. Típico musicians continued to innovate within their style during the latter half of
4600-527: The European accordion, the típico group symbolizes the three cultures that combined to make today's Dominican Republic. One important figure in early merengue was Francisco "Ñico" Lora (1880–1971), who is often credited for quickly popularizing the accordion at the turn of the 20th century. Lora was once asked how many merengues he had composed in his lifetime and he answered "thousands", probably without much exaggeration, and many of these compositions are still
4715-483: The Hot Latin Songs chart since Dominican singer Juan Luis Guerra 's "El Costo De la Vida" six years earlier. "Suavemente" remained at number one with 13 million audience impressions, a four-percent increase over the previous week. The song broke the record for most weeks at number one for a tropical-music recording on the Hot Latin Songs chart (six) since Billboard began monitoring Latin airplay in 1986, and it
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4830-783: The Pacific Rim. Sony Discos president Oscar Llord called Suavemente the "most successful debut album of a Tropical artist in history." Suavemente was listed as the third best-charting and -selling Sony Discos album during the Top Latin Albums twenty-fifth year in 1999. Crespo was ranked fifth on the Hot Latin Songwriters in 1998, eleventh on the Top Latin Albums Artists, seventh on the Hot Latin Tracks Artists, fourth on
4945-483: The Santo Domingo airport is not entirely true, since they did not arrive there until the day after the crash. In 1971, El Gran Combo introduced the trombone to their instrument mix. The trombone was played by Fanny Ceballos. Soon after, their production named De Punta a Punta was released. In 1972, they released the album "Por el Libro", which marks the 10th anniversary of the orchestra. Pellín Rodriguez left
5060-604: The Symphonic Orchestra consisting of woodwinds , brass , strings , and the like played popular tunes. Merengue music found mainstream exposure in other areas of Latin America in the 1970s and '80s, with its peak in the 1990s. In the Andean countries like Peru and Chile , merengue dance lost the characteristic of being danced close together, instead being danced separately while moving the arms. Merengue, from its conception and through time, has classically been
5175-583: The Tito Puente Orchestra and Perez Prado Band among others. In 1970, El Gran Combo's contract with Gema Records was not renewed. Despite offers from other record companies including the Motown label, the group decided to self-release recordings under their own newly created independent label, Combo Records (alternatively known as EGC Records). The first album released on the label was the 1970 album entitled Estamos Primeros . On February 15, 1970,
5290-400: The Top Latin Albums and Billboard 200 charts, respectively. Suavemente sold 6,000 copies for the week ending June 13, rising to number two on the Top Latin Albums chart behind Ricky Martin 's Vuelve . The album dropped to third the following week. Suavemente sold 6,000 copies the next week, rising to number two behind Vuelve . After five weeks behind Vuelve , Suavemente passed it on
5405-424: The Top Latin Albums chart when its sales increased 16 percent to 8,600 copies. For the week of August 8, 1998, it fell back to number two behind Vuelve . After three weeks of declining sales, Suavemente was number three when it sold 5,000 copies as "Tu Sonrisa" (its second single) topped the Hot Latin Songs chart. It ended 1998 as the year's eighth-bestselling Latin album . Suavemente spent 98 consecutive weeks in
5520-678: The Top Tropical Album Artists, and second on the Tropical Tracks Artists lists. Suavemente has been named one of the most essential Latin albums of the past 50 years by Billboard , and its title song became a staple in Latin-music nightclubs . The lead single also became a popular tune in Mexico, where it was used in festivals around the country. "Suavemente" ranked number 219 on Pitchfork 's list of
5635-636: The U.S. Hot Latin Tracks chart, as "Suavemente" remained in the top five. The song peaked at number one on the Tropical Songs chart, Crespo's second number one. "Tu Sonrisa" topped the Hot Latin Tracks chart in its sixth week, the singer's second number one on that chart. It displaced "Te Quiero Tanto Tanto" by Mexican Latin pop group Onda Vaselina , and Crespo became the first merengue artist with two number-one Hot Latin Tracks singles. After
5750-531: The United States, making it the 11th bestselling Latin album in the country according to Nielsen SoundScan . Worldwide, it had sold more than 4 million of copies. Crespo performed at the 23rd New York Salsa Festival at Madison Square Garden on September 5, 1998, with El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico , and Latin jazz recording artist Eddie Palmieri . He was part of the Hot Latin Nights show at Walt Disney World 's Pleasure Island on September 19, which
