Francisco Ulloa

Francisco Ulloa stands among the foremost exponents of merengue tipico, that rapid traditional hybrid customarily entrusted only to the most seasoned performers. Leading Y Su Conjunto Topico Dominica Merengue, he guides the ensemble through an expansive catalog of romantic material while supplying accordion accompaniment to his own impassioned vocals; the group’s lineup also features tambora drum, bass, guaya/guira, saxophone, and flute. Among the love songs the band regularly presents are “Millonario De Oro (Millionaire of Love),” “India de los Ojos Verde (India of the Green Eyes),” and “Cuando Te Enamoro A Ti (When I Fall in Love With You).”

Born the child of an amateur accordionist in an isolated settlement near Quita Suenos Altamira in the Puerto Plata region of the Dominican Republic, Ulloa passed the greater part of his childhood with his grandparents. Though employed at various times as a palm tree climber and field plougher, he remained steadily attracted to music. At eighteen he obtained his first squeezebox and began appearing at neighborhood fiestas. During the 1970s he cut numerous singles, among them the regional favorite “La Tijera.”