Ilegales

Formed in the Dominican Republic, the merenhouse group Los Ilegales brought together frontman and producer Vladimir Dotel along with Victor Waill, Manuel Tejada, and Roger Sanchez. Despite facing criticism from local press for their electronic take on traditional merengue, the ensemble rose to prominence across Central and South America, gaining particular favor in Venezuela, Mexico, Chile, and Spain. The track "La Morena (Burn It Up)" from their first album achieved massive success in 1995. Popularity continued with the follow-up release Rebotando, propelled by the single "El Taqui Taqui." In 1998 came both the collection The Remixes and En la Mira. Late 2000 saw the arrival of Ilegales 2000.