5865-484: The Year , Tropical-Salsa Duo or Group of the Year (shared with Milly Quezada ), and Tropical New Artist of the Year . On April 11, 2019, the album was re-released to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Nine of its tracks were redone into a salsa or mambo version. The song "Abracadabra" was added. Adapted from AllMusic. Vocals Musicians Production Design Shipments figures based on certification alone. Merengue music Merengue
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#17327946249535980-709: The Year . The recording has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. Its title song remains a staple at Latin music nightclubs and festivals, while Suavemente has been ranked among the most essential Latin albums of the past 50 years by Billboard magazine. In 1993, brothers Héctor and Oscar Serrano formed Grupo Manía in Puerto Rico. They enlisted Alfred Cotto, Reynaldo Santiago, and Elvis Crespo to tour and record two-step merengue music , popularizing
6095-408: The album's "feverish beat". Spanish-language magazine Vistazo called Crespo the new sensation of merengue music, and his album a favorite of listeners who enjoy pachanga . Sony Music International Latin America president Frank Welzer called Crespo a "genius" who wrote "catchy fan-pleasing" songs. Terry Jenkins of AllMusic praised the album's "seductive Latin ballads" and found the focal mode of
6210-544: The album's fourth consecutive week atop the chart, it sold 6,500 copies. During its fifth straight week atop the Tropical Albums chart, it sold 6,000 copies, down 16 percent. Suavemente ended 1998 as the fourth-bestselling tropical-music album. In its ninth consecutive week atop the Tropical Albums chart the album sold 7,000 copies, down 17 percent from the previous week. The following week, its tenth consecutive at number one, it sold 7,500 copies (up seven percent). For
6325-507: The band in 1985, Miriam Cruz took over as lead vocalist and led the band on tours through Europe. Soon after Concepcion followed the “mother figure” of merengue—Milly Quesada. She led the group Los Vecinos, which includes her sister Jocelyn and cousins Rafael and Martin, based in New York City. In reference to this female-merengue phenomena, Jocelyn Quesada states, You know, if you wear a dress, and you have to open your legs and hold
6440-468: The core of any típico musician's repertoire. Other innovations from this period include the addition of the bass drum now played by the güirero with a foot pedal, a development credited to Rafael Solano. Many of today's top accordionists also began their careers during this period, including El Ciego de Nagua, Rafaelito Román, and Francisco Ulloa. In the 1990s, most groups maintained the five-man lineup of accordion, sax, tambora, güira, and bass guitar, though
6555-447: The country through its promotion by Petán Trujillo, the dictator's brother, on his state-sponsored radio station, La Voz Dominicana. Musicians like Luis Senior and Pedro Pérez kept listeners interested by inventing new variations like the "bolemengue" and "jalemengue". Merengue does not have as plainly strong African origins as other forms of Dominican music, and therefore did not conflict with Trujillo's racist ideology. Trujillo promoted
6670-693: The decade on the right track. On March 29, 1992, they celebrated a huge concert in the Hiram Bithorn Stadium in front of 30,000 people. In 2000, El Gran Combo was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame . In 2002, the group celebrated their 40th anniversary with two sold-out concerts at the Ruben Rodríguez Coliseum in Bayamón, Puerto Rico . This celebration spawned an album. In
6785-404: The ever-popular Los Hermanos Rosario continue to sell well. Pop merengue also has a remarkably strong following on the neighboring island of Puerto Rico, which has produced its own stars, like Olga Tañón and Elvis Crespo. In more urban settings, merengue is played with all manner of instrumentation, but the tambora and the güira are signatures. Today, merengue de orquesta is most popular. It uses
6900-473: The famous tune known as the Juangomero, were frequently played at the end of an evening's program that otherwise featured imported styles like waltzes, mazurkas, polkas, danzas, danzones, and one- and two-steps. While these early efforts in orchestrated merengue generally succeeded only in scandalizing their audiences, the political changes that occurred in the Dominican Republic over the next few years made
7015-498: The first Dominican-led band in the city with his Orquesta Lira Dominicana, which played in all the popular ballrooms in the 1930s and 1940s, while at the same time Angel Viloria played popular tunes on accordion with his "conjunto típico cibaeño" for Big Apple fans. However, it wasn't until the massive migration of Dominicans in the 1960s and 1970s that the music reached a mass audience. In 1967, Joseíto Mateo, Alberto Beltrán, and Primitivo Santos took merengue to Madison Square Garden for
