Suavemente

Before bachata ruled the charts, its cousin merengue had a mainstream moment of glory thanks to this late-‘90s classic. Crespo steps out with swagger from the very first note on the title track, proudly owning his nasal tone. It’s a non-stop dance party from there, punctuated by Crespo’s trademark ad-libs. “Tu Sonrisa” is another monster hit modelled after “Suavemente”, with hyperactive horns, frenetic keys and percussive tambora and guiro.