Manny Cruz — Emmanuel Cruz Sánchez, born in Santo Domingo on 26 April 1983 to a Dominican mother and a Cuban father — is a Dominican singer, songwriter and producer of romantic merengue, the youngest of three siblings and a brother of Daniel Santacruz.

Ten years in the United States

He moved to the United States with his parents at fourteen, and in Miami studied music business under the saxophonist Ed Calle at Miami Dade College, singing lead in the college’s official band. After ten years abroad he came back to the Dominican Republic in 2007 to sing in a merengue orchestra, joining Kinito Méndez’s band for two years and then Ilegales, touring Latin America, the United States and Europe. He also worked in advertising, recording jingles and modelling for national and international campaigns; a first solo attempt in 2010 did not take.

«AURA» and the return to solo work

In December 2011 he formed the trio AURA with JJ Sánchez and Javi Grullón; their first single, «Te lloro» (2012), was a national hit, and the group recorded mostly ballads for four years before splitting in 2016. That year Cruz went solo again with «Sobrenatural», the single and the album, earning a Latin Grammy nomination and hits such as «Sabes enamorarme» and «Dime que sí», both with Ilegales, and «No me lo creo», with Eddy Herrera.

«Deja Vu»

With Daniel Santacruz he co-wrote «Deja Vu», recorded by Prince Royce and Shakira, which won Song of the Year at the 2017 Latin American Music Awards and Tropical Song of the Year at the 2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards. His second album, «Bailando contigo» (2020), was nominated for Best Merengue/Bachata Album at the Latin Grammys, and that year he recorded «Imaginarme sin ti» with Elvis Crespo, «Yo quisiera ser» with Miriam Cruz, and released «Santo Domingo», a merengue dedicated to his home city that went viral on Dominican radio.

Merengue and bachata

In 2021 he released his first bachata collaboration, «Las puertas del cielo», with Antony Santos, which reached the Billboard top ten, and his third album, «Love Dance Merengue». «Cuatro 26» followed in 2023. He has also performed in stage musicals, including «West Side Story», «Rent» and «Legally Blonde», and played the lead in the documentary «Hay un país en el mundo».

Legacy

Cruz has been named Cantante Solista del Año at the Premios Soberano (2017), and his records have gone on to win Album of the Year for «Sobrenatural» (2019), Merengue of the Year for «Santo Domingo» (2020) and «Estoy completo» (2022), and Collaboration of the Year for «Llegaste», with Milly Quezada (2024) — a career built, after a decade abroad and one disbanded trio, on writing and singing romantic merengue for a Dominican audience that never stopped listening.