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#17327946249537130-535: The first quarter of the year, and he performed at Billboard ' s 10th annual Latin Music conference on April 20, 1999. In Billboard , Latin music contributor John Lannert called the album a "merengue-bomba disc" and Crespo a "midtempo pop/merengue" artist. In his 2003 book, The Latin Beat , Ed Morales described the title song as a "salsa classic or pop hit." True crime novelist M. William Phelps called "Suavemente"
7245-599: The first time. Later, New York–based groups like La Gran Manzana and Milly, Jocelyn y los Vecinos, a group unusual for being fronted by women, gained a following in the diaspora as well as back on the island. By the 1980s merengue was so big it was even beating out salsa on the airwaves. That decade was also notable for a boom in all-female orchestras, and Las Chicas del Can became particularly popular. Since then, musicians like Juan Luis Guerra, trained at Boston's Berklee school, Toño Rosario and former rocker Luis Díaz have brought merengue even further abroad, truly internationalizing
7360-468: The genre to a younger audience. In 1996, Crespo left Grupo Manía and signed with Sony Music Latin (the company which signed his former band), beginning his solo career. He said in a May 1999 Billboard interview that leaving the band was "a very hard decision", since they worked well together. Crespo originally intended for " Suavemente " and " Tu Sonrisa ", the singles which brought him international recognition, to be recorded with Grupo Manía. The album
7475-586: The group to embark on a solo career. Rodríguez was replaced by Charlie Aponte at the recommendation of Jerry Concepción and the well known sportscaster Rafael Bracero , both friends of Ithier. In 1973, El Gran Combo sang in front of 50,000 fans at the famous Yankee Stadium in New York City as the opening act for the Fania All-Stars ' sold-out concert. Montañez left the band in early 1977 and went to live in Venezuela where he replaced Oscar D'León in another orchestra, Dimension Latina . Jerry Rivas
7590-443: The hand and the stick. To purists, a merengue without quintillo is not truly a merengue, a viewpoint that has gradually disappeared as other alternate figures are used more frequently (as the one traditionally called jaleo , also known as merengue bomba , wrongly identified as a mixture of merengue and Puerto Rican bomba music, and which actually also has its roots in traditional merengue). Three main types of merengue are played in
7705-530: The hill. Rafael Ithier had been a member of Rafael Cortijo 's "Cortijo y su Combo" orchestra. After singer Ismael Rivera faced legal drug possession problems when arriving from Panama , some of the group's musicians departed, with Ithier relocating temporarily to the eastern United States. Rafael Álvarez Guedes, the Cuban-born owner of the Gema recording label (and brother of comedic actor Guillermo ) needed
7820-711: The idiosyncrasy of Dominican culture. The European influence is represented by the accordion, the African by the Tambora, which is a two-head drum, and the Taino or aboriginal by the güira. The genre was later promoted by Rafael Trujillo , the dictator from 1930 to 1961, who turned it into the national music and dance style of the Dominican Republic. In the United States it was first popularized by New York–based groups and bandleaders like Rafael Petiton Guzman, beginning in
7935-479: The last several years. On August 9, 2013, Founder musician Eddie "La Bala" Perez died due to health complications. On December 12, 2014, Charlie Aponte, one of the vocalists of El Gran Combo for 41 years, retired for personal reasons and launched his own orchestra. His last performance was in Cali, Colombia on December 30, 2014. On January 24, 2015 Anthony Garcia became the new vocalist, as Aponte's replacement. Later in
8050-405: The magazine's John Lannert predicted that Crespo could "easily win a new artist award" in 1999. Billboard music analyst Karl Ross called the album's title song "a sultry [track] about the power of a kiss". For the week ending May 16 "Suavemente" peaked at number one, displacing "Una Fan Enamorada" by Servando y Florentino. Crespo became the first merengue recording artist with a number-one single on
8165-641: The members of El Gran Combo shared a near death experience. They were at Venezuela , and scheduled to fly the following day to Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic . After landing they were told about the Dominicana Airlines DC-9 that crashed off the Caribbean coast which occurred the night before. Therefore, the tale about a group member having a bad feeling regarding that flight while stranded at
8280-629: The merengue market. The singer is the first merengue artist with an album atop the U.S. Top Latin Albums chart, and two number-one songs on the U.S. Hot Latin Songs chart. Billboard cited Crespo and American singer-actor Carlos Ponce as jump-starting the US market with their albums. According to Billboard 's Karl Ross, Crespo transcended the U.S. Latino market and his success may have been felt in Europe and
