Born Ramón Rijo in 1977 in La Romana, Dominican Republic, Monchy rose to fame as the counterpart of Alexandra in the bachata duo Monchy & Alexandra. One of bachata's most successful acts of the 2000s, the duo scored its first hit single with "Hoja en Blanco" in 1999 and released its debut album of the same name that year on Sony. They proceeded to release several additional albums, most notably Confesiones (2002) and Hasta el Fin (2004), and win numerous industry awards before finally breaking up in 2008, when Alexandra split for a solo career. Monchy regrouped, teaming up with singer Nathalia, born Carmen Luisa Reyes, in the duo Monchy & Nathalia. The duo worked with producer Mártires de León on its eponymous album debut. Released in association with Universal Music, Monchy & Nathalia spawned the singles "No Saber de Tí" and "Hasta el Alma." ~ Jason Birchmeier