Originating in the Dominican Republic in the 19th century, Merengue music has had a long and controversial history. At first, Merengue music was viewed as immoral and had even been nicknamed after a brothel in Santiago (perico ripiao). This changed when Dominican dictator Raefael Trujillo, who was fond of the genre, used merengue to create propagandist music and send out messages about his reign and ideals. By the 1980’s, Merengue reached a new height in popularity, as it was being heard worldwide, even beating out Salsa in popularity. “Ballroom” is a Melodic Loop pack in the style of this upbeat, and exciting Dominican export. Created by producer/instrumentalist Matthew Smythe and Saxophonist Ansy Defay, “Ballroom” features 15 Melodic Loops, and nearly 40 one-shots of authentic Merengue. With blistering horns and dexterous montuno-style piano, this pack will transport you right into a Santo Domingo ballroom from the first hit.