Mozaribe was a Dominican merengue ensemble developed by composer Frantoni Santana during the 1990s. The group brought live violins into dance music, with violinist Carlos Jáquez serving as its music director and producer.

Merengue with strings

In a 2026 interview, Santana recalled that the idea arose from a conversation with Jáquez on Santo Domingo's El Conde street: they wanted a different kind of orchestra and combined violins with merengue brass. The group performed with two violins and added guest musicians at some shows. According to «J&N Publishing», Santana wrote most of its repertoire. Pianist Bienvenido “Micky” Creales also listed Mozaribe among the groups he played with.

Performances and recordings

Santana recalled appearances by Mozaribe on «El Show del Mediodía» and at Plaza España in Santo Domingo. The album «Apurando el Paso», dated 1996 in digital music catalogs, contains eight songs, including «El Indio de la Charca», «Piedrecitas de Oro», «Un Trago» and «Rocío de Tus Labios». Its title is also the name of one of the songs.

A new lineup

After the first lineup separated, Santana prepared another performance in Santiago for 28 January 1994. He recalled that two Cuban singers—Judy and her niece—had been hired and were rehearsing for Mozaribe's new phase. Before that show, they stopped attending rehearsals and told him they had accepted work with Fernando Villalona. Santana considered their departure a setback for the project, while saying Villalona might not have known the circumstances.

Legacy

«Apurando el Paso» preserves the collaboration between Santana's compositions and Jáquez's musical direction, and documents the orchestral merengue with violins that distinguished Mozaribe.