Fulanito

During the closing years of the 1990s, a number of ensembles refreshed merengue’s longstanding dance rhythms by fusing them with fresh influences; among the most prominent was the large lineup known as Fulanito, whose members Rafael Vargas, José Fuentes, Elvin Ovalles, Marino Paredes, Wellinghton Belen, Winston Rosa, and José Arsenio Rosa incorporated rap, reggae, and drum’n’bass into the mix. Several of the group’s singles climbed Billboard’s tropical/salsa and hot Latin tracks charts, among them the popular tracks “Guallando,” “El Cepillo,” and “La Novela,” while the full-length releases Hombre Mas Famoso de la Tierra (1997) and El Padrino (1999) also resonated strongly with Latin dance audiences. Recognition followed in the form of the Premio ACE 1999 for Outstanding Band, the Premio ACE 1998 for Impact Band of the Year, the Premio ACE 1997 for Outstanding Latin Group, and the Premio GLOBO 1999 for Tropical Merengue Best Tipico-House Group; additionally, Fulanito earned a 1999 nomination for Tropical Salsa Revelation of the Year New Artist from Premio Lo Nuestro à la Música Latina. Their third album, The Remixes, appeared in 2001.