8395-479: The merengue of choice for the urban Dominican middle and upper classes in the twentieth century. Although merengue had been played in upper-class salons as early as the 1850s, moralists like then-president Ulises Espaillat succeeded in banning the dance from such locations only two decades later, causing the merengue to effectively die out in the cities. Still, it was kept alive by rural musicians such as accordionist/composer Nico Lora, and it began to reappear in towns of
8510-415: The music for political gain as a focus of national solidarity and political propaganda. It helped his efforts to unify a Dominican identity. After Trujillo's assassination in 1961, the merengue orquesta underwent great change. During that decade, Johnny Ventura's Combo Show drove crowds wild with their showy choreography, slimmed-down brass section, and salsa influences. In the 1970s, Wilfrido Vargas sped up
8625-750: The music. Guerra collaborated with African guitarists, experimented with indigenous Caribbean sounds, and explored Dominican roots music with típico accordionist Francisco Ulloa, while Díaz (an innovator since his work with 1970s folklore group Convite) fused merengue, rock, merengue típico, and bachata in his productions. In the 21st century, orquesta musicians began to voice concern that their style would be eclipsed in popularity by bachata and merengue típico. Perhaps for this reason, some pop merengue singers have gone to extreme lengths to attract attention, such as Tulile and Mala Fe's excursions into women's wear. But even without such antics, recordings by groups like Los Toros Band, Rubby Pérez , Alex Bueno, Sergio Vargas, and
8740-485: The orchestra to form the Apollo Sound together. Despite all this, that same year the group was awarded an Agüeybana de Oro in Puerto Rico. Also, in 1969, Rafael Ithier hired dancer/choreographer Mike Ramos to implement dance routines, which became a signature of El Gran Combo's live performances. Mike came from the world-famous New York City Palladium Ballroom scene. Prior to joining El Gran Combo, Mike danced with
8855-457: The recording to be sentimental, strong, lively, and swinging. Business Wire noted its popularity in the American and Latino markets. The Los Angeles Times called Suavemente and Crespo's repertoire "energy-packed". Billboard 's Lannert wrote that other Latin acts tried to emulate Crespo's style. Suavemente debuted at number six on the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Albums chart for
8970-499: The recording to contain energetic and catchy tracks. The album was commercially successful; it became the first merengue recording to peak at number one on the United States Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. Suavemente peaked at number 106 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Two of its singles, " Suavemente " and " Tu Sonrisa ", topped the U.S. Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart; Crespo
9085-865: The same year, they were awarded the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award . Among other musicians, they are one of the "enduring superstars of the island." As of 2006 , the orchestra has released over 40 albums or CD 's, and it has received many awards, including golden albums, a "Calendario de Plata" in Mexico, a " Golden Congo " in Colombia , a Paoli Award in their native Puerto Rico, an honorable distinction in Spain and countless others. In 2006, they released their album titled Arroz con Habichuela ("Rice and Beans"). It has already spawned three hit singles. The first one titled "No Hay Manera" ("There's No Way"),
9200-539: The second merengue album to make that chart. In its fifth week, album sales fell 50 percent and it dropped to number eight. The following week (which included the Memorial Day weekend), Suavemente moved up to number six. For the week ending June 13, the album re-entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 170 and peaked at number one on the Top Latin Albums chart. The next week it dropped to number three and 197 on
9315-470: The song "catchy" and (with "Suavemente") "irresistible". "Tu Sonrisa" is the fifteenth-most-successful Sony Discos single on the Hot Latin Tracks chart since the chart was established in 1999. "Luna Llena", Suavemente 's third single, debuted and peaked at number 29 on the Hot Latin Tracks chart for the week ending December 12, 1998. It dropped off the chart after a week before charting on Hot Latin Tracks and Tropical Songs at 33 and 13, respectively, for
9430-659: The southern region of the territory of what is now the Dominican Republic , during the time of the Haitian occupation. The name "carabiné" derives from the weapons called carbines (in French carabinier) that the soldiers did not dare to leave when a dance arrived, proceeding to dance with them on their shoulders. From the French word, the Spanish name of the new rhythm was derived, accentuating its pronunciation sharply on
