During Rafael Trujillo’s rule, radio stations and recording studios were firmly under the control of the government, who produced merengue to fit the tastes and purposes of the regime. Following the dictator’s death, the music opened up. A music industry sprung up almost overnight – new orquestas were formed, TV and radio shows that featured live performances were aired and rival record labels frantically printed albums in competition for popular approval.

It was in this environment that Johnny Ventura rose to stardom. He participated in the radio and television contests, persevering when he lost. His lucky break was a victory on La TV busca una estrella (TV searches for a star), which earned him a scholarship to study music. He began to sing with different groups, earning a hit with “La agarradera” by Luis Perez in 1962. The following year, he was invited by the prestigious Super Orquesta San Jose to sing and play guira. His newfound popularity prompted him to start his own group with the support of impresario Angel Guinia, Johnny Ventura y su Combo-Show.

The Combo-Show was unlike anything Dominican audiences had ever seen. With a keen commercial sense, Ventura introduced the visual spectacle of American pop music, with flashy costumes and choreographed dancing, to the infectious beat of merengue. It was a winning combination. His music became popular in the Spanish Caribbean and in Latino neighborhoods of New York, leading his album Ah no, yo no sé no to go gold in 1967. Ventura went on to have his own television show to showcase the band and even hosted a TV-game show.

When Ventura came onto the scene, the big-band orchestrations played in the elite salons had already given way to smaller, horn driven ensembles as a way to bring the music to the people. Ventura took this mission of responding to popular taste to the next level. In an interview with Hip-deep series scholar Paul Austerlitz, Ventura talks of his dedication to the people:

“We lived a politically difficult time - after Trujillo we had to take part in a lot of events in one way or another, sometimes as actors and other times as spectators, and we have recorded many songs that denounce, songs that warn, songs of solidarity with our people in moments in which they suffered pain or enjoyed great happiness. From a political point of view, we were very bound to the feeling of the people.”

Due to the influence of the American occupation that began in 1965, merengue musicians had to compete with US pop music for radio time and the attention of the youth. Johnny Ventura stayed ahead by adopting foreign elements without compromising the essentials of merengue. When rock n’ roll was overwhelming the airwaves, Ventura donned Elvis-like regalia and increased the tempos of his songs to match the Yankees in energy. Later on, disco’s popularity threatened to put an end to merengue in the . Johnny Ventura responded by adopting a consistently-thumping bass drum into the orchestra, an essential part of the pop merengue sound ever since.

Although he gave merengue a more cosmopolitan sound with the addition of American elements, Ventura never strayed from his dedication to his country, a dedication that would eventually land him a career in politics. During the violence that erupted after Trujillo ’s death, he helped oppose American occupation by supporting the Constitutionalist troops, the pro-democracy group opposed by the American-backed military. He remembers playing for the troops to raise their morale:

“We understood that as Dominicans, we had to be there to defend our national symbols and put ourselves at the side of our people. Of course this benefited us because the people understood that their artistic idol also responded patriotically. This was our participation. We sang to the soldiers at war in a moment in that there was a state of desperation in the Constitutionalist troops. We had to entertain them and offer them the necessary support to maintain their sense of patriotism.”

Quotes from interviews conducted by Paul Austerlitz, edited by Paul Austerlitz and Angelina Tallaj, and translated for APWW by Marlon Bishop

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Johnny Ventura

Caribbean

Dominican Republic

The biggest merengue star to emerge after the death of Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, Johnny Ventura has largely defined the modern face of what has truly become a global pop music. Read more on Johnny Ventura...

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