The Story
Pedro René Peralta Soto, known as Chichi Peralta, started his career as a percussionist in Juan Luis Guerra's band 4.40 in the Dominican Republic before stepping out on his own. His 1997 debut, Pa' otro la'o, introduced a sound he calls 'Fusón' — merengue and bachata blended with jazz, Afro-Cuban and African rhythms, hip-hop and Latin pop, rather than a traditional merengue record.
...De vuelta al barrio (2000) and Más que suficiente (2005) carried that fusion further, building a catalog defined by genre-crossing rather than staying inside merengue's traditional lane.
In June 2026, the Latin Recording Academy announced that Chichi Peralta will receive its Premio a la Excelencia Musical (Musical Excellence Award) at the 27th Annual Latin Grammy Week in Las Vegas on November 9, 2026, alongside honorees Alaska, Francisco Céspedes, Lila Downs and Daniela Mercury — recognition for career-spanning creative contributions to Latin music.
He has continued releasing new material into 2026, including the single 'El Cofrecito,' which found a wide audience on YouTube.