9545-463: The tambora, that’s kind of awkward. And also the brass instruments ... that’s like macho territory. They never thought a woman could do that. They could play a violin, flute. They got up there, and they played those instruments, and people were shocked, and they were mostly curious to see if it works. The audience was not too thrilled; they thought, "Nah, well, a female group is not going to sound kosher." Yet another notable all-female merengue group
9660-442: The tempo and incorporated influences from disco and rock. (The term "orquesta", simply meaning a large musical ensemble, is now used to describe the pop merengue groups based on Ventura's and Vargas's models as well as the older Alberti style.) In addition, a new rhythm called "merengue a lo maco" appeared and was popularized by groups including Los Hermanos Rosario and Cheche Abreu. Far less complicated than other merengue rhythms, it
9775-465: The time. Caballito rhythm, or a quarter and two eighths, is also common. The double-headed drum is played on one side with a stick syncopation and on the other side with the palm of the hand. The traditional (some say fundamental) signature rhythm figure of merengue is the quintillo , which is essentially a syncopated motif whose pattern is broken by five successive drumhead hits at the transition between every second and third beat, alternating between
9890-479: The title song, and "Si la ves por ahí". Around 2006, Rafael Ithier became ill and decided to take a back seat for live performances and although he mostly still tours with the band, Ithier is just conducting the combo rather than playing the piano, however he is still very much the bandleader of the group. Willie Sotelo took the place of Ithier on the piano and also took over some of the travel management duties. In 2007, El Gran Combo performed two massive concerts at
10005-485: The top 10 of the Top Latin Albums chart, the second-longest run in history. The album remained atop the U.S. Tropical Albums chart for seven consecutive weeks after its release. It began sliding down the chart, but remained near the top. Suavemente returned to the top of the Tropical Albums chart after twelve weeks behind the Dance with Me soundtrack . The following week it sold 4,000 copies, remaining at number one. In
10120-509: The twentieth century. Tatico Henríquez (d.1976), considered the godfather of modern merengue típico, replaced the marimba with electric bass and added a saxophone (it was used before, but infrequently) to harmonize with the accordion. A prolific composer, Tatico's influence cannot be overestimated: nationally broadcast radio and television appearances brought his music to all parts of the country, leading to widespread imitation of his style and dissemination of his compositions. Today, these works form
10235-414: The urban population. The oldest form of merengue was typically played on string instruments . When the accordion came to the island in the 1880s, introduced by German traders, it quickly became the primary instrument, and to this day is still the instrument of choice in merengue típico . Later, the piano and brass instruments were introduced to the genre. Three main types of merengue are played in
10350-420: The virtues of going to work. They also released a video with a positive introductory message which showed clips of working people in similarities with them playing instruments. The group is still going strong and working continuously. Some music historians have dubbed them La Universidad de la Salsa (The University of Salsa), which is also the title of their hit 1983 album. Recent changes have occurred within
10465-445: The week ending February 6, 1999, although sales of Suavemente dipped 13 percent to 6,500 copies the album remained atop the chart. On the February 27, 1999, chart, album sales increased by 67 percent. The following week sales decreased 30 percent to 7,000 copies, but Suavemente remained atop the Tropical Albums chart for its fourteenth straight week. The album debuted at number 43 on the U.S. Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart for
10580-447: The week ending January 16, 1999. The song peaked at 26 and 11 on the Hot Latin Songs and Tropical Songs charts, respectively. The fourth and final single from the album, " Nuestra Cancion ", was less successful; it peaked at number 17 on the Tropical Songs chart in 1999. Suavemente is considered to have revolutionized merengue music , making it a popular subgenre of Latin music , and the album brought Crespo international recognition in
10695-423: The week ending May 2, 1998. In its second week the album rose to number five, selling 3,000 copies. Suavemente was number three on the chart for the week ending May 16, selling 5,000 copies (a 60-percent increase). The following week the album rose to number two, behind Selena's Anthology box set, and sold 7,000 copies. The sales increase placed Suavemente at number 188 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, only
