Olga Tañón on Four Decades of Merengue Thanks to a ‘Happy Mistake’

Olga Tañón was just 19 when she was invited to audition as a vocalist for a band. A self-proclaimed “rockerita” from a young age, she assumed it was a rock band. But when she arrived, she found a tambora and a güira instead of an electric guitar, bass, and drums.

“I think I’m in the wrong place,” she recalls thinking. “When I approached the bandleader, Ringo Martínez, he said to me: ‘No, this isn’t a rock band. This is a merengue orchestra.’ I replied, ‘But I don’t know how to sing merengue.’ And he came back with a challenge and told me: ‘Well, a good singer can sing anything.’”

The next day, she was already recording her first merengue song, “Fuera de Mi Vida” by Valeria Lynch, as part of the group Las Nenas de Ringo y Jossie.

Nearly four decades later, the so-called “Mujer de Fuego” (Woman of Fire) from Santurce, Puerto Rico, is being honored with Billboard‘s 2025 Latin Women in Music Lifetime Achievement Award for her unparalleled influence as a singer in this Dominican genre.

Over her career, which began in the mid-’80s, Tañón has not only won hearts but has also shaped the tropical music style, earning a special place in Latin music history with her exceptional performance quality, unmistakable mezzo-soprano voice, and high-energy stage presence.

Since launching her solo career in 1992, 20 of her albums have entered Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, including two that reached No. 1: Llévame Contigo (1997) and Te Acordarás de Mí (1998). On the Tropical Airplay chart, she holds the record as the female artist with the most top 10 entries (29 in total), with hits like “Es Mentiroso,” “Cómo Olvidar,” and “El Frío de Tu Adiós,” to name a few.

“I’m beyond grateful for this beautiful Lifetime Achievement Award,” Tañón says. “It represents all the sacrifices made, all those nights that weren’t wasted but learned from, as I prefer to say. And for people to value you in such a way is a reminder that we’ve truly done the right thing: choosing what we wanted to do with our lives, and achieving it.”

“I hope many young women are inspired to pursue this beautiful [career], which isn’t easy but is wonderful,” she adds.

A Grammy and Latin Grammy winner, and also recognized this year by Billboard among the top 10 Best 50 Female Latin Pop Artists of All Time, Tañón looks back on her beginnings, reflects on her biggest achievements, and shares the secret to a long-lasting career.

When did you know you wanted to be a music artist?

I really started noticing the early inklings, as I call them, at 4 years old, when I moved to Levittown in Puerto Rico and was already singing a solo at the Coliseo de Toa Baja. I was in pre-kindergarten, and they held an event in that coliseum, and I was part of the choir. Did the teacher see something in me? I don’t know. But from there, I took opera lessons. I took advantage of all the services the public school offered because that’s where I studied.

What’s the first merengue song you remember as being special to you?

At home, we used to listen to “Sancocho Prieto” [by La Sonora Ponceña]. Honestly, I never thought I’d have a career in tropical music. I’ve loved the Dominican Republic since I was very young because the first, second, third, and fourth country my dad took us to visit was the Dominican Republic. But I only listened to merengue to dance to it. If I wanted to sing, I always imagined myself singing songs by Rocío Dúrcal or Isabel Pantoja, things like that. I never imagined I’d build an entire life honoring, as I say, a country that has given me so much. And I wasn’t even born there; that’s why I treat it with such respect.

So how did you end up making merengue music?

I was looking for opportunities in music. I was a “rockerita” in Spanish because I didn’t know a lick of English. After my dance teacher, [the famous Puerto Rican choreographer] Junito Betancourt, passed away, I was invited to an audition, and they told me it was for a band. So, I assumed it was a Spanish rock band. When I walked into the audition at Salón Villarreal, I saw a guy with a tambora and a güira, and I thought, “I think I’m in the wrong place.” But when I approached the bandleader, he said, “No, this isn’t a rock band. This is a merengue orchestra.” And I said, “What do I do? I don’t know how to sing merengue.” And he came back with a challenge and told me: “Well, a good singer can sing anything.” From then on, I haven’t stopped singing merengue.

What a happy mistake, right?

That’s what I call it, “a happy mistake.” Because the truth is, I don’t come from a famous family. I didn’t get a lucky break, you know, like a stroke of fortune. On the contrary, it was a lot of knocking on doors until something worked, and from there, I made the most of it. And the first thing I said was, “If I’m going to do a musical genre that isn’t from my country, I at least need to learn how to play a tambora.” And that’s how I started to learn more about the genre which has given me the life I have today — merengue.

Who did you look up to as role models? There weren’t many women in merengue at that time…

The image I always remember, and it was a dream that I was fortunate enough to fulfill by meeting her in person, was Rocío Dúrcal, with all those songs that stick with you even to this day — “Pues mira tú, como te ríes, como juegas tú” [she sings part of “Como Tu Mujer,” imitating the Spanish singer’s classic inflections] — with those always extraordinary vocal modulations. When I got into merengue, I didn’t really have an image of a woman in merengue because, at that time, there were duos and groups like Milly Quezada and her sister Jocelyn.

Obviously, there was Fefita La Grande from the Dominican Republic, who was always there with “Vamos a Hablar Inglés.” And I was also greatly inspired by many men who were active at that time.

As a woman in the industry, and in a genre like merengue, what has been the biggest challenge for you?

When you perform a musical genre that isn’t necessarily salsa, bomba or plena — the styles we’re known for in Puerto Rico — when you take on the responsibility of performing a genre that represents a country, you have to make an effort to learn a bit about it and approach it with great respect. I always tried to bring something important to merengue, with a lot of detail, care and love for everything I did.

How did you find your own voice?

Well, honestly, I don’t even know. They just told me, “Open your mouth and sing,” so I opened my mouth and sang. I didn’t have many references in that sense, so I wanted to add my own style. Obviously, when you’re trying to build a career, I always say that everything’s already been invented. But as long as you try to be as original and authentic as possible, I think you’ll do well.

What would you say are your greatest accomplishments in music?

The years I’ve spent making merengue. And also ballads, because Marco Antonio Solís gave me the chance to break into that world [in 1996 with the album Nuevos Senderos]. But specifically in merengue, the years and the applause — it’s a privilege I humbly say I still receive. I still feel like crying every time I come offstage after a sold-out show, even after so many years of my career. And we’re still doing it with a new tour. I think, wow, the people.

And how have you managed to stay relevant over four decades?

By not closing myself off to musical innovation. I think you have to be open to saying, “I can do this with a bit of influence from that.” I meet with producers. I meet with people I love and respect to write. I also open the door to new talent. I think staying relevant means not shutting yourself off.

The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 24 exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

Check out Billboard’s Latin Women In Music 2025 executive list here.

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