When the Trujillo regime fell, Johnny Ventura stepped in to lead the Dominican Republic into a new future in the form of music, dance and cultural celebration. He opened the doors of traditional merengue and invited rock guitars and Vegas-style glitz to the party. The result? A more colourful and inclusive era for Latin music, not just in the Dominican, but across the world. After debuting in the late ’60s, Ventura made over 100 albums and was even elected mayor of Santo Domingo. He died on 28 July 2021 at the age of 81.