10810-411: The week ending May 2, 1998; the following week, it rose to number 39. For the week ending May 16, the album jumped to number 13; the following week, it rose to number nine. In subsequent weeks, the album continued to rise up the chart; for the week ending June 13, it was number five. After "Suavemente" debuted at number 15 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart for the week ending April 25, 1998,
10925-503: The word might have derived from. One suggestion is that the term derives from meringue, a dish made from egg whites that is popular in Latin-American countries. The sound made by the whipping of eggs supposedly resembles the guiro used in merengue. The origins of the music are traced to the land of El Cibao , where merengue cibaeño and merengue típico are the terms most musicians use to refer to classical merengue. The word Cibao
11040-423: Was Alberti's famous 1936 work, "Compadre Pedro Juan". This was actually a resetting of García's "Ecos", itself based on earlier folk melodies, and thus it upheld a long-standing tradition in merengue típico of creating songs by applying new words to recycled melodies. The new, popular-style merengue began to grow in quite different directions from its predecessor, merengue típico. It became ever more popular throughout
11155-401: Was a native name for the island, although the Spanish used it in their conquest to refer to a specific part of the island, the highest mountainous range. The term merengue cibaeño is therefore partially native and so merengue might also be a derivation of a native word related to song, music, dance, or festival. An early genre with similarities to merengue is the carabiné , which was brought to
11270-407: Was broadcast as a two-part Telemundo special on December 14 and 31. On October 11 Crespo (performing with other Latin acts) sang "Suavemente" on the seven-hour Puerto Rico Se Levanta , a benefit concert broadcast live on Telemundo which raised $ 13 million for victims of Hurricane Georges on Hispaniola . He performed "Suavemente" at the 1999 Billboard Latin Music Awards . Crespo's appearance
11385-415: Was developed in the middle of the 1800s, originally played with European stringed instruments ( bandurria and guitar). Years later, the stringed instruments were replaced by the accordion , thus conforming, together with the güira and the tambora , the instrumental structure of the typical merengue ensemble. This set, with its three instruments, represents the synthesis of the three cultures that made up
11500-520: Was founded in May 1962, by Rafael Ithier . Ithier was still nominally its musical director, and is the only remaining member from the band's original lineup. From 2010 until his death in 2022, Willie Sotelo, who joined the group in 2006 as pianist, had become the band's de facto musical director on tours, with Ithier conducting the group and playing occasionally in select live performances. They are still actively performing after 50 years together. The group
11615-472: Was heard for the first time on Puerto Rican radio. Later on, they became the in-studio musicians of the live television show, "La Taberna India", sponsored by India Beer . After their live debut at Hotel La Concha in San Juan, Puerto Rico , Chiquitín García left the orchestra. Vocalist Sammy Ayala, who had also played with Ithier in the Cortijo orchestra, recommended the hiring of Andy Montañez. Andy Montañez
11730-434: Was in obvious similarity to Rafael Cortijo y su Combo. Ithier opposed the idea mainly because he was so frustrated with the situation that happened with Cortijo, that he wasn’t thinking of staying around much longer than a few months. Since the word “combo” was in vogue those days for mid-size bands, the group landed with a name that would reflect a “new and improved” combo, a great combo; El Gran Combo. The album they recorded
11845-623: Was number one on the Tropical Songs chart for nine consecutive weeks. "Suavemente" ended 1998 as the year's most-successful tropical single. Sony Discos president Oscar Llord told Billboard about the "carefulness" of crossing over into the English-language market, calling the lead single a process done "naturally" as a result of two U.S. radio stations (in Miami and New) York requesting a Spanglish version. The bilingual version
11960-469: Was often considered Puerto Rico 's most successful musical group. The group received the moniker La Universidad de la Salsa (The University of Salsa) in Colombia, due to the sheer number of famous salsa musicians and singers who developed their careers with it, who started with the group (particularly Andy Montañez ), or who were occasionally backed up by the band and La India . The salsa orchestra
