A Dominican merengue group, La Mákina was organized by entrepreneurs Fernando Colon (former bassist for Los Sabrosos del Merengue) and Orlando Santana (who played with Wilfrido Vargas and Toño Rosario). Santana's intensive help with the group -- writing nine of the ten tracks on La Mákina's debut album, 1996's La Makina...A Mil, as well as arranging and producing -- resulted in the single "La Reina," a huge hit in merengue circles. The group released its second album, Los Reyes del Ritmo, in October 1997. ~ John Bush