To this day, Antonio Romero Monge and Rafael Ruiz Perdigones still struggle to put words to the worldwide success that “Macarena” brought them, even 25 years after its release in the United States.
It must be said that there was nothing in particular about how the song came about that hinted that it would become one of the most popular hits of the 20th century. Antonio Romero Monge, now 73, was at a party in Caracas, Venezuela, when a dancer inspired him to write the lyrics “Dale alegria a tu cuerpo” (“Give joy to your body” in English). Thirty minutes later, the Spanish singer-songwriter had composed what was set to become Los Del Rio’s biggest hit.
“When you write a song, you…
Keep on reading: 25 years after its release, the ‘Macarena’ still gets people dancing