12075-490: Was particularly useful for adapting songs from other styles like bachata , Colombian vallenato , Mexican rancheras , and North American pop . This process of remaking is called fusilamiento and continues to be a source for many merengue hits to this day. Merengue has been heard in New York since the 1930s, when Eduardo Brito became the first to sing the Dominican national music there before going on to tour Spain. Salcedo-born, Juilliard -educated Rafael Petitón Guzmán formed
12190-406: Was played on stringed instruments like the tres and cuatro, but when Germans came to the island in the late 19th century trading their instruments for tobacco, the accordion quickly replaced the strings as lead instrument. Típico groups play a variety of rhythms, but most common are the merengue and the pambiche . In the 1930s–50s a bass instrument was also often used. Called marimba , it resembles
12305-620: Was praised by Billboard 's John Lannert, who believed that it foreshadowed possible dominance at future music awards. He appeared at El Concierto Del Amor, an annual tropical-music festival held at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on February 14, 1999, with fellow salsa singers Jerry Rivera , Frankie Negron , Tito Nieves , and Michael Stuart . To promote Suavemente Crespo toured Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Peru in
12420-565: Was recognized as becoming the first artist to have placed two merengue singles at number one. Suavemente was Crespo's commercial breakthrough, introducing him to the popular music market with the Spanglish remix of its title track. The album received several accolades, including Billboard Latin Music Awards for Album of the Year and New Artist Album of the Year and a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Tropical Performance . It won five Lo Nuestro Awards , including Tropical Album of
12535-513: Was released in Germany in the second quarter of 1999. "Suavemente" became Crespo's most-popular song and a "teenage anthem" in the Latino community. It was the first Sony Music Latin release to debut on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 84. The album's second single, "Tu Sonrisa", was distributed to U.S. radio stations in the second week of July 1998. It debuted at number 21 on
12650-660: Was released in the United States on April 14, 1998. Suavemente and American merengue singer Manny Manuel 's album, Es Mi Tiempo , increased U.S. tropical-music sales by 27 percent over the previous year. On November 28, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Suavemente gold for shipments of 500,000 copies, the first merengue record certified gold. The album was certified gold in Chile, platinum in Venezuela, and platinum in Central America. During
12765-464: Was said to have been the name of a brothel in Santiago where the music was played. Moralists tried to ban merengue music and the provocative dance that accompanied it, but with little success. Merengue experienced a sudden elevation of status during dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo's reign from 1930 to 1961. Although he was from the south rather than the Cibao, he did come from a rural area and from
12880-481: Was scheduled to celebrate its 50th anniversary on 11 November 2012 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico . The group started its celebration with a grand world tour that took them to five continents. On November 24, 2022, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, on its 60th anniversary, was featured on Norberto Vélez's YouTube channel titled "Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 32". El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico is the first Orchestra featured at
12995-406: Was singer for a trio in Puerto Rico and had never sung salsa? On November 20, 1963, El Gran Combo released their first group album, Menéame los mangos , with Joseito Mateo as lead singer. Later came Acángana . This album became a number-one hit in New York City , Panama and Puerto Rico . Their success opened doors for them in many Latin American markets and they gained an exclusivity spot on
13110-611: Was then chosen to join the orchestra. The success of this new duo was proved with their 1977 album International and 1978's En Las Vegas which reached gold record status. In 1966, En Navidad , a Christmas album , was released, with Martín Quiñones appearing as Santa Claus in the album's cover. After an automobile accident in early 1977, Quiñones was replaced in the band by his son, Martín Quiñones Jr. He stayed until 1979, being replaced by Miguel “El Pollo” Torres. The band continues to receive numerous awards throughout Latin America. In 1984, they traveled to Alaska where they received
13225-417: Was titled Menéame Los Mangos, El Gran Combo con Joseito Mateo (the phrase translates as Shake Your Mangoes for Me, a double entendre). The group met again to define the foundations of a proper orchestra and chose singers Daniel Vázquez, Pellín Rodríguez and Chiquitín García (who later composed among other major EGC hits, "No Hago Más Ná", and many of Gran Combo's hits). On May 21, 1962, El Gran Combo
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